Taken by the Alpha Wolf (3 page)

Hoo yah.

She knew better. Etienne was calm and cool,
and the more tense the situation, the cooler he became. He was
intelligent and courageous. Yet her parents dismissed him as if he
were a lowly dog.

Cindy released a trembling laugh. Better than
crying. Anything was better than crying. She rubbed the bruise on
her arm, careful to conceal it. If Etienne saw it, he’d suspect
something was very wrong.

More than the disaster of her parents dumping
her like used baggage. Her mouth wobbled tremulously.

Etienne patiently waited, a big Draicon whose
shadow draped her. His T-shirt stretched tight over broad shoulders
and was rolled up at the sleeves, displaying muscled forearms. A
ray of sunlight glinted off the sidearm tucked into his shoulder
holster. The olive green bandana covering his head and the war
paint gave him a savage look. Yet his expression was soft with
concern, contrasting with the military he-man outfit.

How horrible this was for him as well. Her
father had deeply insulted him, saying those nasty things. And yet
Etienne had not lost his temper. Had remained a gentleman, except
for that marking of territory, well, she understood that.

It was a very male, very Draicon
declaration.

Etienne could have torn her father into
pieces. Instead, he maintained calm control.

She slowly unfurled her fists, ignoring the
half-moons her nails made in her palms. He was her mate and she
wanted him, but this was a bad idea. And too soon, he’d find out
why.

I don’t belong anywhere, not anymore.

He held out a hand and she took it, feeling
the smooth firmness of a dependable male who wasn’t afraid to stand
up to anyone.

Leanly muscled and strong, Etienne was all
lethal power and grace. With his sexy accent and charm, he could
have scores of women falling at his feet.

From the moment he saw her in a bar on
Bourbon Street last year, he’d wanted only her.

“I have some business to clear up and a few
things I must get.” She touched her throat, thinking of the Orb.
Please, I have to have it
.

He studied the freshwater pearls around her
neck. “Things like jewelry?”

“These were a birthday gift from my…”

Her mother, who hand selected expensive
pearls and disposed of her daughter like cheap jewelry. Cindy
pulled away from him, unfastened the lobster claw clasp.

“My… mother gave them to me on my 12th
birthday, to celebrate my Change into wolf.”

The pearls felt like a millstone around her
neck, strangling her, squeezing out air until she could only force
little gasps. Cindy removed the necklace and flung it. It sailed in
the air, glinting in the hard sunlight and then vanished into the
deep undergrowth. She heard a distant splash.

Emotion tightened her throat. But she would
not cry.

“C’mon Cynthia Parker. Let’s get your
stuff.”

Etienne pronounced her last name “Paw kah.”
The soft, slow drawl sent a shiver racing through her.

He touched her throat, rubbed a thumb over
her skin, evoking a shiver. His touch was feather light, erotic.
“When we get home, I’ll buy you a new set of pearls.”

Cindy turned around, staring at the wild
swamp to hide her distress. “I have no more home.”

“Your home is with me now, sweetheart,” he
said gently.

“I’m not a Parker anymore. They made that
clear. I can’t be part of your family, either.”

“Why?”

This was so embarrassing. She felt exposed,
and the little good-bye from her parents hadn’t filled her with
confidence.

“Your family is powerful in the Draicon world
and they fit into the human world. And you’ve been a SEAL, you have
magick powers that are legendary…”

His brow wrinkled. “You have powers as
well.”

She gave another little laugh, knowing she
sounded brittle as cracked glass. “Can we rewind? I’m not coming
with you, Etienne. I’m jobless and without a family, but I’m not
incapacitated. I’ll survive on my own. I’ll start my own
business.”

Because I am nothing in your world.

The thought did not touch his mind. There was
no connection between them. It was all white noise. My fault, she
thought.

Etienne clasped her shoulders, turning her to
face him. “I could punch your father for what he did. For a father
to disown his precious daughter?”

He snorted. “If I had a daughter, I’d do
anything, even wrestle a dozen angry alligators before tossing her
out like that.”

“In the nude?”

Her weak joke defrayed his anger. Etienne
laughed, a deep, throaty sound that chased away the chill inside
her heart.

