The hurricane was aiming for them.

Gabriel had to get them off the island soon. Picking up an icy water bottle, he took a deep swallow and thought of Megan. Her delicious floral fragrance. The natural sensuality of her throaty voice. The spark of passion in her eyes. Her sweetly rounded hips swaying as she walked …

His body tightened as he remembered her rosy mouth parting as if anticipating his kiss. The sultry awareness in her eyes, the longing for connection.

He’d almost kissed her.

Dear Reader,

Out of all the Draicon werewolves in my previous Nocturnes, Gabriel Robichaux is the most misunderstood and the most dangerous. A fierce warrior with a dark past, Gabriel has a secret to hide and will do anything to protect it.

But Megan Moraine threatens to topple every safeguard Gabriel has erected. Megan is a Shadow Wolf, Draicon who are outcast because they can turn invisible. She and her cousins escaped their island prison and are on the run from authorities. To protect the girls, Megan must team with Gabriel, the very Draicon she fears the most.

Trust doesn’t come easily to either Gabriel or Megan. But they must learn to depend on each other to survive …

Happy reading!

Bonnie Vanak

About the Author

BONNIE VANAK fell in love with romance novels during childhood. After years of newspaper reporting, Bonnie became a writer for a major international charity, which has taken her to destitute countries such as Haiti and Guatemala to write about famine, disease and other issues affecting the poor. When the emotional strain of her job demanded a diversion, she turned to writing romance novels. Bonnie lives in Florida with her husband and two dogs, and happily writes books amid an ever-growing population of dust bunnies. She loves to hear from readers. Visit her website at www.bonnievanak.com or e-mail her at bonnievanak@aol.com.

The
Shadow Wolf

Bonnie Vanak

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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In memory of my dear cousin, Margi Musarra.

You loved your family more than anything else

and always put their needs above your own.

You will live on in our hearts and our memories.

Chapter 1

Please, don’t throw us to the wolves.

Icy air blasted Megan Moraine as she pulled open Casa del Sol’s etched glass door. The hotel’s sprawling lobby gleamed with polished wood and mirrored columns. Beneath the cracked soles of her secondhand tennis shoes, the marble floor sparkled.

Motioning the twins to remain outside in the sticky Florida heat, she scanned for threats. The restaurant here was a safe house, but so was the oceanfront Naples, Florida, mansion they’d visited last night. When Megan had exposed the silver crescent moon birthmark, the homeowner’s expression had turned ice cold.

“I don’t like Shadows, but I’m generous. I’ll give you sixty seconds to leave before I call an Enforcer or send my mate after you,” the Draicon werewolf had warned.

Sixty seconds didn’t allow enough time to reach the car’s hiding spot. Chased by a brutish male waving a meat cleaver, she and the girls raced down the beach. Megan spent the night guarding the twins, two seven-year-old girls who should have been tucked into soft beds instead of curling up on wet sand. As dawn streaked the gray skies, they’d snuck back to fetch the car.

More hostile Draicon could be inside, but she had no choice. Her jeans pocket held a few crumpled dollars. The aging Ford she’d hotwired was running on fumes. She needed help to reach New Orleans and Alexandre Robichaux. The kindly Draicon secretly gave escaped Shadow Wolves new identities. He wasn’t a soulless creature like his legendary Enforcer brother, Gabriel, who liked to make his captives bleed.

The girls’ blue eyes widened as they scurried past the hotel lobby into the arched hallway. Megan felt more conspicuous when she saw the restaurant’s linen-draped tables and polished silverware. The trick to blending was all in the act. Act like you belong, and people treated you that way. In a voice as impervious as a Palm Beach matron, she asked for seating on the terrace.

Their granite-topped table was half-hidden by a terra cotta planter. The terrace overlooked a lush garden of palms, ferns and tropical flowers. Best, she had a good view of the hotel entrance to eye new arrivals.

A smiling waitress in black trousers and starched white shirt sailed over, pen and pad in hand. Her gaze fell to Megan’s right hand.

Damn. Megan clapped her left hand over the birthmark she’d forgotten to cover with cosmetics. She couldn’t risk exposing her identity until they knew this was a safe house. But the waitress only smiled.

Megan glanced down at the heavy leather menu and cringed at the dollar signs. “One small glass of milk for them, and water for me, please.”

“Cousin Megan, can’t we have sausage and eggs?” Jenny pleaded.

“We can share,” piped in Jillian.

“Maybe later.”

The girls stared at the tabletop. Her heart broke at their crestfallen expressions. I’m doing the best I can. I’m sorry I can’t do better.

The waitress hesitated. Megan lifted her chin. “That’s all, thanks.”

A lump clogged her throat as she studied her young cousins. Hair dye had turned their soft white-blond curls coarse and dull. Their shoulders were thin, their blue eyes glazed with sleeplessness. The matching strawberry shorts and flowered shirts she’d bought at a thrift shop were faded and ragged. Ever since they’d escaped the island prison, they’d been too quiet, forced to act far too old.

Soon. Sausage and eggs and heaps of whatever you want to eat. If we can just make it until our escort shows up.

Searching for hostiles, Megan scanned her surroundings. Only one customer had looked up at their arrival. The silver-haired man seemed more absorbed in his newspaper. Resentment and old hurt surfaced as she scented Draicon werewolves. Clustered together at a large table, they laughed as they dug into a big plate of sausage. They were her people, yet not.

Why do you hate us so much? We’re not so different.

Not different, but feared, taunted and shunned by ordinary Draicon. Tired of being treated as inferior, Shadow Wolves had retreated to a small Caribbean island to raise their young. Six years ago, rogue Shadows—hoping to force their Draicon brethren into acknowledging them as equals—nearly exposed their race to humans. Worse, they sold their story to a popular American talk show. The program was stopped before it aired and a Draicon with the ability of mind control convinced network executives the story was fake.

Afterward, the influential Council of Draicon feared that all Shadow Wolves wished to embrace sedition and establish a new order. To contain Shadows, they raised a force field around the island. A steep bounty was placed on the heads of any escaped Shadow.

The waitress returned with a tray on her outstretched palms. She set down two large glasses of milk, a mug of steaming coffee, and three plates piled with sausage and eggs. Megan protested. The woman held up a hand.

“Someone canceled an order. Can’t let good food go to waste. It’s on the house.” She winked.

The girls beamed and a chorus of thank-yous followed. Megan swallowed past a sudden lump in her throat at the woman’s compassion.

“Thanks,” she managed to say.

Caution returned as the waitress scribbled on her pad, then handed the check to Megan. “Enjoy. My name’s Mitzi.”

When the waitress walked off, Megan read the note. “You’re among friends. Remain here and someone will be along to help you get out of shadow.”

Even though the code phrase was correct, Megan hedged. There was a fat reward for capturing an escaped Shadow Wolf. Enforcers didn’t care if the escapees were beaten and raped before being turned over.

Hot coffee burned her mouth as she took a deep swallow. Megan took a bite of the food. It was delicious, but she had no appetite.

The roar of a powerful motorcycle drew her attention to the hotel entrance. A man parked the Harley, drew off a black helmet and swung a muscled leg over the saddle. Megan’s heart raced. The rider’s face was permanently stamped into memory from the photos circulated among Shadows of their worst enemies.

Black liquid sloshed as she slammed down her coffee cup. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish gasping for oxygen.

Gabriel Robichaux.

Oh God. She’d walked straight into a trap.

Megan looked around, desperate to escape, but it was too late. If they left now, surely he’d see them. She slid down her seat.

The power and raw charisma he exuded felt like a tornado as he ambled onto the terrace. Tight black leather pants hugged each inch of his rock hard thighs and taut buttocks. A Harley-Davidson T-shirt and steel-toed scuffed boots gave him a dangerous air. Stubble shadowing his angular jaw contrasted with his classical good looks, like a biker with the face of an angel. Dark brown hair curled down to his wide shoulders. His mouth was sultry and mobile. Four women sitting at a nearby table gave him the twice-over.

If they only knew what exactly he was, they’d run away screaming. Draicon, like her. Only not like her. Not Shadow, outcast and shunned. He was an Enforcer, who returned escaped Shadow Wolves to their island prison.

No Shadow ever escaped the powerful Gabriel.

