Shadow of the Wolf(11)

       
           



       

He liked it. It fit the woman who stood in front of him, chatting with  her granddaughter. What he didn't like was the exasperated tone she was  addressing Lana in. "Why didn't you stay at Mr. Beckett's house?"

Lana gaped. "I barely know the man!"

"Didn't I tell you he'd protect you?"

"Yes."

"So?" Annabelle tapped her foot.

Lana shot him a look, like the fact her grandmother appeared annoyed was  all his fault. "He says I'm his mate. He cast some sort of spell and  says I was the answer or something."

Annabelle nodded. "You did answer the call. I already told you that."

Lana threw her hands up in the air. "Someone threatened to kill me!"

"And Christopher will protect you from that!"

Christopher decided to interrupt before things got ugly. Lana was  turning suspiciously red in the face, and he didn't think it was all  from anger. He'd caught a flash of hurt there, quickly masked.

"Excuse me."

"Well, gee, stupid me for thinking my family might help me."

Annabelle sighed. "Christopher has dealt with this person for a long  time. The protections he has in place were designed to keep him out. Why  do you think I told you to stay?"

Lana frowned. "Wizard versus wizard?"

"Exactly." Annabelle led her granddaughter over to the sofa. "Sit, and  I'll finish lunch. Then you can tell me why you think it's necessary to  stay here rather than at Christopher's."

"Because something tells me that it's the last thing this guy would expect us to do."

Annabelle stopped. Christopher studied Lana's face, seeing for the first  time the serene certainty that she was right. "You think it will take  him some time to find us?"

She smiled. "Exactly."

He smiled back. He had an inkling of what she was up to now. "God I love  a smart woman." He ignored her blush. "You're right. I doubt he knows  who you are, but it won't take him long to figure it out, and when he  does he might target you."

She beamed at him. "Exactly."

"While we stay here and work out the best way to keep you safe, I'll  contact my family and see how they can help us figure out what Cole is  up to. Deal?"

"Deal."

"At the first sign that your grandmother is in danger, I'm taking you  back to my house." He held up his hand when she opened her mouth to  protest. "I will not put your family in danger. That is non-negotiable."

"If he's keeping an eye on your family, he'll become suspicious if they all head over to Philly. How will you handle that?"

He took her hand and began absently playing with her fingers, the motion  soothing him. He hadn't really touched her since the incredible  lovemaking in his workroom. It felt like it had been longer than a few  hours. "I'll have to tell them to mask themselves from scrying. It will  buy is a little time, but not much."

"And in the meantime we try and figure out what you did to piss someone off so much they threaten to kill your supposed mate."

He growled. Supposed mate? He really needed to work on correcting her  stubborn impression that somehow he'd gotten the wrong woman.

She patted his head. "Down, Fido."

He took her hand in his and leaned into her. "How can you deny the magic  that coursed through you when you touched the ring?" He kept his voice  soft so Mrs. Evans wouldn't hear them arguing.

"How would you feel if a complete stranger walked up to you and said  congratulations! You get to spend the rest of your life with me whether  you like it or not!" Lana was also keeping her voice soft, yet still  managed to sound like she was yelling at him.

Goddess, she was so cute when she was pissed. "That's not true."

"Yes it is!"

"You could walk away from me." His heart was pounding. Please don't walk away from me.

She raised an eyebrow at him in disbelief. "Really?"



"Yes. You could throw me out and declare that you want nothing to do  with me. Eventually, if you held strong, I would have to give up and go  away."

"And then what?"

He knew what would happen then, but he didn't want to guilt her into  staying with him. He wanted her to stay because she wanted to. So he  remained silent, ignoring her deepening glare.

Finally she blew her bangs out of her eyes, glaring at him. "You are so stubborn."

