He cursed silently as his eyes roamed over her jeans and the pale pink oxford shirt that was unbuttoned just low enough for him to see a hint of cleavage. He imagined that Dimitri had Melinda, one of his wolves who owned several shops, deliver her clothing. Even conservatively dressed, Wynter looked delightfully edible. Free from makeup, she was a natural beauty. While her skin looked pallid, as if she’d been out of the sun, her complexion was bright and clear.
Her long blonde hair was pulled into a tight ponytail. The spiraling curls sprang in all directions, and for a brief second, Logan wished he could snip the rubber band binding her hair, freeing it like the wind. How he’d love to wrap his hand around it while taking her from behind. Yes, indeed, that would be a sinful pleasure. Ah, but it was time for business. Perhaps if he convinced her to stay, he could play with her. But for now, he needed answers; answers that only she could give him.
“You’re safe, Wynter.” Logan watched her with interest as she sat, nervously playing with her fingers.
Startled to hear her name roll off his lips, she jerked in her chair. Apprehensively, she looked around his large office, checking out the space for an escape route.
“I…I’m sorry, Alpha,” she stated, finally raising her eyes to his.
“Do you know who I am?”
She shook her head. “No. I mean, yes, I remember last night. Thank you for taking care of me,” she managed.
“Yet you know what I am. You address me as Alpha. You can sense it, no?”
“Yes,” she quietly agreed.
“My name is Logan Reynaud, and I’m Alpha of Acadian Wolves here in New Orleans,” he informed her. Keeping his voice calm and low, he continued. “Listen Wynter, I’m not going to hurt you. But I need answers about what happened last night, okay? Let’s start with what you were doing down in the alley. Why were the vamps after you?” He leaned far back into his chair, resting his hands on the armrests. He cocked his head, waiting for an answer.
“I…they…I was being held.” Wynter forced her hands onto her thighs, attempting to relax. “I was working for someone. I had a disagreement with my employer. The vampires. They didn’t want me leaving.” Okay, that was the truth. Maybe not the whole truth but he couldn’t possibly know that.
“So you were working in the middle of the night, tried to leave and they chased you?” The lilt at the end of his sentence indicated that he clearly didn’t believe her.
“Well, yes. Please sir, it’s complicated.”
Sir, huh? While the mere mention of the word shot a rush of blood to his cock, he knew she was trying to conceal information. Sly little she-wolf, she was.
“So tell me, what kind of work do you do?”
She could tell he wasn’t buying her story. Oh God, she wished Jax was here to help her. Wynter knew that telling lies to an Alpha generally ended in disaster. She needed to be very careful. Do not lie, but don’t tell the whole truth.
“I’m a researcher. I’ve been working for a long time on some very important projects,” she sighed. “I knew things. They didn’t want me to leave. I escaped.” There, she said it. Again, all truth…but not everything. The memories of being held against her will elicited a fresh sense of fear. As if she was still in the lab, her blood pulsed in panic, and she struggled to remain composed. Pushing down her sleeves, she attempted to hide the scars of her internment that remained on her arms.
“You were working for a company that kept its workers nearly naked and locked up? Is this correct?” Infuriated at her admission, he attempted to stay calm. What kind of monster would keep her imprisoned? And what were they doing in his city?
“Yes,” she whispered. A small sob lodged in her throat. Why did she ever think she could work for that company? Although she’d done it to help the pack, it had been so foolish. Her lips tensed together, and she pretended to admire the New Orleans vista through the glass. Do not cry in front of an Alpha.
“And tortured? The bites. I saw them,” he pushed.
Instead of answering him, she simply nodded, refusing to look at him. Wynter’s face whitened at the mention of the bite marks that littered her body. Embarrassment washed over her even though she didn’t deserve it. She tugged at her sleeves once again in an attempt to hide. Anger surged. It was none of his business what happened to her. Where the hell was Jax?
“Little wolf, don’t be ashamed. These vampires…I know them. They can be vicious,” he told her.
Her eyes flashed in confusion. Wolf? Why was he calling her that? Tears threatened to spill from her already reddened eyes. She just needed to go home. Jax would help fix things, including the mess that her life had become.
Logan hated that they’d done this to her. He could tell she was on the edge of losing it, but he had to know what happened. Fighting the urge to wrap his arms around her and offer comfort, he purposefully grounded himself behind his desk.
“Okay, why don’t you tell me about the magic? Were you hexed? Do you remember what happened?”
“What magic?” she countered, perplexed by his questions. What was he talking about?
“You were sick last night. Wolves don’t get sick,” he reminded her.
“Yes, I know,” she agreed, meeting his gaze. In truth, she wasn’t sure what happened to her. “Wolves don’t get sick. But humans do. I must have had the flu.” Feeling claustrophobic, Wynter suddenly got up and walked over to the edge of the floor-to-ceiling window. At one time, she’d marveled at the view of New York City from this height. But this wasn’t New York. At that moment, she simply wished to escape, as if hoping she could parachute out of the building.
“This is true, Wynter. But you’re not human, are you? Last night you were burning up. Something happened. You need to tell me what you remember. Were you around witches? Tell me, little wolf,” he asked tersely, growing impatient with her avoidance.
“Stop calling me that!” she snapped. This was it. She truly was losing it. Yelling at an Alpha was not her smartest move but she felt out of control. Why not go for broke? She turned around to face Logan, her back against the cool glass. “I was not around witches. I told you that vampires were holding me. I don’t know why I was sick. End of story. Now, I need to call Jax. And I am not a wolf! Can’t you see I’m human? You’re an Alpha, for God’s sake.”
Wynter barely saw him coming. Logan leapt across the room, and as his body touched hers, she gasped. His hands pressed hard against the glass on either side of her head. The masculine scent of him wafted into her nose and she fought the instinct to rub her face against his chest. Oh God, what had she done? How could she be so stupid as to challenge an Alpha? She really must be sick. Unable to speak, she held still. Initially charged with fear, she realized very quickly that he wasn’t hurting her. The tension between them escalated with every minute of silence that passed. And then she felt him, his nose grazing along the side of her neck. A small moan escaped her lips.
At the challenge, Logan strode across the room, pinning her against the wall. He had to smell her, taste her. Why would she deny her wolf? Why play games? Logan didn’t want to hurt her. Oh no. If anything, he’d like to give her pleasure like she’d never known. But she kept insisting she was human. If she wanted to play, play he would. She was wolf, and he’d prove it to her. But as her sweet scent engulfed his senses, he began to lose control. His wolf clawed at his psyche, begging to take the woman. Like freshly cut roses, the heavenly aroma was familiar yet altogether unique and desirable, although her wolf lingered on the edge; she was there, he could scent her.