Megan glanced at the girls.

“Jenny, Jilly, remember how I told you Enforcers are the bad ones? How they hunt down our people and return them to the island prison?” When they nodded, she whispered to the girls. They nodded. Plan all set.

Megan sauntered toward the restroom. She had to pass him. Her palms went clammy as she felt him glance in her direction. Peripheral vision caught Mitzi nudging Gabriel.

Palms sweating, she raced into the women’s room. Megan drew in a trembling breath. He could inconspicuously follow her in here, but at least she had a few moments.

Bracing her palms on the counter, she studied her reflection. The face in the mirror was strained and framed by dull black hair that hid her natural honey blond. Shadows edged eyes the color of deep lake water. The secondhand clothing was streaked with sand, but at least it wasn’t the hated purple tunic Shadows were required to wear.

Megan summoned her magick. Unlike the twins, she was a Halfling and required energy to shift. Her body screamed, the starved cells needing nourishment from rare meat. Burning pain scraped across her raw flesh, but she focused. For the girls, she had to do this, had to become …

Shadow.

As if in slow motion, her hands and arms vanished. Megan squeezed her eyes shut. When she opened them, nothing showed in the spotless mirror.

She was invisible.

Until someone else came to use the restroom, she was stuck. A door opening by itself would raise suspicion.

By now the twins, shadows themselves, would be waiting by the car. Even though they were young, their powers were far more advanced. Come on, come on, Megan silently implored. Someone use the restroom.

The door creaked open and she started forward, then stopped. Her knees felt like cooked spaghetti. Megan trembled wildly.

Hardened with ruthless intent, the face of a male Draicon poked inside. Gabriel.

He entered, looking beneath the stall doors. Stunned, she inched backward until hitting the wall. His nostrils flared as he straightened.

Oh dear heavens, he’d caught her scent.

Panic flared as he strode in her direction with smooth grace and stealth. Gabriel’s dark brown eyes widened. They flashed amber, signaling the emergence of his wolf. Her gaze traveled from the chiseled jaw and hollowed cheeks, down to the T-shirt stretched tight over his broad chest, to his long, muscled legs.

Tight leather snugly cupped his bulging sex. Megan acknowledged her sudden flare of sexual interest. Sheer biology. He was the enemy, the one she feared most, but striking in his innate masculinity. The air sizzled between them, the chemistry so intense she couldn’t ignore it.

Biting back a hiss, she bunched her fists.

“I know you’re there, Megan,” he said quietly. “You can’t hide from me.”

Impossible. She was invisible. But he advanced, boot heels clicking on the tile floor.

“Just come with me now, and don’t make a fuss.”

Like hell I will. Hugging the wall, she inched toward the door. Almost there, almost, she could make it, open the door and be gone….

Gabriel pounced. Steely arms encircled her waist. She twisted, snarled with all her might, but he had pinned her against his hard body.

Depleted of energy, she could not maintain shadow. But she’d be damned if she went down without a good fight.

Terror squeezed her heart as her body materialized. She writhed in his powerful grip, but he held tight. Then he freed one hand. Megan shrank back. Here it comes. He was going to hit her. That’s what Enforcers always did. Just for laughs.

Instead she felt him caress her cheek. The gesture felt soothing and erotic. Gabriel bent his head and brushed aside her hair. He was inhaling her scent. Surprised, she stopped struggling. Enforcers didn’t care about their captives. She’d heard they only punished and brutalized. Alarmed at the rising tide of desire, she wondered if Gabriel’s methods were even crueler than other Enforcers. Lower her defenses and then strike like a snake.

A tantalizing scent of leather, pine and spicy male filled her senses with erotic awareness. The space between her legs felt open and wet, wanting. Well aware of the distraction, Megan resumed her struggles to get free. But she was too exhausted.

Warm breath feathered over her cheek as he bent his head. “Shhh,” he murmured. “It’s all right. Everything will be all right. Sleep now.”

This was the true danger, his deep, hypnotic voice lulling her into doing as he wished. Megan felt her eyes closing.

He pushed a hand through her hair, the gesture almost tender. Just before she passed out, she felt a sensual brush of his mouth across her neck as if Gabriel marked her.

Then the grayness turned black, and everything else faded into shadow.

“Dammit.”

This was not how he had envisioned starting his long-awaited vacation. Gabriel stared at the unconscious woman slumped in his arms. Asleep, without the spark igniting her sea-blue gaze, she looked defenseless and young. Long dark lashes feathered against her cheeks. He nuzzled the top of her head, detecting the faint odor of hair dye. She was small, but her slender body looked capable of a good, hard fight.

Lifting her carefully into his arms, he stepped into the hallway. “Mitzi,” he addressed the woman racing toward him. “Tell Jay to pull the Expedition by the back. Did you get the twins?”

“They’re in the kitchen.” His employee looked upset. “They’re terrified. They’re just kids, Gabriel.”

“I know.” Aware of his arousal, he shifted Megan in his arms, wondering why she’d caused such an intense reaction.

“You’re going to have to do a major mind sweep of all the customers. Some were pretty upset when the twins started crying. Jay and I told them the police were on their way.”

Gabriel cursed again. This went all wrong. Then again, nothing ever went exactly right when he was called in to deal with a Shadow Wolf.

“Breakfast on the house for everyone.” The restaurant could afford it. It had turned over a profit ever since he’d purchased it ten years ago.

Jay, the restaurant’s manager, hurried over. “Want me to put her in the truck, too, Gabe?”

“No,” Gabriel said, more sharply than he’d intended. “Take care of the customers until I can do a little mind cleansing.”

He felt protective, even territorial, of the unconscious woman. She felt soft in his arms. Another uncomfortable surge of arousal raced through him. Breathing in deeply, he caught the unfamiliar, odd smell of something faintly sinister, as well.

This Shadow must have come into contact with evil forces.

Using the restaurant’s private kitchen exit, Gabriel headed for the SUV and settled her in. He gently smoothed her hair, disturbed at the lines of strain on her face. A low hiss escaped him as he saw a purpling bruise on her forehead.

Gabriel growled softly, wanting to find whoever dared to hurt her so he could demonstrate the power of his fists.

“You’re safe now,” he told her.

He went into the kitchen. The twins were huddled together on a chair, their eyes wide, holding each other’s hands. Sending waves of reassurance into their minds through his powers, Gabriel squatted down to their level. “All will be well, mes petites. I’m going to take good care of you.”

Then he waved a hand, telepathically commanding them to sleep and instructed Jay to put them into the back of the SUV. Gabriel called his housekeeper.

“Jean, we’re having company. I need you to go shopping for twin girls, age seven. They’re about 50-55 pounds. Get a bunch of shorts, shirts, enough sizes in case they don’t fit and charge it to my card.”

He hung up, went into the restaurant and planted subtle suggestions in the minds of the customers, nothing but a heated squabble between an irate husband and his wife. Even the pack of Draicon werewolves acquiesced. Everyone smiled and nodded, except for the silver-haired man folding his paper and setting it aside.

The man gave Gabriel a small, knowing smirk. His blood went cold. He tried again, probing the man’s mind—just a squabble, no one hurt, nothing to see….

It felt like he’d smacked against a concrete wall. Gabriel inwardly winced, resisted rubbing his temples from the small spike of pain.

Fine. Gabriel let loose all his powers and sent them barreling into the man, like spraying him with a shotgun blast. The silver-haired man rubbed his head and dropped his gaze.

Satisfied, he went into the kitchen and gave Jay instructions to deliver the Harley to his island home.

Gabriel slid behind the wheel of the Expedition, glanced at the terrace. The silver-haired man was eating his breakfast.

The sun beamed strong and bright on the shimmering pavement as he drove away. Air conditioning blew through the vents inside the vehicle. When his cell rang, he fished the phone from his pocket.

“Robichaux,” he stated.

“Whoa, you sound serious.”

Gabriel glanced in the rearview mirror at his cargo. “Something unexpected came up. Have to cancel.”

Silence hung in the air. Then Raphael spoke again. “Just as well with me. The rest of us couldn’t see all that time for male bonding when we’d be gone from our mates and Alex. Well, Alex is seeing someone. Finally.”

