Page 3

CHAPTER THREE

CLAIRE

Holy shit.

Ho-ly shit.

Dane just turned into a gigantic bear, and there’s an actual wolf in my apartment.

My head spins, and I very seriously consider jumping out the window.

I took a wildlife safety course as part of a volunteer program in Yosemite, but I can’t remember a thing about wolves. Am I supposed to make myself big and try to scare him away, or is it better to appear nonthreatening?

The wolf in question is fucking huge — way bigger than any wolf should be.

His head reaches the top of my ribs, and if he stood on his hind legs . . . I don’t want to think about it. His body is covered in glossy black fur, and he has a pair of glowing amber eyes that seem to see right through me.

Then the animal shudders and starts to change. Horror grips me as the muscles thrash beneath his fur, which disappears before my eyes. His snout shortens as the fur recedes, and he rises up on two legs.

Two very human legs. Two human legs attached to…

I look away, cheeks flaming, but then I do a double take. There’s a man standing in my living room where the wolf just was — a very naked man.

“What the —” I break off. I think I’m going to be sick.

The man in question towers over me. He’s lean, well-muscled, and hot as hell, with a broad chest, sculpted shoulders, and defined six-pack abs. His jet-black hair is enticingly disheveled, and his piercing cobalt eyes blaze with an intensity that steals the air from my lungs.

“Easy, love,” he says quietly, holding out his hands in a placating gesture. His voice sounds like rich dark chocolate, if dark chocolate could make a sound, and he’s got a British accent that would make my panties instantly damp if it weren’t for the queasy feeling in my stomach. “You’re all right.”

He says the words in a soothing tone one might reserve for a child or a skittish animal, and some of the tension in my chest eases.

He extends a hand, palm up, and I take it.

My head spins as I get to my feet, and I lurch forward on wobbly knees. The man catches me against his solid chest, and I have to fight the urge to flick out my tongue to lick his warm skin. He smells like expensive leather, bergamot, and something I can’t quite place. The combination is intoxicating.

Then I remember he’s naked.

Heat laps at my cheeks as I push out of his embrace, nearly falling into the coffee table.

“Easy,” he repeats, reaching out to steady me. “You’re in shock.”

Luckily, he moves to the side as he guides me down into the recliner. Otherwise, I’d find myself staring directly at his impressively large . . . er, manhood.

Grabbing a blanket off the back of the couch, he wraps it around his waist. Then he turns and steps out onto the landing, picking up a pair of discarded jeans.

I avert my gaze as he pulls them on, feeling an irrational jab of disappointment and wondering if I imagined it all.

There’s definitely nothing imaginary about the blood staining my carpet, but monsters aren’t real. Right?

My savior strides toward me, dressed in a pair of designer jeans and a midnight blue T-shirt that hugs his perfect biceps. “Did he hurt you?” he rumbles.

I shake my head. Not this time .

“Dane,” I rasp, desperate for an explanation. “He turned into a giant b-bear.”

I know I must sound certifiably insane, but not-so-naked guy doesn’t bat an eye.

Instead, he goes into the kitchen, opens up a few cabinets, and pours me a glass of water. He returns to my side and hands me the glass, which I drain in a few breathless gulps.

“He’s a bear ,” I repeat. “A bear . . . man.”

“Bear shifter,” he corrects.

“And you’re a . . .” My throat goes dry. “A werewolf?”

I feel ridiculous saying it out loud, and my handsome rescuer cracks a lopsided grin. “Wolf shifter.”

“Right.”

“I’m Sebastian, by the way.”

“And do you shifter guys frequently get into brawls in other people’s apartments?” I ask.

“No. But I’ve been hunting that piece of shit for a year and a half. Yesterday, I finally found him.”

“Why were you looking for him?” I ask, my voice cracking slightly.

Sebastian lifts one dark eyebrow, and my stomach lurches.

“You were going to kill him?”

“I would have if the bastard hadn’t run off before I got the chance.” Sebastian cocks his head to the side, regarding me with interest. “Is that a problem?”

I just stare at him. What does he expect me to say? No, I’m totally cool with you guys waging your shifter war in my living room.

Then again, Dane hurt me. He barged into my apartment and threatened me. He might have killed me if Sebastian hadn’t shown up when he did.

I shake my head.

“Good.” Something like concern flickers across his face, and he kneels down in front of me. “Are you sure he didn’t hurt you?” He keeps his voice low and gentle, and I get the feeling it’s not a tone he uses very often.

I nod.

“But he’s hurt you before.”

“Yes,” I whisper, my hand drifting down to rest protectively over my bump.

Sebastian doesn’t miss the gesture, and his jaw tightens.

“I moved to this place a couple of months ago to get away from him.” I swallow. “I don’t know how he found me. He must have followed me home from work. What if —” Panic swamps me as the possibility creeps in, and I fiddle with a thread that’s come loose from my sweater. “What if he comes back?”

Something fierce ignites behind Sebastian’s intense blue eyes, but then his expression softens. “Do you have any friends you can stay with tonight?”

Shame squeezes my insides. I’ve never been good at making new friends. I’ve always been better with animals. And although I have a few casual acquaintances from my yoga studio, the last couple months I was with Dane, I isolated myself to the point that I don’t feel comfortable calling any of them.

Understanding flashes across Sebastian’s face — understanding but not pity. Then he rises into a standing position and turns toward the door. “Right. You’re coming with me.”

“What?”

Surely I must have misheard him.

He turns to look over his shoulder, and I catch a glimpse of the beast he was in that stunning cobalt gaze. “I’m not leaving you here — not with that bloody bear still on the loose. You’re coming home with me.”

“N-no, I . . . What about my cat?” I blurt. It probably seems silly that I’m worried about my cat at a time like this, but I’m not leaving Shadow behind.

“Your what?”

The poor thing darted under the couch to hide the second Dane came barging in. In the few minutes we’ve been talking, he’s crept forward to peer at Sebastian, though his ears are tucked and his thick gray tail is puffed up to twice its normal size.

Sebastian follows my gaze to Shadow lodged underneath the couch, and one of his nostrils twitches. Then he lets out a resigned sigh. “I suppose he can come too.”