† Sage †

“Stay back. I’m warning you.” I broke eye contact with the naked male as I looked around the hallway. Warning you with what? My knives were still in the car and there wasn’t a weapon in sight.

I’d woken in an unfamiliar bed to the sound of voices mumbling in the hall. A sense of comfort washed over me before I realized Coral was gone.

Then it all came crashing back.

I’d lost control and left my sister unprotected in a place that shouldn’t exist where mutants and wolves roamed the streets.

A mad dash outside the room revealed these two men fighting each other. The naked man with a perfect curve to his ass seemed to have the upper hand as the receptionist from downstairs struggled.

Where did his fangs go?

You know what, it didn’t matter.

I glanced over my shoulder, nodding at Coral while I looked for a fire escape. I’d failed her once, but it wouldn’t happen again. In typical Coral fashion, she’d found a friend in the few minutes we had been here.

An equally young girl who was also naked.

Seriously, was clothing optional here?

But that was fine, I’d protect them both.

A growl had me facing forward and my eyes locked on those of the naked man again. My pulse quickened as a surge of desire went through me, but I instantly tapered that down. A lifetime of experience in controlling my emotions had been ruined in a single moment where I’d left my sister unprotected.

I was mortified.

But alive.

Whatever had caused the black-out couldn’t happen again. His eyes.

That was the last thing I remembered focusing on.

I quickly looked to his feet.

Which was a bad idea because feet led to chiseled muscles of perfectly sculpted calves and thighs which led to…

Don’t look there.

Okay, I looked. In my defense it was on full display and bless science or whatever perversion that had created this man, it was thick and long and semi-hard. I wonder how much bigger it can get…

What the hell was wrong with me?

I forced my eyes up to his broad shoulders and chest which were also nice to look at.

Really nice. Get it together Sage!

His massive jaw was covered in a dark brown stubble, giving him a rough edge that was deliciously man. He was bad news and so were the rush of emotions stirring within me.

I couldn’t help but glance up at his eyes and a rush of wind sounded in my ears.

They were bluish gray but shining unnaturally now like the receptionist’s eyes had done. I swallowed hard, remembering when I’d seen them glow like that before. Fear slammed into my chest.

“You’re the wolf,” I whispered.

“Don’t pass out on me again.” Coral grabbed my arm as the world began to sway. I brushed her off, shaking my head as I took a deep breath.

“He’s with me. You’re safe,” the naked girl chimed in. I stared at her in horror.

“Ew. Not like that.” She shuddered as she stepped back, reading the question on my face. “He’s my Uncle Maddock and the enforcer for the

pack.”

“Right.” I nodded like she wasn’t speaking a foreign language. “Coral, we should go.”

“You know I can’t go back, Sage.” Tears filled my sister’s big brown eyes. “They are going to help me learn about this mutant stuff, but if you want to go back then it’s okay. I’ll be fine here.”

A growl filled the hallway, cutting me off before I could say I wasn’t leaving her here alone. I turned around to glare at the naked uncle, wolf-man, Greek freaking statue of a male specimen.

“Are you growling?” My gaze flicked to his throbbing… Stop looking at it! I jerked my eyes back up. There it was again, the rush of

sensations. I breathed deeply, trying to keep a level head.

It’d be better if there wasn’t so much skin. “Do you guys have clothes or something you can put on?”

The greasy receptionist snorted. “Are all purists as prude as you are, witch?”

“I’m not prude…Or pure… Or a witch.” My cheeks heated as I stuttered.

Sexy wolf-man turned to growl at the receptionist. “Enough, Lennox. Show respect.”

Well okay then. Maybe he wasn’t that bad.

“Apologies, Enforcer.” Lennox leaned against the wall and sighed. “As entertaining as this all is, I’ve got work to do so are you renting a room for the night or what?”

“Yes,” I called out breathlessly, needing a moment of normal and some alone time with my sister so we could talk this through.

“No.” Maddox growled again. Our eyes met and I could feel my temper flaring as he seemed to stare into my soul.

I dropped my gaze briefly before turning to the girl. “No clothes?” She shook her head with an amused smile lighting up her face.

I dashed through the open door of the room I woke up in and took a steadying breath. This was fine. So what if they were mutants? Neither of us were dead yet so maybe we could get some real answers before that happened.

Coral deserved to know the truth.

I yanked the blanket and top sheet from the mattress, walking with purpose back to the hall.

“Here.” I tossed the sheet to the naked wolf man, making sure not to look at him again, and then carried the blanket over to the girl.

She glanced at her uncle for an awkwardly long minute like they were communicating with their eyes so I draped the blanket over her shoulders.

“I don’t think you get to boss everyone around here,” Coral whispered as I moved to stand by her side.

I cut her off with a pointed stare and turned back to Lennox. At least he was wearing some clothes. “How much is the room for the night?”

“We’ll come to an…” The sultry smile fell from his face as he glanced back to Maddock who was, shocker, growling again.

Does this dude even speak beyond basic commands?

I was starting to get a headache. It didn’t help that he’d tied the sheet so it hung low on his hips, accentuating his v-line muscles that pointed to exactly what I was hoping he’d cover up.

“I wasn’t talking to you, growly.” I snapped my fingers, drawing Lennox’s attention back to me. It probably wouldn’t be long before the government froze my assets if I was declared a missing person, but if they labeled me a sympathizer then my accounts were as good as closed anyway. “I’m assuming you don’t take credits.”

“Credits?” Lennox arched an eyebrow.