Joy and dismay collided together. Gabriel’s hand tightened on the steering wheel. “Who? She’s not … a Shadow, is she?”

“No, she’s regular Draicon.”

It was about damn time his older brother had some happiness. Alex had been grieving for his mate and child for the past three years. Ever since …

My fault, Gabriel thought, feeling the familiar sting of guilt. All my fault.

No time for the luxury of grief. “I’ll be on the island for a few days. Contact me on an emergency basis only,” he said.

“Ah, got it.” Raphael sighed. “I thought you were done with this, Gabe.”

“I was, until I got a call from Jay. No one else in the area is available so I have to deal with this case. There are kids involved, two little girls.”

His brother cursed softly. “Everything okay?” Raphael sounded worried.

“Nothing I can’t handle.” Gabriel thumbed off the phone.

His grin died as he glanced again at the rearview mirror. Gabriel maneuvered the SUV into a grocery store parking lot. He pulled into a space, left the engine running. With its darkened windows, no one could see inside the Expedition.

He powered up the small laptop sitting on the dash. Gabriel typed commands and called up the necessary information on his new adult charge.

Megan Moraine. Single, age 26. Reported missing from the island five days ago, with twin sisters Jennifer and Jillian Sullivan, her cousins. Grandmother deceased one week from natural causes. Suspect last reported seen in Naples, Florida, and is Halfling, but extremely clever and dangerous. Twins are full-blooded Shadow and considered lethal. Use of extreme force in apprehension is approved.

Lost in thought, he switched off the computer and glanced backward at the sleeping Megan. His chest felt hollow as he studied the twins. They were too thin, pale and looked totally defenseless.

“You’re safe,” he murmured. “Sleep now, mes petites.”

His gaze slid to Megan. If Megan Moraine discovered his secret, he was screwed. He’d just have to make certain she never did.

To her, he was the enemy. For their own safety, she and those precious little ones must keep believing that lie.

If anyone found out otherwise, they’d all be on the run. For their very lives.

Chapter 2

A monster stalked her dreams, a snarling beast on two legs with red eyes and fur dark as midnight. “Trust me, Megan,” it grated out as blood dripped from its sharp fangs. “I won’t hurt you.” But she was terrified because she knew it would drag her back to the island prison and laugh as it raked its claws across her cold skin so she would die slowly in agony.

Megan awoke with a small cry. Just a dream. It’s just the same dream you’ve had for years. Snap out of it.

Someone wanted her dead. The threat lingered in the air like wood smoke. A dark-haired, handsome stranger with eyes that flashed amber; a walking, talking epicenter of lethal grace.

Gabriel Robichaux.

Cringing, she took a deep breath, expecting to be tied to a cold steel table, a metal tray of sharp instruments nearby.

But the surface beneath her was soft. Megan lifted her legs. No restraints. She was lying on a bed facing a bank of windows overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. Fingers of crisp white clouds streaked the sharp blue sky.

No purple tunic and matching pants, either.

Delicious smells of frying bacon came from downstairs. It enticed and cajoled. Food, she needed food, her head ached from hunger, the hollow pit in her stomach demanded energy.

She looked around. The cheerful powder-blue-and-lilac bedroom had a white bamboo dresser, glass-topped table and two chairs with floral prints. Megan touched her head, trying to get her thoughts squared.

“You never ate your breakfast, so I fried eggs. I advise you not to skip another meal or you’ll fade into nothing, and not just because you’re a Shadow Wolf,” came a deep, laconic voice from the doorway.

Tensing, she sat up, fists ready to strike. Now she remembered. Gabriel had hypnotized her into sleeping. Panic squeezed her insides.

“Where are they?” she demanded.

He leaned against the doorjamb, thumbs hooked through the belt loops of faded jeans. Rolled up at the sleeves, a blue chambray work shirt displayed his strong, tanned forearms. His feet were bare. A black cowboy hat tilted over his brow. “On the table, getting cold.” In his deep Louisiana drawl, “table” was pronounced “tay-bull.”

She threw back the thick duvet, swung her legs over the bed’s side. Her feet touched soft carpeting. For a moment, she wriggled her toes, basking in the luxury. Megan struggled to fight the dizziness. “My cousins. What did you do with them, you bastard?”

“They’re fine.”

“If you hurt them, I’ll …” The threat was empty, and they both knew it.

“Is this part of your torture technique? Keep us separated, make me think the worst? Why not just kill us and get it over with?”

A frown dented his forehead. “I don’t torture Shadows,” he said mildly.

“Cousin Megan!” Two miniature tornadoes flew into the room and bounded on the bed. They crashed against her.

Hiding a wince at her sore arms, she held them tight. “Are you okay?” She smoothed back their hair, studied their expressions.

“Gabriel made us bacon and eggs and sausage,” Jenny said, glancing shyly at him.

“And toast with orange marmalade.” Jilly burped. “‘Cuse me.”

Gabriel made a sound suspiciously like a chuckle, but looked indifferent. Masking her anxiety, Megan smiled at the girls. They wore identical pairs of bright pink shorts and pink scoop-necked shirts. On their feet were new cuffed socks and sneakers.

Megan touched a corner of Jenny’s shirt. “Where did you get these?”

“Gabriel had his housekeeper buy these for us. No more purple uniforms,” Jenny told her.

“Gabriel took us here to his island to keep us safe,” Jilly told her.

Megan tightened her grip on her niece. How could she tell her that Gabriel had abducted them? In some ways, her young nieces were still innocent, despite the island’s harsh living conditions. She didn’t want to scare them.

Instead, she gave a reassuring smile and changed the subject. “Did you get outside and see the Gulf of Mexico?”

If the girls had explored the island, she could figure out how to access the mainland and formulate an escape plan.

“Gabriel took us to the beach and we found some seashells by the water, but he didn’t want us to go far,” Jenny piped up.

She hid her disappointment.

“I wanted to check on Megan. We can go out later, Jenny,” Gabriel said.

Jenny beamed. Megan studied her enemy, shocked he had discerned the difference between the girls. Few could tell them apart.

She had to regain her strength. Somehow, there was a way off this island, and she would find it. Megan braced her hands on the bed. Going to do this, must do this. She managed to stand, but her knees gave way. With an involuntary cry, she fell back onto the bed. Oh this was bad, so very bad.

Eyes wide with fright, the twins stared. “Cousin Megan?” Jilly’s voice trembled.

Gabriel detached himself from the doorway. He flashed a winsome smile at the girls. “Jenny, Jillian, why don’t you go into the playroom while I have a little chat with your cousin?”

Dread pooled in her chest as the girls scrambled away.

He gave her a critical once-over. “When did you last eat?”

Her stomach growled a protest. “I’m fine.”

“You’re weak and dangerously low on energy,” he countered, his gaze sweeping over her. “Where were you hiding out?”

“Rio. You know, de Janeiro in Brazil. I had a hankering for a mojito,” she shot back.

He rubbed his temple. “Tell me.”

The command was soft, threaded with steel. She felt compelled to obey. “Couldn’t get here right away, had to diffuse the trail. Spent three days in the Bahamas first … lived off fish, the girls did … I gave them my share, couldn’t catch much, had to lie low. Hitched a ride with a fisherman headed to Florida.”

“Then how did you use up all your energy?”

Gabriel was a mind manipulator, able to coax hidden thoughts from reluctant victims. Horrified at how easily she’d confessed, she mustered her strength and bolted for the door. He hooked her around the waist. “Easy,” he muttered. “Relax, chère, I’m not going to hurt you. But I will have answers.”

Megan sagged in his arms. Her trembling hands couldn’t grasp the doorknob. Pain throbbed from the rail spike hammering into her skull. Oh, the hunger was bad now, so bad, the craving for protein screaming its need.

Gabriel helped her sit on the bed. He picked up the cordless phone on the nightstand and dialed. He gave a crisp order for bacon, sausage and eggs and hung up, giving Megan a thoughtful look.

“Food first, then a hot shower. I’ll ask Mrs. Hemmings to find clothing that fits.” His heated gaze swept over her again, making her shiver. “You’re a size twelve, right?”

Outraged, she glared. “I’m a size eight.”

A smile tugged the corners of his mouth. He’d tricked her. Again.

