Page 12 of Drew

She attempted to flee before they reached her, but while Drew had come at her head-on, Callum had circled left and Maddox to the right. Together, they worked as a team with the rest of the pack, anticipating her retreat. They were boxing her in, blocking any clear escape route.

She stepped back, glancing from one direction to another, searching for an exit. Maddox, unfamiliar with her scent, released a low snarl.

With his ears perked up and pointing forward, Drew approached. As alpha, he dominated his pack, deciding on their behalf. As a wolf, he led through body language; as a human, through spoken command. In his pack, his word was law. Approaching the black wolf, he projected supremacy, demanding her surrender.

Alyssa’s ears flattened to her head, her body slumped, and her tail dipped between her legs. Cowering before him, she watched, immobile, as he came closer. Even though he knew it was her by her scent alone, he continued to sniff and examine her.

She was gorgeous, her fur as smooth as her black tresses had been. She was a slim wolf, and just as she was tall in human form, she wasn’t lacking in length as a wolf.

Circling around to her head, he felt her gaze on him. He nuzzled her snout with his own. Her gaze remained guarded, and then she gave him one brief lick.

Both of her rejections had caused him to doubt her lineage. He’d assumed she was human and unaware of what he was. But now, knowing her secret, Drew had to wonder why the hell she’d turned him down. They were mates, and at the bare minimum, that afforded him a private conversation with her.

He knew she’d felt the connection between them. It was evident in each brushstroke she’d used while creating the Blood Moon. So why the fuck had he gone home alone the last two nights when they were both consumed by need?

With caution, she watched him, her body still stiff, as though poised to run at the first opportunity. Glancing toward the sky, Drew willed himself to change into human form. They were long overdue for a conversation, and Drew was done waiting.

Naked, he held out his hand, palm up, and approached her again. “Alyssa, show me this is you.”

Her gaze darted around his pack, but she made no move to shift.

“Alyssa, whatever game you’re playing, you must stop now. You’ve come into my territory. Do you understand what that means?”

She took a step backward as her gaze returned to him.

“You’re trespassing.”

Still, she didn’t shift.

“I know it’s you, and you owe me an explanation.” And frankly, an apology.

Her body remained tense, her stare fixed on him. If he didn’t know any better, he’d think she’d become the victim of a taxidermist. Perhaps she was reluctant to shift in front of the pack. Being naked and vulnerable before a group of strangers would explain her hesitancy.

Drew looked at Callum and motioned with his head. Callum retreated into the forest, and the rest of the pack disappeared after him. The beta would lead the group away, leaving Drew alone with his mate.

This was not an ideal situation. The pack would have scented his arousal and, at the very least, would have guessed what was transpiring. Their alpha had found his mate and hadn’t bothered to tell them. He’d have to do some damage control if he wanted to keep their trust.

“There now,” he whispered coaxingly to Alyssa. “We have privacy. I promise. Show me it’s you. Shift for me.”

The wolf swallowed, her gaze moving around the clearing.

“I promise,” he assured her. “They’re gone. You don’t have to—”

She took off. Without a backward glance, she sprinted away, kicking up powdered snow with each bound and leap.

Damn, she was fast.

If he’d been in wolf form, he could have caught her, but the valuable seconds it took to change put him at a disadvantage. He still had to try. Soon he was racing after her.

She might just be the fastest female he knew.

He followed her scent, but ultimately, she got away. He tracked her back to a pine tree where a few scattered items proved she’d been there. She’d abandoned her pants, a stray boot, her jacket, and a pair of panties.

He reached the road just as her car sped away.

Fortunately, he knew enough. He knew where she sold her art and the name of her landlady. But even without that information, her scent alone would have been enough to find her.

Heading back to the facility, he noted which tree she’d left her clothes beneath. He’d return for them when he was properly clothed.

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