Page 118 of Wolf

Shoot.

“What are we doing about Mercy?” Duke asks and I stiffen. Bad move, literally but it’s too late and I bite my lip against the pain, practically leaning over the chair.

Still, I set it aside because finally, I can get some damn answers.

“So far, nothing has changed. Mercy is fine. She was at school. We sent Draven to find her. She said she was good but to hurry, those fuckers are getting more rabid.”

Okay. They've been watching Mercy. Thank God. This eases some of my panic and I relax against the chair. I’m so sorry Mercy but by tomorrow, you’ll be safe. Even if I have to go home and make it that way myself.

It quiets down after that, and I assume they’re gone when Wolf rounds the corner. He stops before me, and I raise my head.

His eyes glitter in the near darkness and a shiver rolls down my spine. My throat closes when he raises his hand, covered in grease from whatever he was doing around the corner.

For whatever reason, my words in that alley come back and I lean forward until those fingers touch my cheek. When he exhales, his breath puffs against my skin as he gently rolls those fingers down to my chin before moving to the other side.

It’s only when he moves them across my lips that I taste the acrid oil coating his hands. Speechless, I stare while he wraps his fingers around my throat. It doesn’t hurt but it’s hard to ignore.

His eyes bore into mine and he leans down until we’re nose to nose and says, “Now you’re dirty too.”

My jaw drops as he walks away, and I touch my stinging lips. What the heck does that mean?

Shame suffuses my system, and I sigh, wiping away what I can. Clearly my words left a mark. I’m rubbing my greasy fingers off on the previously white shirt when Giant appears with Miriam behind him.

He pauses, his eyes going wide, and I touch my cheek until his gaze drops. Oh. My neck.

“Fuck me,” he mutters before lifting me up and into his arms. “You, okay?”

”Yeah,” I say because I don’t know what else to say.

Giant doesn't respond but I feel his disapproval as he walks through the main area. Melanie, my least favorite person on the planet, looks over and away before whipping around. Her eyes search my face before dropping to my neck.

This same thing follows as we pass multiple brothers and women. My cheeks burn at the scrutiny, but I refuse to hide.

At the base of the stairs stands Maddox and his lips tighten when he sees my throat before he says, “I need a date tonight. What do you think, Lilli?”

”Maddox,” Giant tsks, but he completely ignores him while he waits for my response.

“Um, I’m not in the shape to dance,” I say, and he smiles. He’s quite handsome I think, and I wish that I could feel an ounce of what Wolf inspires with a greasy handprint and a scowl.

“I don’t dance,” he says.

”Okay then,” I say and lean my head against Giant’s shoulder.

Once we’re back in the room and he’s set me on the bed, he says, “You don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”

”Where is this party?” I ask curiously.

Smiling, he points over his shoulder. “Downstairs.”

”Oh. Well, I’d like to come for a little while,” I say shyly.

“Okay darlin’, just, be careful.”

“Careful?”

”It’s dangerous to tease a bear,” he says, patting my hand.

Miriam glances around his shoulder with wide eyes and I wrinkle my nose. “There are no bears here, Giant. Only lone wolves.”

---