“How the hell did you let yourself get this bad?” he demanded. “Didn’t you make plans, have supplies?”

Megan looked out the window.

“The truth, Megan. Why haven’t you eaten?”

With all her might, she shuttered her thoughts. Instead of invading her mind, Gabriel ran a thumb across her palm. The electrical contact sizzled, creating a shiver of erotic awareness. Megan stared at his strong, tanned fingers. He turned over her hand, frowned at the reddened scratches on the back.

“You got jumped. Someone stole your money,” he guessed.

“The fisherman smuggling us off Shadow Wolf island demanded more money than we’d planned.” Megan yanked her hand away.

“You’re a Shadow. Why didn’t you just steal money when you got to the States?”

“I’m no thief.”

“Then I suppose the car with your scent all over it is a rental?” he drawled.

Color ignited her cheeks. “I put an envelope filled with money and a note in the door of the owner’s home. It’s worth more than the price of the Ford, which has leaky oil gaskets, bald tires and finicky brakes. I might be a Shadow—” she spit out the word “—but we have integrity. Unlike you Normals, who turn in your own people for money. Because we are Draicon, like you. Like it or not, that’s a fact.”

“Normals?”

“Stop acting as if you have no idea what I’m talking about. Normals. What you ordinary Draicon call yourself, what you insist we call you. You think you’re normal and we’re not just because we can perform magick before puberty, unlike you, and we can shift and become invisible, unlike you.”

She gave him a pointed look. “With our gifts, I’d say we’re superior to Normals. Except I’m not racist. Unlike you.”

Amber glowed in his eyes. His wolf was emerging. As he raised his hand, Megan braced herself for the slap. Instead, he dropped his hand to her forehead, ran a thumb over the bruise.

“Some of us are anything but normal,” he muttered.

A brisk knock at the door announced the arrival of a cheerful, rounded woman bearing a wood tray. On the tray was a large china plate piled with food, silverware, a napkin and a tall glass of orange juice. Megan nearly moaned at the savory smells of bacon, sausage and fried eggs. The woman set down the tray on the nightstand, accepted Gabriel’s thanks and left.

Megan picked up the fork. Plastic, she noticed ruefully. Not much use as a weapon. This Draicon wasn’t a fool. She poked at the eggs.

“It’s not poisoned.”

His voice, close to her ear, made her jump. Megan speared a sausage, turned it over. “Sure, right.”

“If I wanted to drug you, chère, I’d merely put you to sleep with a mind suggestion, like I did back at the restaurant.” Amusement laced his tone. His gaze grew stern. “Now eat.”

Her hands shook so much she could barely bring the fork to her mouth. Eggs spilled onto the tray. Embarrassed, she shuffled the food around the plate. Gabriel paced over to the window and stood before it. Megan quickly ate, then wiped her mouth with a paper napkin. She drank the orange juice, feeling the throbbing hunger ease.

“Thanks for the food,” she managed to say.

Gabriel turned around. Shafts of yellow sunlight angled into the room, falling on him like a spotlight. Breath caught in her lungs. Denim jealously hugged every inch of his hard, muscled legs. He was gorgeous, with the face of a fallen angel, secrets lurking in those swamp-dark eyes. The sheer sexuality felt like a blast of heat in the air-conditioned room.

She wondered what it would feel like to run her hands over his firm muscles, splay her fingers on that hard chest, feeling his heart race with the same anticipation she felt.

He’s a cold, soulless killer, she sternly reminded herself. Megan drew in a breath, inhaling a spicy, rich aroma, like expensive men’s cologne. Instinct told her it was his own natural scent. Damn, he smelled good.

His knowing smile warned he knew she’d checked him out. Megan squashed her irritation.

“Can I take a shower alone, or are you playing guard dog outside the bathroom, too?”

“Through there is the main guest bath.” He pointed at a closed door. “Need help getting undressed?”

“I can manage.”

“I can wash your back,” he offered in a deep, laconic drawl.

Shivers raced through her. Megan envisioned herself in the shower, Gabriel running the soap down her back, gently caressing her slippery skin with his big hands, cupping her hips, pulling her against his naked body….

Not in this lifetime. “I always watch my own back,” she muttered.

“Watch or wash?” he asked softly.

“Both. Because I never know when someone’s going to stick a knife in it.”

His gaze grew thoughtful. “I’ll get the clothing for you. There are fresh towels and everything else you need in the bathroom.”

When she didn’t move, Gabriel sighed. “Come on, I’ll help you.”

As he grabbed her upper arm, Megan flinched. His gaze narrowed as she went to her feet.

“Take off your shirt,” he ordered.

A violent trembling seized her. This was it, then. After all she’d gone through, constantly moving to avoid the sexual threats, keeping herself pure because she had vowed never to give herself to a man unless it was done with love, it came down to this.

“Do you always molest your captives?” she bit out.

He was far stronger and bigger, but she’d go down kicking and screaming. And biting.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” he said, more gently this time. “Take off your shirt.”

Color flooded her cheeks. She struggled to lift the threadbare green polo shirt over her head. He helped.

In her faded bra, she hugged herself, feeling cold and exposed and vulnerable. But anger, not lust, glinted his dark eyes. His mouth compressed to a thin slash as he traced one of the purpling bruises on her arms.

“Who did this?”

“I fell down the stairs.”

“Megan, who hit you?”

Rather than have him yank it from her mind, she settled for the truth. “The fisherman on the boat that smuggled us to the Bahamas. Said he’d heard Shadow females were incredible in bed, and he planned to find out. He beat me and threatened to hit the girls unless I cooperated.”

Gabriel’s breath eased out in a violent hiss.

“I made a deal with him. Said sex was better when Shadows weren’t in physical form. If he could catch me while I was in shadow, I was all his. He liked the chase.”

“That’s why you were low on energy. You were invisible the entire trip to the Bahamas.”

“I escaped at a cost. I thought I could make up for it by catching fish when we landed at the Bahamas, but the fishing was lousy and the girls were hungry. In addition to trying to molest me, the fisherman fed us only scraps.”

“You haven’t eaten properly for five days. Damn,” he muttered.

Suddenly she felt drained beyond words. “Is show and tell over with now? Can I get dressed?”

Gabriel didn’t say anything. He continued tracing the ugly bruises on her arms. His touch was gentle and oddly soothing, as if he wanted to erase her pain.

“What’s his name?” His gaze was hard, but his voice was as soft as his touch.

She saw no reason to protect the man, since he was taking advantage of helpless Shadows. “He calls himself Devin Andrews, but we know him as Grouper. He likes deep-sea fishing, and uses that as his cover. His boat name, too.”

“Good.” He jerked his hand away, as if touching her scorched him. Gabriel turned his back. “Take your shower, and after, I have liniment for those bruises to help them heal faster. You’re still too weak for your body to effectively heal itself.”

“Is this your modus operandi?”

A half smile touched his full mouth as he glanced at her over his shoulder. “My what?”

“Being solicitous toward your victims before you kill them and collect the bounty on their heads.”

Gabriel’s expression softened. “I won’t hurt you, chère.”

Right. She wouldn’t gamble on that.

“I do have a few rules. Just as I told the twins. Any problems or concerns, you bring them directly to me. You can’t escape this island, so forget trying. You will eat and you will maintain your energy. No one will hurt you here, you’re perfectly safe. But you aren’t leaving.”

Feeling his gaze burn into her back, Megan opened the door and walked into the bathroom. She closed the door firmly and found a fluffy white robe hanging on a peg behind it. She carefully shrugged into it.

The bathroom was larger than her bedroom at home, and the opulence made her feel shabby in comparison. Lilac rugs scattered over gleaming white marble floors. Wrinkling her nose at the color, she sidestepped them. In the corner was a glass shower with a window overlooking the beach.

Curious, she pulled open a cabinet drawer. Inside was an assortment of child’s bath toys, including a well-worn rubber duck. A reluctant smile touched her face as she took out the duck and closed the drawer. Gabriel’s guests included children. Nieces and nephews?

What was it like to be indulged, spoiled and pampered by a male as powerful as Gabriel? To have everything you wanted to eat, pretty dresses to wear and all the knowledge at the tip of your fingers instead of having to hide books and wear ugly dark grape clothing? Her smile faded as she dropped the duck by a stack of towels on the counter. She grabbed a washcloth and soap, stared in bemusement at the twin shower heads and the strange fixtures.

