Page 115 of Dominion

“Hey, you think it’s fun to rouse the wolf. You’re the one who will be sorry when she’s spread-eagle on her back in the middle of the mall.”

This time, she knew he didn’t mean it, he was just getting a rise out of her. The man—wolf—was so incredibly crude. She ought to hate the filthy way he talked to her, but the words sent flames of desire licking up her core. And while everything he said was dominant and demeaning, the idea that she sparked such desire in him made her feel powerful.

He slapped her ass, his long legs making it easy for him to keep up with the brisk pace she’d set. She rushed in and picked out two blouses and a skirt. Cody stepped forward and paid for them.

“Ready?”

She’d been hoping to buy some shoes, because she only had her dress shoes and the sneakers Cody picked up at Walmart, but she’d spent enough money already. “Yeah. Thanks.” She stood on her tiptoes and gave him a peck on the cheek, which again, he seemed to find cute.

6

Cody let Mark Ruhl, the burly DEA agent from Denver, into his place that evening.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t make it sooner, we had a big bust go down last night and it took all day to wrap up the paperwork.” He shook Cody’s hand and stepped inside. “Hi, you must be Melissa.” He shook her hand, as well. “We met at Ben and Ashley’s wedding but you probably don’t?—”

“I remember you,” she chirped, flashing that megawatt smile that made his insides rattle.

Cody’s fingers closed into fists at his sides. She’d better not remember him with any particular fondness or he’d… He closed his eyes and attempted to rein in the snarling beast within.

She’s not your mate.

Except that assertion only made him want to smash the friendly DEA agent’s face even more. His inner wolf raged to mark her, not paying any attention to the fact that Cody didn’t even like the girl, and would never in a million years mate a human.

“Can I get you a beer?”

“Sure. Okay if I sit?” Mark headed to the sofa and Melissa trailed behind, too close for his sanity.

He walked to the refrigerator to get three Budweiser bottles out.

Maybe he should just have sex with her and get her out of his system. The chemistry was there, whether they liked each other or not. Her body responded every time he touched her, almost like she couldn’t help herself. Maybe that was why she’d cried the night before after he’d pleasured her. She hadn’t wanted to give him that.

That idea made him gnash his teeth and want to put his fist through a wall. He would never force himself on a female and the idea that shehadn’tenjoyed what he’d done—But no. There was no mistaking her satisfaction. Why had she cried then?

His reaction to the scent of her tears had been instantaneous, almost a physical pain. It provoked twin, seemingly opposing physiological responses in him. Hyper focus—his body alert, ready to shift to protect her from whatever danger, but also a calm, as if to enable him to properly soothe her. He tried to remember if he’d ever felt that with a female before. Had one ever cried near him? He feared this reaction was also particular to a mate.

He flipped the caps off the beers and carried them by their necks to the sofa.

Melissa turned up her nose and refused it.

“Sorry, I don’t have any microbrews for you, princess.”

She rolled her eyes, blushing as if it embarrassed her to be called out in front of Mark. That only made him want to stuff the wolf headfirst down his toilet.

Mark was in the middle of telling Melissa something—probably something he should’ve been listening to. “The dispensary where Jeremy works got knocked over a few nights ago. Jeremy was the one who reported it to the police.”

Melissa nodded, as if she already knew this information.

“I’m guessing that he robbed it himself, or was in on the deal and that’s why Rabago is after him.”

Melissa paled.

“Do you know anything about it?”

She blinked rapidly, like she was holding back tears. “No,” she said, her voice wobbly. “I think you must be right. He came home that night and told me about the holdup. I thought he’d seemed excited and had written it off to the adrenaline of the drama, but this makes more sense.”

Mark nodded. “Who do you think he’d be working with?”

She swallowed, then shook her head. “I don’t know. Could be any one of his buddies. They’re all shit-for-brains.”