Page 26 of Triumph of the Wolf
With Chad gone, the savageness had left his eyes, and I stepped back, sensing that he would change. He kept my hand in his though. Wanting me close?
His outline blurred, fur disappearing, and his body shifted from that of the bipedfuris to the man. The naked man.
“I do appreciate it when you fondle my chest, my lady.”
“Oh, I know. Thanks for charging over to help. Even if I didn’t expect your help to be quite so furry.”
“You didn’t? When you keep company with werewolves, you should expect fur rather often.”
“I suppose that’s true, but I thought you were busy foisting an eighty-year-old rusty tin off on a kid.”
“Really, my lady. The way you speak of that excellent find as if it were junk instead of a grand treasure.”
“I can see where my attitude would confuse you.” I squeezed his hand and slid my fingers out of his grip, though he didn’t seem to want to let me go. “Why don’t you slip into your van and find some clothes?” I looked toward the lawn, wondering if he’d pulled off anything before the change had taken him. Only his phone gleamed, the screen reflecting the glow of one of the landscaping lights. He must not have felt he had time to remove anything else. “It’s late but not so late that tenants won’t be coming and going.”
“And it would harm your professional reputation here if you were seen fondling the chest of a naked man?”
“It would just be hard to explain. And someone might call the police.”
“Why? Nudity isn’t a crime here, surely.”
“Therearelaws against it. In public, at least.”
“Oh, yes. I forgot our previous discussions on this topic and how repressed Americans are.”
“We are indeed.” I waved toward his van. “Look, if you go put on clothes, I’ll join you, and we can finish our date.” After my encounter with Chad, I was amped up and couldn’t imagine snuggling into my bed for sleep anytime soon. “You wanted to go to a drive-in movie, right? We can prop one of our phones on your dash and watch something together. I’ve got some microwave popcorn in my apartment that I can heat up and bring out.”
“I would enjoy continuing our date.” Duncan bowed to me, picked up his phone, then ambled toward his van, taking his time and making sure I had a good view of his butt as he went.
I snorted and might possibly have enjoyed that view for a while before heading to my apartment. On the way, I veered toward the leasing office to see if Bolin was inside. His SUV was in the lot, so he ought to be on the grounds, right? I was surprised he hadn’t gone home yet. If he’d stayed to protect my unit from being robbed by Chad, I appreciated that.
Other than the glow shining through the window from a computer monitor, the lights were off in the leasing office. Maybe Bolin was standing guard right in front of my unit.
I grabbed the knob to make sure he’d locked up. But the door opened, and I sensed someone within. Two someones.
Curious, I peeked inside. A startled gasp and thump came from the small sofa where tenants sometimes sat while waiting for me to get off the phone. Bolin had fallen onto the floor. Only then did I realize that was Jasmine I sensed with him. She sat on the sofa, her shirt untucked and rucked up. She’d been reclining against the armrest but hurried to straighten herself and scrape her fingers through her hair.
“Luna,” Bolin blurted from the floor. “I, uhm.”
“FYI,” I said, “you should lock the door before engaging in a necking session.”
“Yes, of course.” Cheeks flushed from embarrassment or arousal or both, Bolin glanced at Jasmine several times. He seemed worried to hold her gaze.
She looked less flustered than he did. I gave them both a thumbs-up, then closed the door. When Bolin had been describing his date with Jasmine, it hadn’t led me to believe I might find them engaged in an intimate moment. Maybe he’d performed some studly druid magic that had impressed Jasmine.
I reached my apartment and was contemplating a flask of smoking blue liquid that was in front of the door when a text came in. Jasmine had sent a photo of Bolin on the very walkway on which I now stood, arms spread as he faced off against Chad. It had been taken before the potion had been placed. The photo showed Bolin with a stern face, looking older and more powerful than his years, and a vine growing out of the sidewalk and toward Chad’s ankle. A second photo taken a few seconds later showed Chad turning to run away as the vine, much larger now, swatted him in the butt.
“He’s had a rough night,” I murmured but did not feel sorry for my ex-husband.
Not an omega,came Jasmine’s accompanying text.
I snorted, remembering our conversation and when she’d realized that Bolin had the potential to be the powerful—or maybe just exciting—mate she’d wanted.
Nope,I replied agreeably.
Sexy, huh? came Jasmine’s follow-up text.
Maybe Bolin confronting Chad had turned on her libido after the chilling incident with the butt coolers.