Torn between pride and longing, she set down the washcloth and soap and returned to the bedroom.

Gabriel sat on her bed, touching her pillow with a thoughtful look. His cowboy hat was on the nightstand. He glanced up.

“I don’t, the shower, the faucets …” Her voiced trailed off and she felt very stupid.

A wide grin tugged his full mouth upward. “Oh yeah. I got confused the first time the plumber installed the new fixtures. Shoulda heard me yell when I got cold water instead of hot.”

He sprang off the bed, all grace and smoothness. Inside the shower, he worked the faucets, careful to step out of the way as he demonstrated the spray.

Gabriel stepped outside the shower. Megan gave him the first real smile she’d felt in days.

“Thanks. I thought I might need an engineering degree just to take a shower.”

He tipped back his head and gave a deep, throaty laugh. Her heart skipped at the delight-ful sound. Surely anyone who laughed like that couldn’t be as evil as they said.

“I like how you laugh. You’re not what I thought.”

Startled, she realized she’d spoken aloud. Gabriel stopped laughing. Megan shivered again, but this time from a deeper, more intense need.

A predatory look crossed his face. When he grasped her shoulders in the gentlest touch, she felt drawn toward him. His gaze fell on her mouth. Amber flashed in his eyes as she moistened her lips and parted them. Megan took a step forward, captivated by the smoldering hunger in his gaze. Her body yearned, her hands reached out to touch him in turn. She could almost feel his lips against hers, warm, authoritative, demanding….

Just as quickly, he stepped back, dropped his arms. “Go take that shower, and I’ll find the clothing and liniment.”

The door slammed behind him with a violence that shook the hinges.

After her shower, Megan used the liniment Gabriel had left, dressed in the clothing he’d put on the bed and began planning her escape.

She slipped down the hallway and paused before a large, masculine bedroom at the corridor’s end. Drawn by the rich spicy scent that was Gabriel’s, she walked inside.

The bed was large as a car, with a crimson duvet and a hand-carved mahogany headboard. She shivered, imagining his big body on it, sweat gleaming on his brow, dampening his dark hair, his long legs twisted in the sheets after a hot bout of lovemaking….

Stop it.

The windows boasted splendid beachfront views. Coconut palms, their green leaves swaying in a gathering breeze, framed shimmering sand and tranquil Gulf waters. French doors opened to a wraparound balcony. Megan went outside.

The mainland seemed close enough to swim for it. But what about the twins?

On the bayside, a fishing boat, a sleek yacht and a rowboat were moored to the dock. Powering the fishing boat or the yacht meant noise. However, if she had Jenny create a distraction, they could use the rowboat. She disliked asking her cousin to use powers she had been taught to curb, but it was necessary if they were to escape.

A few hundred yards from the dock was a single-lane causeway and a bridge connecting it to the mainland. Megan spotted an outboard boat near the bridge. The boater started the engine, heading in her direction. Sweat gathered on her brow as he passed the house.

A man with silver hair. It was too far away to be sure, but she’d swear it was the same man from the hotel restaurant.

What did he want? Why was he following them? Was he a rescuer? Or like Gabriel, another enemy who desired the healthy bounty on their heads?

Gabriel should know. Megan’s pulse sped up. She couldn’t risk telling him, the enemy she couldn’t trust. What if he were working with the silver-haired man?

The only person she could trust was herself. The twins relied on her. She had to get them off the island.

Megan found the twins in a large, airy room, playing dolls before a wood dollhouse. Her heart twisted. She hated having them on the run again.

Better running than dead. Because that’s what Gabriel would do. He might be all smooth Cajun cowboy charm on the outside, but he was nastier than the other Normals. Gabriel would soothe them into thinking all was well, and then …

Megan shuddered. She motioned to the girls, who reluctantly abandoned the toys.

“We’re leaving soon. When we do, just stick close to me, okay?”

Jenny looked upset. “But I like it here. Gabriel’s nice. He promised to make us a nice dinner and we can each have a doll of our own. He wouldn’t hurt us. He’s …”

Squatting down, she took her cousin’s small, trusting hand into hers. “Honey, we have to get you to New Orleans, remember?”

Jenny brightened. Both twins had asked Megan why they were headed to New Orleans until she told them about hoping to find a relative there. More information was needed before telling them the relative was their father. The girls must not have their hopes raised and crushed. They’d already endured too much on the island.

Megan dreamed of finding their father, a man who would smother them with love and protection and send them to school, instead of learning with smuggled books. In the city, she’d blend and find others like her. Together they’d work to free all Shadows from captivity so future generations wouldn’t fear imprisonment again.

Megan went downstairs into the living room. Arched windows looked out onto the green Gulf of Mexico. White cypress walls gave the living room an airy feel that flowed onto the beach. The furniture was durable, but expensive.

Megan peered into the kitchen. The housekeeper was cleaning the counter, her car keys out on the table.

She ran upstairs to join the twins. When the housekeeper popped her head in the doorway and announced she was leaving, Megan felt a rush of relief.

“I just wanted to see if you needed anything,” Mrs. Hemmings said.

“We’re fine. Thank you for the lovely meal.”

“That was Mr. Gabriel who did the cooking.” The woman studied her so intently, Megan felt like an animal in a zoo.

“You take good care of yourself, honey. Things will be fine from now on. You’re safe here. Mr. Gabriel, he’s a good man. You can trust him.”

The woman could not know the delicate intricacies of their world. Regret filled Megan. She wanted badly to trust someone. Too much was at stake to risk it.

When the housekeeper left, Megan retrieved their backpacks and returned to the girls.

They were leaving. Right now.

Chapter 3

Sprawled on a lounge chair on the rear deck, Gabriel studied the sky for signs of the approaching hurricane. Just an hour ago, the water mirrored a blue sky sharp as a sickle. Now puffy indigo clouds drifted on the horizon, and lacy whitecaps tossed their heads back and forth.

He had to get them off the island soon.

Picking up an icy water bottle, he took a deep swallow and thought of Megan’s pink mouth, the way her teeth worked at her lower lip, her delicious floral fragrance. The natural sensuality of her throaty voice, the spark of passion in her eyes, her sweetly rounded hips swaying as she walked.

His body tightened as he remembered her rosy mouth parting as if anticipating his kiss. The sultry awareness in her eyes, the longing for connection. How sturdy and soft her shoulders felt beneath his caressing fingertips.

He’d almost kissed her. Megan Moraine aroused him in a way no escaped Shadow ever did. He had to keep his distance. Even if her mouth was so damn soft and wet.

The haunting loneliness dogging his steps tormented him with a bitter memory. Another woman, years ago, her eyes filled with love, then growing wide with horror….

Your eyes, Gabriel, oh your eyes!

Cussing, he set down the bottle and fished out his cell. Gabriel punched in the same number he’d called ten minutes earlier. The Friend he needed to escort Megan and the little girls to the next safe house still wasn’t answering and his voice mailbox was full.

Deeply troubled, he thumbed off the phone. He hedged moving Megan and the twins until he felt certain they would be safe. Each Friend, a guide who would help an escaped Shadow Wolf to the next safe house, was known just to one link in the chain. Only Gabriel knew all of them. And the fact that he’d called all the others and got no answers from them, either, worried the hell out of him.

Someone had infiltrated their network. He had to stay deep undercover. If anyone discovered his secret …

Muscles on his back contracted, as if his skin anticipated the twenty lashes the Council of Draicon would order. Next they’d ensure his gene pool was permanently drained.

The back door banged. He’d trip-alarmed the property to prevent Megan from leaving and he’d sabotaged the boats. Nostrils flared, he picked out the scent and relaxed.

“Mr. Gabriel? I finished cleaning the downstairs and I’m headed out now.”

“Thanks, Jean. I left an extra something in your envelope for all your hard work. Won’t need you for a few days.”

Flushing with pride, she shook her head. “You’re too good to me, Mr. Gabriel. You’d better leave soon. Storm’s coming in, will be here by tonight, they say.”

“We’ll be fine,” he assured.