“I think she’s talking about her currency.” Ah, so Maddock did have some form of intelligence. “But she’s not staying here so the point is mute.” And just like that, all intelligent life had left the building. Stay calm.

Something about this wolf-man was seriously getting under my skin. “I don’t know why you think you can make decisions like that for us.”

I folded my arms over my chest, ignoring the way his gaze went straight to my breasts. Was everyone here a creep? I mean, there might be something in the air because I still couldn’t stop looking at the sheet.

“What sort of payment do you use out here?” I turned to Lennox

again.

“Trade and barter,” he said like it was the most logical thing in the

world. Okay. That sounded simple enough. If we were going to be here a while, we’d have to get used to their customs.

“Will gemstones work?” I was suddenly grateful I’d spent all that time collecting them for life in the Fringes.

“Never cared for them.” Lennox shrugged. “Some people might though if you want to trade around.”

“Great.” I rolled my eyes. We were back in the stone age.

As if to prove my point, Maddock the wolf-man grunted. “I’ll pay for one night in the room and tomorrow you’re coming to a more permanent location with me.”

The way he emphasized the word permanent sent anxious flutters dancing on my skin. “No thank you. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m trying to work out a trade.”

Lennox chuckled as Maddock squeezed his eyes shut. For some reason I could feel his frustration like tendrils down my spine, coaxing my own anger out. This wasn’t good. I needed some distance from the man.

Like now.

“Coral, can you please wait in the room? I’m going with Lennox downstairs to talk about the inn and what services I can provide to cover

our stay.” If he didn’t need a chef, I could wash sheets or clean bathrooms.

Maddock’s growl was powerful, sending Lennox stumbling a few steps back, but his gaze was trained on me.

“We should go.” The niece grabbed my sister’s arm and the door slammed shut behind them. When the chain shifted on the top, I felt a rush of relief.

There was something seriously wrong with this wolf-man. I mean, I got it. He was gorgeous. But I’d be damned if he thought it was okay to

boss me around.

Ignoring him and all his sexy cuts of muscle, I stepped closer to Lennox. “Let’s go talk downstairs.”

The men looked to each other over my head, doing that way too long for comfort silent communication with their eyes like Maddock had done with his niece. I got the feeling they were closer than I originally thought. Which was going to make ditching Growly difficult.

I sighed in resignation, wanting to get this over with. “I can cook and I don’t mind stripping the beds or cleaning the rooms if that’s what you need instead.”

Whatever trance the two men held was broken at the sound of my

voice.

Lennox’s eyes darted to my face and the seductive grin that I

would’ve sworn was his permanent facial expression slipped into a thin line. “No need. Your stay is taken care of for tonight and you’ll be leaving tomorrow. Check out is at high noon.”

He moved quickly, taking off down the hall and leaving me alone with growling sexy wolf-man who still had the sheet sliding down on his hips.

“You had no right to dictate where my sister or I sleep.” Ice water. I turned to Maddock and tried to contain my rising frustration. Normally, it wasn’t hard to rein it in. I could fake an air of boredom so well that even I

believed it. But something about this place–this mutant wolf man–was making my head spin.

Later, I’d find a place to meditate and repeat the practice sequences of emotional regulation my father taught me, but right now my skin was burning hot as Maddock stepped closer.

“What if I’m concerned about where you sleep?” His voice was husky and dark, sending a little thrill to my core.

This close I caught a whiff of his aftershave or cologne, even though the stubble on his face made it seem like he hadn’t shaved in a while. It was rough like aged scotch, but without the sharp bite of alcohol. More smoke and spice. Damn, it smells good.

“It’s none of your business.” I took a step back, hitting the wall behind me.

“And if I want it to be my business?” He stepped closer.

My breath caught in my throat as he towered over me and put his hands on the wall, caging me in on either side with massive forearms.

Bless science, since when are forearms sexy?

“Personal space.” I literally squeaked, wondering where the

boundaries were drawn with these people, uh, mutants…Others. I’d already seen more of him than I’d seen of myself in a mirror in years and we just got here.

His lips twitched, like he was trying to smile and wasn’t quite sure how, as he sniffed my hair. “I assure you this is very personal my little

witch.”

We’re going to ignore the sniffing, and the witch remark, and my heart beating wild in my chest. “What do you mean by my? I just met you, Growly.”

On cue, a rumble vibrated in his chest as he leaned down closer. His lips hovered inches from mine. “Tell me you don’t feel it too.”

Oh, this isn’t happening.

I’d dealt with players before. Even if my instincts said he wasn’t

like Lennox or Jeremy, this man could still lay on the charm. I wasn’t some horny young woman that jumped into the arms of a hot guy with a massive…

“I don’t feel anything.” I ducked under his forearm and shoved my hands in my pocket, trying to suffocate the warming sensation that was

making me want to drag my fingers along his naked skin. “I’ll tell your niece you’re leaving now and speak with Lennox tomorrow about an arrangement to extend our stay here.”

Feigning confidence, I turned toward the door. Coral needed me.

Whatever this was sparking between us, it wasn’t going anywhere any time soon.

Still, I couldn’t help the idea of playing with the beast. “And thank you for paying for our first night.” I smiled sarcastically over my shoulder.

But he was already walking down the hall, giving the most fantastic view as the bedsheet slipped to the floor in his wake.

I should have felt relief that this was taken care of and I had a moment to breathe, but an empty ache hollowed my chest leaving me cold and alone.

Tears burned behind my eyes and I blinked them away, wondering if this air was really toxic. There was no other rational explanation for feeling this way.

Today is the weirdest day of my life.