Page 31 of Corbin (Wild Wolf Pack from the world of Gallize Shifters #2)

Eirene groaned at shifting again so soon, but now in human form, Corbin stood in front of her, watching their surroundings. He wore his jeans and shoes, but that beautiful male body was naked from the waist up. Why did he get to look badass while she’d end up looking like a wet rag?

Her clothes were on the ground next to her knees.

She stood then pulled on her damp shirt and stepped into her crinkled shorts.

Thankfully, the warehouse security monitoring unit remained in one pocket of her shorts, and the phone she used for her shifter ladies made it through that run in the other pocket.

How was she going to enter her snooty apartment building looking like a wild-haired homeless woman with filthy shoes?

She quietly said, “I’m dressed.”

He glanced around at her. “We have a problem.”

Of course they did.

She walked up to where he stood in the shadowed alley across from her apartment building. Everything appeared fine to her. “What’s wrong?”

Speaking out of the side of his mouth, he said, “Looks like a male on the roof of your building. He’s surveilling the area and may not be alone.”

She squinted up at the roof line, waiting until a head moved behind the parapet wall. “Crap.”

“I can get to my motorcycle if there’s a parking garage we could enter unseen.”

“There’s no underground parking.” What could they do? She considered everywhere she could go and said, “I have somewhere else to go if we aren’t followed.”

Swinging a smile her way, he said, “Give me a few minutes to meet you at that covered bus stop on this side of the street. Wait until you hear my motorcycle approaching, then step up next to the shelter.”

“Okay.” She had come a long way since the start of the day for her to agree without knowing all the details.

On the other hand, so had he because Corbin had not questioned where they were going. She had a place owned by the group remodeling the theater. Because of her partnership in the theater, they’d offered it to her as a quiet location where she could practice without anyone bothering her.

She’d used it twice when she managed to slip her security detail. While Corbin was gone, she pulled out her phone to check quickly for a message from Nova. A text waited for her that confirmed she had the sisters and pup. One thing had gone correctly. They were safe with her.

How could it only be a little after ten at night? Her body felt as if the last hours had been stretched into days.

At the sound of a motorcycle that she hoped was Corbin’s, she hurried to the bus shelter, standing tucked up close. Would the guy on her apartment building see her?

Corbin flew up to the bus stop, hit his brakes, and she climbed onto the rear seat and hugged his body.

A bullet ripped the edge of the plastic panel on the shelter.

He accelerated so fast from a stop the front end lifted and dropped back down.

Had someone tried to kill her?

A mile away, Corbin pulled over and unhooked the helmet from where it had banged around on the handlebars. “Put this on.”

“Stop ordering me around,” she groused and yanked the helmet on.

He added, “Please.”

She smiled at his effort to sound reasonable, snapped the helmet strap, and then wrapped her arms around him again. “Let’s go.”

He patted her arm and took off, riding through light traffic with a steady rain this evening. She hoped they did not skid out of control. He handled the bike like a professional racer while still managing not to draw the attention of traffic police.

Corbin wove in and out of the sparse traffic, hurrying ahead when he could. She’d told him the address and how to reach the building, but he took turns that were not part of the route.

Was someone following them?

Her stomach still clenched at the gunshot that struck the bus shelter.

Why would Leszek send someone to kill his golden goose?

That bullet could have struck Corbin. Her throat tightened at the thought. She’d just found him, and she would not let anyone take him from her again.

Corbin had missed her too. That he still cared for her was a gift after all he’d been through.

What she felt for him went beyond simple emotions.

In school, she’d thought they were fated to be together and then later criticized her foolish thinking when he disappeared.

She had never allowed herself to believe she’d find him again, but now that she had, she wanted . .. everything they could have together.

That sounded good, but she first had to share the dumpster fire her life had become. She would not sugar-coat anything. Treachery and lies had separated them. She still had to find a way to put Leszek in jail and free herself of him.

She had the sense that Corbin had carved out a decent life for himself after escaping the Romanian. She would not allow anything on her part to jeopardize that.

Tightening her arms around his hard body, she held on to the only person she’d chosen to be in her life. Strong and confident, he took being protective to a whole new level.