The middle-aged woman looked worried. “There’s something about that woman, Miss Megan. She reminds me of the war refugees who came to my home country years ago. That one has been hurt, badly.”

She has. A fierce protective need rose to keep Megan from ever being hurt again. Gabriel made a mental note to find the sonofabitch who had beat her, and let him know the raw power of his raging wolf. “Don’t worry, they’re in good hands.”

He watched her head for her ancient Lincoln, heard the engine start with a smooth purr. Gabriel had personally fine-tuned it for her. When the car reached the main road and hit one of the lasers, a small alarm went off. Gabriel knew Jean was safely off the island.

Gabriel also knew Megan hid something important. Yet he hesitated using his magick on her. He admired her resolute courage and love for the twins. Yanking information from her mind felt like a violation of her stubborn spirit. What would it feel like to be so demonstrative, to give and receive love without fear? To have someone know your true self so intimately?

A hollow ache settled in his chest. Hell if he’d ever know. No one would ever get that close. They wouldn’t like his dark side.

Suddenly the prickling sensation returned. Gabriel called his housekeeper, asked if she’d noticed anything odd as she’d left the island. She hadn’t.

“I’m on the mainland and almost home. Do you need me to return?”

“No. Everything’s fine. If you don’t hear from me the next couple of weeks don’t worry, Jean.” He hung up. The feeling grew stronger.

Gabriel bolted to his feet. Wolf senses picked out a strange scent. Though faint, this was darker, the foul stench of something that enjoyed twisting the limbs off screaming victims. Not Morph. Morphs, former Draicon who killed a relative to gain greater power, couldn’t access the island because of its protective magick shield.

Vaulting over the railing, he landed on the ground fifteen feet below. Sand kicked up beneath his heels as he ran. As he hooked a hard right, an explosion ka-powed on the bayside.

No longer could he hold back the beast. Tipping back his head, he released a long, low howl.

One minute man, the next beast. Digging his paws into the soft sand, he ran toward the bay.

“Hit the ground!”

Water splashed over them as shrapnel flew through the air and landed in the bay. The twins fell on the boat dock and Megan threw herself over them, shielding their bodies with her outstretched arms. Pressure on her sensitive eardrums sent pain rippling through her. She pressed her face into the wood.

When she felt sure the danger had passed, Megan raised her head.

Clouds of smoke and dust clogged the air. Twisted bits of metal hung where the nearby swing bridge once stood. Coughing, she got to her feet, brushing off the girls, examining them for injuries.

Jillian’s eyes grew wide as she pointed at Megan’s right hand. “You cut yourself.”

Blood dripped from a gash on the back of her right hand. She’d barely noticed. Megan forced a tremulous smile.

“It’s okay, sweetie. Just a little ouch.”

A large gray wolf bounded toward the dock, skidded to a halt. It stood motionless, its nostrils twitching. Amber eyes filled with menace, the wolf silently regarded her. Megan involuntarily took a step back, even though she knew the wolf’s identity.

This wolf was large and impressive in his powerful bulk. Not like a Normal. More like another type of Draicon, but they were extremely rare and nearly as despised as Shadow Wolves.

Impossible. Gabriel came from a powerful Cajun family whose influence extended far into the Council of Draicon ruling over Shadow Wolf Island.

Gabriel shifted back into a man and waved a hand, clothing his naked body.

“Take them into the house. I’m going to investigate.” After growling the order, he ran in the direction of the bridge.

In her upstairs bedroom, Megan helped the twins strip off their clothing as she examined them for stray shrapnel. Acid churned in her stomach as they dressed. If they had been hurt …

Both girls dogged her footsteps as she found a towel in the bathroom to rub dry her dampened hair. The girls looked up in fear as footsteps sounded, but they relaxed when Gabriel poked his head inside.

“Everyone okay?”

“Fine. What happened?” Hiding her distress, Megan put the damp towel on the rack. He must not know what they’d planned.

When they’d reached the boat dock earlier, Megan had found water and a hole in the little rowboat. Desperate, she’d decided to hot-wire the other boats, but upon checking the engines, she found someone had yanked out the batteries.

Gabriel came inside, flashed a reassuring smile. Megan couldn’t read his expression as he glanced out the bathroom window. “Whoever blew up the bridge wanted to keep us here. The storm will be here by tonight.”

“Someone’s trying to trap us here, and there’s a hurricane coming? Shouldn’t we try to find some way to leave?”

If Gabriel got them off the island, she and the twins could make a break for it.

“Whoever did this didn’t breach my defenses. He blew the bridge by rigging it with C-4 on the pilings.” Gabriel’s voice was hard, but laced with respect. “He can’t get on the island.”

“And we can’t get off!”

“We can.”

He seemed too calm.

“You have a magic carpet that’ll fly us out?”

A rueful smile touched his mouth. “Something almost as good. Inflatable boats. But the bay’s too choppy.” He flicked his gaze to the girls. “Can they swim?”

Her heart sinking, Megan shook her head.

“Then I’m not risking it. Our chances are better riding it out here. You’re safe for now. The storm is barely a hurricane and we’ll not take the full brunt. Just some high winds and rain, and the houses are on concrete stilts to protect against tidal surges. We have propane generators and food.”

Oh, this was so not what she wanted to hear. They needed to leave. But he was right. It would have to wait until the storm passed.

He frowned at her bleeding hand. “That needs cleaning.”

Gabriel led Megan over to the sink. From one of the drawers he pulled out a bottle of peroxide and bag of cotton. He wet a large cotton ball and began gently wiping her hand. The laceration wasn’t deep, but it stung. She ignored the pain, staring out the window. Clouds scuttled across the sky, blotching out the sun. No way off the island now. Emotions squeezed her insides, but she refused to surrender to fear.

Their earlier trepidation vanished, Jenny and Jillian roved through the spacious bathroom. Jillian spotted the faded yellow rubber duck Megan had left half-hidden by a towel. Her eager hands grabbed the toy.

“Look, Megan!”

Gabriel turned. His gaze darkened and he dropped the bloodied cotton ball. In two strides he was at Jillian’s side. She cried out as he snatched the duck.

The fierce Enforcer threw the toy into the drawer and slammed it shut. His dark brows knit together. “You don’t touch that again. Ever. Understand?”

The low, dangerous tone of his voice made Jillian’s mouth tremble. She backed away, her blue eyes wide.

A protective streak rose in Megan as she stepped before Jillian, facing Gabriel. “Leave her alone. It’s just a toy. What’s the big deal?”

A dark fury etched his face. “It’s not hers and she shouldn’t touch it. No one ever touches it.”

Dread curled in her stomach. “Who does it belong to?”

His jaw ground violently. “My niece Amelia.” Now his furious gaze held hers. Amber eyes. Wolf eyes. “She was a Shadow, just like you.”

Megan’s heart thundered in her chest. She cradled her injured hand. Clouds darkening the sky cast his face into shadow. Didn’t want to know, had to ask. Had to know …

“Was?” she whispered. “What happened to her?”

Gabriel’s jaw tensed to granite. “I killed her.”

Chapter 4

Last one.

Wind kicked up sand eddies, swirling on the ground. Gabriel lifted a heavy metal shutter, hooked it into place over the window and attached it.

He’d changed into shorts and a white muscle shirt for the arduous task of shuttering his vacation home. Sweat dripped down his temples. Gabriel swiped his damp brow with the back of one hand. His home now resembled a ghost house, the shutters reflecting the remaining rays of the late afternoon sun.

Megan and the twins were in the guest cottage on the bayside, where they all would ride out the storm. It was the safest house on the island. Gabriel needed to be alone for now, away from the horror in their eyes, the alarm shadowing their faces. Fear was good for them. Let them think he was as nasty as his reputation.

The thought sickened him.

He sagged against the shutter, feeling sun-warmed steel heat his skin. Closing his eyes, he saw Amelia’s trusting face as he stood in the pool with her favorite bath toy as incentive for learning to swim. Heard her squeals of laughter as she finished splashing toward him, then grabbed the yellow rubber duck in her small fist.

“I got it, Uncle Gabriel! I’m like Ducky, I can swim now!” she’d yelled.

He’d laughed and swung her up in his arms, as Simone and Alex watched proudly.

The duck.

The yellow duck.

That damn … duck!