He couldn't help but laugh. "I'm stubborn?" He stroked her cheek. "What  is the worst that could happen, Alannah? You fall in love with a man  completely devoted to you, who will never cheat on you or leave you. A  man willing to lay down his life for you if need be." She had that deer  in the headlights look again. He stroked his thumb across her full lips,  teasing them both with the promise of a kiss, hoping to soothe her.  "Give me a chance. Learn me, get to know me. I may surprise you, despite  the fact that I'm a wizard."                       
       
           



       

"A wolf wizard."

He frowned, his heart sinking. Had she lied about it not bothering her? "I thought that didn't bother you."

"It doesn't, not really. But it's a part of you I'll need to get to learn if I'm going to go through with this."

"Do you want to see me change?"

She blinked. "Here?"

"Well, we could take it upstairs … "

She was glaring at him again. "Here's good."

He raised his voice. "Mrs. Evans?"

"You can call me Annabelle, Christopher."

"Thank you. Would you mind staying in the kitchen for about ten minutes?"

Silence. "Only ten?"

"Grammy!" Lana buried her face in her hands but not before he caught sight of her reddening cheeks.

He took pity on her. "Lana wants to meet my wolf." There was a  difference between that flight in the woods and what Lana wanted now.  She needed to meet the wolf, touch him, possibly bond with him. It would  be another rite of passage for both of them.

"Ah." Annabelle's voice was knowing. "Very well then. I'll have another cup of coffee."

"Thank you, Annabelle."

"You're welcome."

He tipped Lana's face up. "Are you ready?"

She nodded.

Christopher stepped away and made sure that the windows were covered.  Satisfied, he began stripping. He chuckled when Lana turned away.  "You've already seen, touched, and felt everything, Lana."

"Don't remind me, wolfman."

He stepped out of his pants, fully nude. "You can turn around now." He  waited for her to be fully turned before calling his wolf to him.



He hated the word summon. It implied that his wolf did his bidding. It  was more than that; it was a blending of souls, a partnership where each  met the needs of the other. So he called his wolf and invited him in.

His wolf answered. They flowed together, the change overtaking his body,  the wolf becoming dominant. He opened his eyes, almost afraid of what  Lana's reaction would be.

She fell to her knees in front of him, the wonder on her face easing most of his fears. "You're beautiful."

He tilted his head into her palm, eager for her touch. She stroked him,  running her fingers through his fur, scratching behind his ear. He  sighed happily and licked her cheek.

"Ew. Dog breath."

He growled playfully, his tail wagging back and forth. He held on to the desire to pounce on her.

His wolf wanted to play with their mate.

"Gee, grandpa, what big teeth you have."

He shook his head and stepped back, beginning the change again. He had  the urge to run, a need he always had when his wolf was dominant. A need  he couldn't indulge in South Philadelphia. And the thought of Lana  taking him walkies on a leash?

Hell to the no.

He reached first for his underwear, slipping it back on. "So we're agreed that we'll stay here until Cole finds us."

"But in separate bedrooms," she added quickly.

He rolled his eyes and reached for his pants. "Fine. We'll have separate bedrooms."

"Don't sound so grumpy. Next thing you know you'll be whining and giving me puppy dog eyes."

He gave her his best sad-sack face. "Can you resist puppy dog eyes?"

She bit her lip. "I hereby exercise my fifth amendment rights against self incrimination."

He chuckled softly. "I like you." He stroked her hair away from her  eyes, lingering in its silky sweetness. "Maybe some day soon you'll like  me too."

Her expression turned serious. "I hereby exercise my-"

He kissed the rest of the sentence away, forgetting where they were, forgetting everything but the taste, the scent of her.

When his lips left hers she sighed. "I am in so much trouble."





Chapter Five


Grammy had insisted that Chris call her Annabelle. And he did, striking  up a relaxed conversation over ham and cheese sandwiches and barbeque  potato chips, sitting in her kitchen at Grammy's comfortable ebony  stained banquette. He'd even offered to sit on one of the long benches  behind the table, his back to the wall, leaving the chairs for Lana and  Grammy. He was calm, polite, a total gentleman.