She’d watch his back too.

By the time he slowly cruised down the road to the destination she’d directed him to, they were drowned shifters. She shivered with so few clothes on. He pulled up in front of the overhead door to Eirene’s street-level parking garage for her secret getaway place.

Taking the bike out of gear, he reached around and helped her off the back, holding on as her legs steadied. She ran over to a security panel and punched in the code they’d given her.

The garage door groaned its way up, and Corbin rode his bike into a cement floor space forty feet wide and thirty feet deep with a twelve-foot ceiling.

She removed her helmet as she followed him, punching the inside panel to lower the door.

Off to one side were metal cabinets and shelves filled with tools, which she assumed someone used to work on vehicles or maybe props for the theater. Above that area hung two long fluorescent light structures currently not lit, but the single security light above the garage door stayed on.

He found a secluded spot to park his motorcycle, turned off the engine, and set the helmet on the seat.

She paused at the silence after traveling in the loud rain.

The same old van and trailer parked in the deep corner to her left had not moved since her last visit. Dust had settled across both vehicles. She had no idea who drove them but hoped they did not visit tonight.

For the first time in many hours, she believed they were safe. At least for the night, and she needed to rest.

Corbin came striding over to her.

She smiled. “That was some impressive riding ...” Her words trailed off at the hungry look in his eyes.

She suddenly lost any interest in sleeping.

He never stopped, lifting her off the floor when he got to her and kissing her senseless by the time she had her legs wrapped around his middle. She gripped his head and tugged him closer. When he broke the kiss, they were both breathless.

“I’ve wanted that forever. I never could fully convince myself that you had set me up to be captured.”

“I’m glad. It broke my heart to hear what happened to you, but it would have been worse to find out you never wanted to see me again.”

He chuckled. “I convinced myself I would find you and get answers. The truth is I was going to find you.” He brushed a hand over her wet hair. “I want you so bad I’m in pain, but I won’t ask for anything you aren’t ready for.”

“You’re in luck. I’ve been ready to be with you for a long time.” She leaned in and kissed him with a loud smack and laughed. So worth it to see him grinning.

“Tell me where to go. We’re not doing this on a cement floor.”

A zing of heat ripped through her at his declaration.

They’d been kids the first time they met, but they were two adults who knew exactly what they wanted.

She was entirely on board with what he had in mind.

“Elevator off to my right to the second floor then the first door you find when we get there.”

She hadn’t felt this free or happy in all the years she’d been alone, waiting for a miracle to bring him back to her. She bit his lip.

He growled and cupped her bottom, carrying her to the elevator.

By the time the elevator stopped, and Corbin carried her out, her top was half off. She wanted the shorts gone even faster.

“Any chance this place has a shower?” he ground out.

“Yes!” Great idea. She should have thought of it first. “Let me down.”

“No.”

She laughed at his disgruntled answer. “Let me down and we’ll get to the shower faster.”

He grinned at her and kissed her again, but in a slow, thorough way. Breathing heavily, he admitted, “I’ve missed you for so long without knowing what all I was missing. You are everything to me, but are you sure about this?” Genuine concern came through his words.

Her heart did a crazy happy dance. “I dreamed of our first kiss. I wanted to hear you say you want to be with me as much as I want to be with you. Yes, I am sure. You mean the world to me.” She ran her hand over his cheek, studying every sharp angle. “Let’s go shower.”

Lowering her down the front of his body, he held her close and hugged her. She could feel his hard length against her stomach and shuddered with her own need. “Now. I need you now.”

She grabbed his hand and hauled him through the open space where she often sang alone and then through a door to a small apartment she’d used to catch naps after long days.

It came complete with a shower. Nothing spectacular, but when she’d been dirty, cold, and wet for hours, she didn’t need extravagant.

Just hot water, soap, and towels.

This shower could accommodate two people at the same time.

Spectacular.

He had her shirt completely off and flipped away, then knelt to pull her shorts slowly down her legs. He was killing her. “Faster.”

“No.”

She laughed again. “Are you always going to be this difficult?”