He hurled the hammer at the sand. Amelia deserved much better. Learning how to swim in the deep end, first dance, first kiss …

Thanks to him, she’d have none of that. She was only ten years old.

I’m sorry.

Gabriel fisted his trembling hands. The approaching hurricane echoed his turbulent emotions. Warmth spread through his body. Wolf clawed to the surface, stirred up by guilt, anger and self-loathing. Plucking at his shirt, he felt as if hundreds of ants crawled over his skin. He rubbed his chin, alarmed to find thick stubble. Gray fur replaced the light hairs dusting the back of his hands.

The first physical manifestation of his Change.

It had grown more powerful since Raphael’s mate had infused him with power during a vicious Morph fight. His sister-in-law Emily’s touch had heightened his Draicon’s magick. It had tripled Gabriel’s powers, but also made his wolf more ferocious.

The hell with it. He allowed the wolf to flow through him. Muscles rippled and stretched, bones lengthened. He snarled at the elements, feeling the primitive need to rip and tear and destroy.

The sweet vanilla scent of childhood halted the process.

Gabriel stiffened, fisting his hands/paws. Acute senses warned that a twin stood behind him on the deck. His human side wrestled for control. Even though the wolf would never hurt an innocent, he could not allow a young one to witness his transformation.

“Mr. Gabriel?”

“Go away, Jillian.” His voice was a low whiplash, hinting of danger.

“Are you still mad at me?”

Closing his eyes, he breathed deeply.

“I’m sorry I touched your toy, Mr. Gabriel.”

“I’m not mad at you, Jillian.”

He managed to corral the violent emotions. Gabriel studied his hands, relieved to see they were normal. The wolf was gone. For now.

“You can call me Jilly. Everyone does.”

He turned, wondering if this young one would know how close she’d danced to the knife’s edge of violence.

“I’m not afraid of you.” A frown dented her brow. “I’m worried about you. You hurt.”

At his blank stare, she rubbed her thin chest. “In here.”

Tension knotted the spot she’d indicated. “I’m fine,” he lied.

“No, you’re not,” she said seriously. “I can tell. I can feel inside you. You don’t want anyone to know because you don’t like what happens when you feel this way.”

Merde, a seven-year-old could tell? Gabriel retrieved the hammer. As he brushed it free of sand, he glanced at the solemn girl examining the inside of his canvas tool bag.

“You can feel inside me?”

She nodded. Seldom had he used his enormous powers of mind control to delve into a child’s thoughts. Children were innocent and their motivations and thought patterns as clear as shiny glass. They were easy to read, but he hated having to do it.

He motioned to the steps, and when she’d sat beside him, he turned the hammer over in his hand. “Can you read other people’s thoughts?”

Jillian gave him a guileless look. “Only if they allow me to, or if they’re so loud they’re screaming at me. Like they’re yelling out loud, but they’re not. Gram taught me not to be rude and invade their minds.”

In a ladylike gesture, she folded her hands in her lap. “I tried once, when my friend Andrea bragged her hair was prettier than mine. I went into her mind to see the truth. She hated her hair and I told her so. Megan punished me and made me apologize. She said it was wrong. I didn’t mean to hurt Andrea and I promised never to do it again.”

“Megan is right. Using power holds you accountable for your magick.”

Gabriel sucked in a deep breath. “When you get older, you’ll understand the difference between doing it for the right reasons or just to be a bully. You’ll learn to shut out others’ thoughts, too, so you can have peace.”

How he wished he could experience such peace. Hadn’t, not since Amelia and Simone had died.

“You didn’t do it, Mr. Gabriel. You didn’t kill her.”

“What?”

“Amelia. You said you killed her, but I felt what you felt.” Jillian shook her head. “You’re not like the bad men who hurt Shadows.”

A fist of guilt and alarm squeezed his throat. “What bad men, Jilly?”

“The men on the island who wanted to hurt Megan. The fisherman on the boat who hit her, and wanted to do the same things the bad men wanted.” She looked confused. “I didn’t understand. Why did they want to take her clothes off?”

His wolf silently howled in protective rage. Gabriel forced it down. Going hog wild on his emotions wouldn’t help her now. He mustered all his control and turned to look Jillian in the eye.

“There are bad men who do things like that, little one. They aren’t nice and you need to stay away from them. There is a blackness inside their hearts and their spirits.”

For a moment they sat in silence on the steps, staring at the gathering storm clouds. Sandpipers and seagulls flew toward the mainland. Jillian looked worried.

“Is it going to be a bad storm, Mr. Gabriel?” she whispered.

He gave her a reassuring smile. “Call me Gabriel. No Mister. Naw, we’ll just see a bit of wind and rain. I can feel it in my bones. You’ll be safe.”

She chatted about the storms she’d experienced on her island. Gabriel listened, paying attention the way few adults did. He liked kids. He’d always been good with his brother Etienne’s four children … and Alex’s Amelia. He’d longed for children, but didn’t dare procreate with his bad genes. Gabriel’s chest felt hollow. Never would he want a son or daughter to endure the shame and aversion he had known in childhood.

“What’s this?”

Fascination stole over her face as she stared at the blue-inked scrolling on his left bicep. She traced it with a finger.

“You got marked, too. Did it hurt like cousin Megan’s?”

The attention span of the young.

“It’s a tattoo, Jilly. My brother Indigo put it there for me. It means ‘fierce one’ in the Old Language of our ancestors.”

“It’s pretty. Megan’s mark is just numbers. She cried after it was done. She tried not to let us hear, but I knew she was crying.”

“Numbers? Where?”

“On the back of her neck, like female Shadow Wolves get when they turn twenty-one.”

So now they were inking all Shadows to keep track of them? His gorge rose. Wolf growled to the surface, driven by the urge to protect and defend his Megan.

His?

The notion stunned him. Megan Moraine was a Shadow Wolf who needed escorting to a safe house. Yet his emotions were that of a bonded male for his draicara.

Jillian sighed. “I guess they’ll give me one when I get older, too.”

Her practical tone sent chills through him. Gabriel took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

He started to say no.

Words died on his tongue, a promise he wanted to give her, but couldn’t. She looked so trusting, his heart twisted. Once he’d made the same promise to another child, and failed. He couldn’t promise anything to children. Not anymore.

He enlisted her help in picking up his tools. Gabriel let Jillian proudly carry the hammer and screwdriver while he took the canvas tool bag.

When they reached the guest house, Megan was sitting on a deck chair. Her legs were tucked beneath her as she combed her hair, gazing at the whitecaps crashing against the barnacle-riddled seawall.

She began to sing. The purity of her voice reminded him of sunrise over the bayou. It soothed him, brought the beast to a standstill. His entire body tingled with the desire to draw close, sit at her feet and let her voice wash over him in a cleansing flood. Music was his balm, a necessity to tame his wolf.

Then Jennifer burst out of the house, a tiny, pink-clad whirlwind waving a small conch shell. Megan held the seashell to her ear.

Gabriel stared. Not classically pretty, Megan had an exotic, Fey beauty. Her cheeks were stained pink by the rising breeze, long hair wreathing her heart-shaped face. Her mouth was cherry-red and moist. A blue T-shirt molded to firm, round breasts.

The unabashed laughter in her sea-blue eyes lured him like a sailor to a siren’s deadly song. Megan laughed, the sound pure enjoyment.

All his senses focused on her, his hands shaking with longing. He wanted a piece of that honest happiness, if only for a fleeting moment. Not the joking front he showed to disguise his real emotions. Gabriel yearned for something as simple as the joy of sharing a seashell’s whispers.

He hadn’t experienced that since … when?

Since Amelia died three years ago. When his niece died, a light of innocence in his life had winked out. His niece had adored him, and she’d known exactly what he was. And still, she wasn’t afraid of him.

Jillian set down the hammer and screwdriver and scampered up the steps. A shrill of laughter echoed through the air as she held the seashell to her ear. He felt as if he’d invaded a special and private moment between Megan and her cousins. A lead weight settled on his chest as he went to stash his tools in the shed.

The incoming storm sent a vibrating hum through his tensed body. Wolf howled to release the pent-up emotions. Gabriel glanced backward. Megan and the twins could not see him.

Sand stung his cheeks. He relished the wind slapping his face.

