Page 8 of Protected By the Wolf

“I would actually prefer to speak with Millie if that’s okay. I can wait.”

“Not a problem. Come on in, and I’ll let her know you’re here.” She beckoned at me to enter and bade me wait in the entrance while she went in search of Millie.

I’d wait for as long as I needed to in order to see Jacob’s mate. I wondered what type of person she was. Was she a shifter, or was she human? I couldn’t wait to see.

At nine o’clock, the doors were opened, and the first couple of people came through to look at the paintings. I settled myself off to the side to people watch. Humans were an interesting bunch. Jacob didn’t like to shift a lot, but I did any chance I got. I believed it was a gift to have the ability to change into wolves.

I was looking at a couple who were gesticulating at a painting of apples when I felt her. My whole body went on high alert, and my wolf was at attention too. I spun around to see who it could be, but so far, the same customers I’d been watching were all that were in view. I sniffed the air and got a waft of her smell—a perfume with a floral scent. It was intoxicating. Never mind that my wolf wanted to hunt her down right this second.

I felt myself stand up straighter. Running my hand through my hair to make sure everything was in place, I did a quick breath test and started walking around the gallery, hunting her down.

It wasn’t until I was on my third turn past the beach paintings that I saw her. My wolf howled at the sight of her. She was more beautiful than I could have imagined. She had black hair that blended into the black top she had on. On her lower half, she was wearing a white skirt that flowed down to her feet. A pearl bracelet graced her wrist, and I watched as her hands moved about while she described the artwork in front of her to the customers. I leaned against the wall and watched her closely, following every movement of her head and hands and the shift of her body. I soaked it all in.

I knew she realized I was watching her when her head tilted back to try to catch a glimpse of me, but I wasn’t a wolf for nothing. I slunk back further behind the wall, out of sight. Not yet, my sweet one. I’m enjoying watching you.

Lira

I was talking to another customer when I felt someone staring at me. Whoever it was had been watching me for a while now. It felt like an electric charge was running through my limbs. My body wanted to turn around and see who this mysterious person was. I finished up the conversation as fast as I could and led the customer to Lillian so she could finalize the paperwork.

Walking back into the gallery, I went from painting to painting, but didn’t see anyone that was remotely interested in anything but the paintings on the wall. Realizing I was probably going crazy, I abandoned my mission and took inventory of the paintings left. There was the one of the beach, one of the city, and also the one of the wolf in the cave. That one was so different from the others, and it vaguely reminded me of Millie’s dream when we were little. Why would Dad paint it and put it up for sale? It was different to anything else he’d done. He always painted reality, not fantastical scenes. I was deep in thought contemplating Dad’s motives when I felt him. The air around me warmed, and I turned to see if there really was someone there. I froze when I saw him.

Sleek and debonair, the very same man who featured in my recurring visions now walked toward me. All I could do was stare. I felt like I was being hunted. There was a glint in his eyes as he focused on me. As soon as I caught his gaze, I knew nothing more of the world around me; all my senses were locked on him. Somehow, I knew that this man was here for me and me only. It felt like fate. Were my visions trying to tell me I would meet him one day? Because that’s what it felt like.

No boy had ever compared to the man standing in front of me. He was tall and strong, with defined muscles showing through the outline of his shirt. His every movement was calculated and refined.

When he was a foot away, I stopped breathing. The air around us was charged, and I could feel the hairs on my arms rising.

He reached out and took my hand and lifted it to his mouth. The soft kiss he placed on the back of my hand sent a shiver through me. It felt so right. He let go of my hand, and for a second it hung in the air, not willing to come back to me.

“Hi, I’m Bruno McCullough.”

At the sound of his voice, my hand dropped to my side. I felt my face flush. Multiple feelings fought for attention all at once, and I watched his face go from worried to amused as I tried to collect my thoughts back in order. A sense of disappointment had my chest tightening as I realized I couldn’t tell him I was Lira. He thought he was meeting Millie! That thought alone sent a burning unhappiness racing through me, and I admonished myself for wanting to play Millie today. But it was too late now.

Pushing down my emotions, I forced out as best I could, “I’m Millie.”

He tensed, and his eyes darkened for a second, but then he was reaching for my hand again and placing it in the crook of his arm. “Nice to meet you, Millie. Lillian said you’re the artist’s daughter?”

“I am.” Be professional, Lira. “Would you like me to show you around? There are three paintings left.”

“I’d love that.” His voice was a low rumble that made my breath hitch.

He pulled me closer to his side, my hand still on his arm, and we walked from the beach scene to the city painting. My mind was fighting to concentrate on the sales pitch instead of the warmth radiating off him. But the feel of his hard muscles under my fingers was not alleviating the heightened sense of desire that was trying to take control. All I wanted to do was to lean into him more, close my eyes, and just breathe in his scent.

“This is different,” he said, breaking into my dazed thoughts.

I focused on the painting in front of us and saw we were now looking at the wolf painting. “It’s one of a kind. My father rarely paints a scene like this.”

“Is that so?” His voice had dropped an octave, and he was staring at the painting as if it looked familiar to him. “I’ll take this one and the other two.”

“You will?” Mom was going to be so happy they all sold. Maybe she’d get off my back for a while.

“Yes.” He turned to me, and I couldn’t look away. His eyes were shining . . . golden? But when I blinked, they were warm and brown again. It was probably just the lighting. “Millie, it was very nice to meet you today.”

“Likewise,” I managed to breathe out.

“What’s our next steps?”

“Oh, um, Lillian. Let me show you to Lillian. She’ll take care of the paperwork.”

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