“Naw,
chere
, wouldn’t go that far.” He
glanced down. “I’m way too fond of certain parts of my
anatomy.”

Cindy followed his gaze to his strong thighs,
and the very equipment he’d mentioned. An unbidden image sprang to
mind. His body, covering hers as he surged between her legs,
bonding them together in the flesh.

Etienne’s smile dropped. He leaned close,
staring at her mouth. He was going to kiss her.

“You’re so beautiful, Cyn. And smart. My
favorite combination,” he murmured. His voice deepened and she
could sense his heart racing.

Kissing him was dangerous. It would lead to
more kisses, and then caving into the yearning to lean against him,
feeling his warm skin beneath her caressing fingertips…and then
tumbling into bed with him.

Her breasts felt heavy and full, their
nipples achingly sensitive. She was acutely aware of him, his power
and strength, and tender concern. He’d fall on his knife to keep
her safe, because that was who he was.

The pull of desire felt like a hard yank on a
heavy rope, coaxing her to lean closer. Cindy imagined his arms
around her, drawing her close, his mouth warm and wet and soft, his
body hard. Moisture pooled between her legs.

Her body tingled with awareness, wanting him.
Her mind screamed against it.

Making love with him, her emotions tethered
to Etienne, she’d weaken. Not an option.

Struggling against her instincts to reach up
and kiss that oh-so-kissable mouth of his, she shook her head. “No,
Etienne. I’m not ready to mate with you.”

Etienne cupped her cheek, his palm big and
warm against her chilled skin. “I can wait. Let’s get your
stuff.”

They arrived at her house on the fringes of
western Dade country 45 minutes later. Two acres of lush Bermuda
grass surrounded the elegant structure. The gardens in the back
were clipped with rigorous precision and no weed would dare show
its face amongst the gardenias. He flipped up the door on the
detached garage, guiding her BMW inside. When they got out, Etienne
made sure to close the door, hiding the car inside.

The house with its boxy, white frame and
jutting balconies was all chrome and stainless steel, gleaming
hardwood floors. Cindy glanced at his expression. She knew what he
was thinking, without reading his mind.

Wealthy and cold, just like her parents. But like
her?

“I have a condo on the beach, but it’s being
renovated. So I’ve stayed here in one of my father’s rentals for
the past couple of months.”

Etienne gazed upward, his jaw tight. “So this
is where rich people live. In a museum. Go inside. I need to shield
the house in case we’re attacked. It may take a few minutes. It’s
very large.”

Museum. Big. Wealth. Ouch, that hurt, because
this wasn’t her, and he thought it was.

“Attacked by what, designer fairies? Trust
me, they’ve already been here with all their cute little museum
decor. My very wealthy father has the bill to prove it.”

She hated the nasty tone of her voice.

Etienne regarded her with his calm, steady
gaze. “I need to protect it against those who would hurt you. I’m
not taking chances with your safety.”

Inside, she watched from a bay window as he
walked the perimeter, waving his arms and chanting, erecting an
invisible magick shield that would keep out all harm.

The real harm had already been done, she
thought.

When he slipped quietly into the house, his
big body taking up all the soaring space inside, she gestured to
the elegant, shining white living room.

“Stay here while I take care of a few things
upstairs. I won’t insult you by asking to make yourself at
home.”

Ouch. Wrong thing to say. Trying for humor,
because she’d always loathed this cold, indifferent room, she’d
offended him.

Those blue eyes filled with hard mirth. “I’ll
try my best not to spit on the floor or arm wrestle an alligator
and serve him for supper that slab of marble you call a table,
chere
.”

“My father bought it on a trip to Europe, and
I’ve always hated it so feel free to slaughter anything on it,” she
offered.

Purpose flared on his face. Etienne flicked a
hand. A thunderous crack split the air as the table split in table,
toppling to the hardwood floor in a dust cloud. Cindy sucked in a
trembling breath.

Such power. And she had nothing to match it.
Not even a flicker.

She turned, trying to conceal her shock.
She’d known her true mate was lethal. But this… It made her puny
attempts at majick laughable. Like an ant struggling to run a
marathon with elephants.