The hell with it. No longer able to hold back his internal storm, Gabriel shape-shifted.

Gabriel was running wild.

Megan’s heart thundered in her chest as she watched a large gray wolf race back and forth on the beach. The wolf’s raw power and dark intensity sent a chill down her spine. Larger than most, muscles rippled under the lupine’s gray fur.

He could break her spine with one lunge. She wrapped her arms around herself, sinking back into the cover of the mangroves.

She’d come to the beach to tell him about the silver-haired man blowing up the bridge in hopes he’d mention where the inflatable boats were stashed.

Megan peered around the mangroves, her palms growing cold and sweaty. What if Gabriel suddenly turned on them? She’d glimpsed his haunted look when he’d left to shutter the houses. But this wolf was not vulnerable. This wolf could tear and kill and destroy.

Never had she seen such a display, as if the wolf released all the emotions the man could not. This wolf snapped at the surf. It tipped back its head and released a long, mournful howl that echoed the cadence of the crashing surf.

The wolf was wild and dangerous.

A delicious scent of pine, leather and sweet wine drifted on the wind. It overwhelmed her senses. Megan closed her eyes, overcome with the sensuality calling to her. No wolf she had ever known emitted such an enticing scent.

The idea hit her like a resounding slap on the face. Shadows didn’t do that. From what little she knew, neither did Normals.

Ferals did.

Panic squeezed her throat. Ferals were wild and unpredictable. Their blood ran thick with the instinct to hunt, kill and mate. Male Ferals were dominating, highly sexual and aggressive. Their scents were strong and irresistible to females. When a male saw a female he wanted, the Feral Draicon pursued with ruthless determination until he had her naked and submissive beneath his powerful body. Their blood ran thick with passion and animalistic need.

Yet as she watched Gabriel, doubt laced through the fear. He’d seemed gentle and protective of the twins. Even when he was furious over the rubber duck, he’d left instead of raging at Jillian.

As wild as the wolf acted, the man acted restrained. How could Gabriel be a Feral since he was an Enforcer? The Council of Draicon executed vicious Ferals and sent others to demon prisons. As despised as Shadows were, Ferals were hated more. Their ability to blend in with the human populace was limited by their savage animal nature, often triggered by sexual arousal and heightened emotions.

Once the most dangerous Ferals were called Trans-Ferals. Long ago, they’d been hunted to extinction.

Megan felt a tug of empathy for Feral Draicon. As a Shadow, she wanted equality among all their species.

A savage beauty reflected in the wolf’s running with the wind. Her heart thundered again, echoing the cadence of distant crashing thunder. Her pulse raced with excitement.

How she longed to run wild, heedless of watchful Draicon ready to punish her for shifting into a wolf. Megan took one step forward, her body thrumming with anticipation.

The wolf skidded, his big paws digging into the wet sand. He pivoted, his huge head swerving in her direction, focused on her with a predatory look.

Wild amber eyes met hers.

The wolf was king. If he wanted, the wolf could track her scent, have her on the ground before she could escape.

Though her heart pounded hard, Megan held her position. She returned the wolf’s dominating look. She blinked, and the wolf was gone, replaced by a man wearing a white shirt and khaki shorts.

Gabriel.

Sea mist dampened his dark hair. His muscled body was hard with sexual aggression. He stalked toward her with determined purpose. Afraid of his power, she stood her ground. Megan refused to lower her gaze as other Draicon would do facing a predator.

“I can smell your fear. I told you before, I won’t hurt you,” he said softly. “How long have you been watching?”

“I just got here,” she admitted. “It was fascinating watching you as a wolf. I can’t remember how long it’s been since I saw a Draicon shift and we’re prohibited from shifting into wolves on Shadow Island.”

“Why can’t you shift?”

“I guess they’re afraid we’ll become more powerful as invisible wolves than invisible in our human form.”

Raw sexuality radiated from him. Megan swallowed hard. “I didn’t come to spy on you. I came looking for you to tell you something.”

He stopped close enough for her to smell his delicious maleness mingling with evergreen and rain. Passion filled his heated gaze. His nostrils flared as if he’d caught her scent. A pulse hammered at the base of his throat.

“Tell me what, chère?”

Though she was still untouched, Megan sensed his desire. He wanted her, badly. And animal instinct fought for control of the man. Something inside her clawed to the surface, wanting him just as badly.

Gabriel unclenched his fists. He caught her hand in his and turned it over. The gentleness of the gesture contrasted sharply to his earlier display of brute strength. He ran a thumb over her cut.

“It’s starting to heal already. Good.” He dropped her hand and traced a line along her jaw. His touch was gentle, but she instinctively recognized the possessiveness.

A wolf marking his territory.

“Tell you …” She halted, shuddering with pleasure as he stroked a line down the sensitive curve of her neck.

He dropped his hands. “Go back to the cottage. The storm’s getting closer and the twins will be scared.”

“Why are you so concerned when all you’ll do is turn them over to the authorities? For all the stories I’ve heard about you …”

He swore softly, his expression growing cold and dangerous. “I’m not what you think, Megan. Don’t underestimate me.”

As he started to push past her, she blurted out, “I know who blew up the bridge. I think it was the same man from the restaurant, a man with silver hair.”

“Why are you telling me now? Why not before?”

“We’re stuck here together and I need your help getting off this island. If this man is determined to trap us, can we leave? You said you had other boats. Are they nearby?”

“What were you and the girls doing on the dock?”

Softness laced the steely words. When she didn’t answer, he stepped behind her and placed his palms on her shoulders. His touch was gentle, but she sensed his determination. He would have answers.

“I told you, you’re safe here. I won’t hurt you.” His fingers began to knead her muscles, sending delicious heat spiraling through her body. Earlier tension evaporated, replaced by sensual need. Her head tilted back like a sunflower seeking warmth.

Gabriel wrapped his arms around her waist. Power was in those strong limbs. He bent his head, warm breath feathering over her cheek.

“Tell me, Megan.”

“The boats were useless, anyway.” She trembled with sudden need.

“I know. I disabled them to keep you here.” She quivered with anticipation as his mouth nuzzled her neck.

Struggling to keep her thoughts straight, Megan stiffened. “Hope you didn’t disable the inflatables, too. Where are they?”

“In a safe place, chère.”

“Are you sure? Maybe I can help you secure them before the storm.” A low moan escaped her as his fingers stroked over the sides of her neck.

“No.”

His hands anchored her to him. His hard male body was filled with enormous power. Yet the hands now splayed over her belly were gentle and his lips tracing a line down to her collarbone were soft and warm.

A different hardness pressed into her backside. A whimper of erotic pleasure tore from her throat as his hands drifted lower, palming her lower belly, pressing her against his erection.

A vision arose in her mind. She was naked on all fours as Gabriel knelt behind her, his large hands on her hips, his face etched with ruthless intent as he took her in the traditional position of a wolf claiming its mate….

Megan slammed a door on the image. Never.

Trying to regain her lost composure, she jerked out of his embrace. How could she feel this way about her jailer?

“Stop doing this to me,” she whispered.

Amber burned in his dark eyes. “Doing what, chère?”

“Making me want you. The vision you put in my mind, me, you, naked together.”

A muscle clenched in his taut jaw. “That wasn’t me.”

Stunned, she stared. “How can I know you’re not manipulating me? You’re not forcing me to feel like this?”

“I wouldn’t,” he said quietly. “I may be many things, but I’d never force you mentally or any other way. Megan, you have nothing to fear from me. Soon, you will come to trust in that.”

“I’ve had others tell me the same. Why should I believe you won’t hurt me, Enforcer?”

“Because when I find the one who left those bruises, and I will find him, I’ll do this to him or anyone else who dares to touch you.”

He plucked out a heavy paving stone from the pathway. A chill raced down her spine as he crushed it in one hand. Caught by the increasing wind, the powder blew away.

“I don’t make promises I can’t keep, not anymore. But I will promise you this. That sonofabitch will pay for your pain.”

Gabriel dusted off his hands and jogged away.

Numb with shock, she stared at the missing paver. Gabriel was no ordinary Draicon. He was more than a dangerous adversary. He was lethal to anyone opposing him.

Who was Gabriel Robichaux and what secrets did he hide?

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