Dire Desires: A Novel of the Eternal Wolf Clan by Stephanie Tyler Page B

nobility. Royalty. “It’s never happened to me either.”
    “I couldn’t help leaving to find you.”
    “I’m glad you did,” he admitted.
    “The doctor—Gwen—said you were working.”
    She was absorbing the Dire culture so quickly—being around him would make everything happen faster for her. She’d scented him here, and she knew instinctively that he was hunting.
    “She’s right.”
    “You’re hunting ghosts.” Her eyes flashed for a second and he swore he saw them change. Prayed it was a trick of light.
    “Yes. I’ll tell you more, but we should get out of here.”
    “I was worried about you. You were fighting, I think. I didn’t see anything but I feel . . .” She trailed off, shivered.
    “Those are the ghosts.”
    “And the monster?”
    “What do you know about that?”
    “They talked about it. At the hospital. I never saw it but a lot of them did.” She slid her hand into his like it was the most natural thing in the world as they walked, with Jez several steps ahead of them. “I don’t want to go back there.”
    “To the hospital? You won’t.”
    “No, to the house with Gwen.”
    “Did something happen?” he heard himself demand with a growl to his tone so fierce Jez stopped walking for a second and turned to look at him with warning.
    Yeah, Brother Wolf, back it down.
    If Gillian noticed, she took it in stride. “No, they all seem nice. I just want to stay with you.”
    “You met all of them?”
    “Lots of males. They were big, like you. But none of them were you,” she said quietly. “I wanted to go outside, but Gwen told me I couldn’t. So I left.”
    “And they followed you,” Jinx said, noting Rifter’s truck. Vice would’ve been the first one on her tail, but he was no doubt helping Liam get ready.
    Liam. Cyd. Cain. Jinx felt the guilt of not being there ball in his stomach. As if sensing this, Gillian squeezed his hand a little tighter.
    “That’s Rifter. He’s my . . . boss. Both he and Gwen are.” Technically, it was the truth.
    Rifter came toward them and Jinx willed himself not to growl as he got close. But the possessive feelings couldn’t be ignored or tamed.
    Gwen must’ve mentioned it to the king, because Rifter stayed at a respectable distance as he spoke. “Gillian, you scared the hell out of us.”
    “I can’t believe a girl gave you the slip,” Jez said and Rifter growled at him. Jez crossed his arms and looked unimpressed.
    “You’ve got to go back to the house,” Jinx told her.
    “No, I don’t. I won’t.”
    She might only be out of prison because of him, but she wasn’t giving up any other freedoms easily, if at all. Hell, he was lucky she wanted to stick close to him, because her Houdini act was hard to top.
    “It’s dangerous, Gillian,” Rifter said. “You don’t understand yet—”
    “I’m staying with Jinx.” Her words were firm and for a long moment, the king pondered in silence. Finally, he nodded his consent.
    He hadn’t asked Jinx to come back and stay at the mansion, which was a relief.
    “Fine. But Jinx, you need to report in and make preparations. Come use the yard, the woods at night. Much safer,” Rifter said.
    Jinx nodded and Gillian smiled at him. “Will you get in the truck with Jez? I’ll be right there.”
    Jez motioned to her and she nodded, slipped her hand from his. He immediately missed the contact.
    “Thank you for bringing her to Gwen, instead of asking Gwen to come to you,” Rifter said. “We both know she would’ve done it.”
    Jinx nodded, didn’t know what else to say.
    “You know Rogue is awake.”
    “I saw him when I left the mansion, yes.”
    Rifter opened his mouth as if to say something else, but stopped. Jinx broke in with, “Liam’s going to fight any time now.”
    “Yes.”
    And you should be with him and your twins
was the unspoken phrase. More guilt.
    “I’ll make sure her shift is smooth. I’ll try to have her at the mansion when it happens,” Jinx told his king,