Shaken, she climbed the winding staircase to
her bedroom.

I’ve lived in the human world far too long.

Cindy headed for a tall mahogany bureau.
Inside one drawer was a custom-designed safe. Keying the
combination, she opened the glass door and removed from its blue
velvet nest a globe the size of a softball.

Welcoming her, the Astra Orb glowed a warm
crimson in her palms. The scent of fresh rain, wildflowers and
earth enveloped her. Its comforting pulse of energy soothed like a
maternal hand to her brow.

Thinking of her own mother, she returned the
Orb to its hiding place and locked it. Cindy went to the polished
desk by the window, and powered up her laptop. She typed in some
commands, and began sorting through files.

“Need help?”

She jumped, startled by his deep voice.
Etienne lounged against the door jamb. His face was freshly
scrubbed. He’d removed the bandana, and his short brown hair stood
up in spikes.

“Didn’t you hear me come up the stairs?”

Grasping for excuses, she quickly thought.
“You’re very stealthy. Must come from being in the Navy. All that
stealth stuff the military likes, you know, like bombers, SEAL
stealth.”

But he didn’t buy it, just gave her a long
look from those laser blue eyes. Eyes that could penetrate a thick
web of lies.

Certainly she could spin one.

His gaze did not waver as he folded his arms.
“Smells nice in here. Smells like your scent. Very delicate, but
fragrant. Not like mine.”

Etienne sniffed an armpit. “After those hours
in the swamp, I’m kinda… odorous.”

She closed her eyes. Her web of lies had
ripped. It wouldn’t work. Not anymore.

Because he knew. As a wolf, she’d failed to
pick up Etienne’s delicious and very male scent of musk, sharply
cut grass and fresh rain. She should have responded to it with a
female reaction to her destined mate.

Any normal Draicon would have.

Still, she couldn’t work up the courage to
tell him. Not yet. She needed to figure out the right time.

And then she wouldn’t have to worry about
leaving him. Because he’d leave her.

“I need to finish this. Have a seat and relax
a little.”

He swept the room with his steady gaze, his
expression betraying nothing. But tension radiated from him, those
big shoulders growing tight. Etienne looked at the polished
hardwood floor as if afraid to scuff it with his boots.

He pointed to the desk and her files. “What’s
that about?”

“I have to leave instructions about these
clients and finish the billing on their files.” At his inquiring
look, she sighed. “My father kicked me out of his business and his
life, but that’s no excuse for me not to complete my job.”

He studied the laptop as if it held a bomb.
“I wouldn’t expect anything less from you. You’re a professional.
I’ll get your suitcases and start you on packing.”

Etienne, taking charge as usual. But as he
crossed the room to her closet, he paused at the collage of photos
taped to the silk wallpaper. He touched one of himself standing
knee-deep in the bayou as he held a small alligator.

“You kept them,” he murmured.

“Every photo you sent of yourself, and your
family, and your home.”

She pushed back her chair and joined him,
gazing at the photos. “This is my favorite.”

Her finger rested on a candid photo of him
lounging on his front porch, beer in hand, legs kicked open, with a
wide grin on his face. But Etienne didn’t look at the
photograph.

His gaze sharpened on her arm and the large
purpling bruise. Very gently, he held her arm and examined it. A
flush ignited her cheeks. So much for concealing the truth…

“Did I do this? When I tackled you?”

“It’s three days old,” she hastened to assure
him. “I hit my arm on a filing cabinet.”

“Three days? And it hasn’t healed yet?”

Congratulations, you figured it out.

“Cyn, what’s going on?”

She spread out her hands, studied the long
fingers that struggled to work magick.

“It’s nothing. I can take care of it. I can
take care of myself.”

Those blue eyes were as fierce and intent as
lasers. “You never did tell me what kind of magick you have. It
might be good to combine powers.”

“I like to work alone and I can defend myself
against anything,” she said coolly, her heart pounding hard. “Stay
here. I need to wash the dust off.”

The shower was quick, and felt refreshing,
but did little to soothe her shaky nerves. Cindy dressed and went
into the bedroom.