Unmasking the Wolf by Christy Gissendaner Read Free Book Online

too much of a Moretti not to.”
    “Seriously, Gina. What happened to your clothes?”
    Sighing, she turned around to face him. “Promise you won’t freak.”
    Dominic crossed his arms over his chest. “I can’t promise that.”
    “Then I’m not telling you.” She flounced to the guest bedroom and slammed the door in his face. Shrugging out of Luke’s blazer, she lifted it to her nose and inhaled. It smelled of him . . . all manly and crisp cologne. She sniffed again. A tiny hint of something else was present. Almost wolf-like. But it couldn’t be from him. More than likely, he’d brushed against a wolf on a busy city sidewalk.
    A banging started on the door. “Are you decent? If not, you’d better hurry because I’m coming in.”
    “Hold on a minute,” she yelled to Dominic. Tossing aside Luke’s blazer, she quickly pulled on underwear and a pair of pajamas. She perched on the edge of the bed, tucking her feet beneath her. “Okay.”
    Dominic opened the door and peered in. When he saw she was indeed dressed, he strode in. He put his hands on his slim hips and gave her a stern look. It was one her father had given her many times over the years. “So you went out with him?”
    She plucked at a piece of lint on her lime-green pajama top. “It was just dinner.”
    “Look, Luke’s a nice guy. I’m not saying he’s not. But you’ve got to be careful.”
    “I am!” Gina flicked the lint away. “It’s not like I’m dating him.”
    “You sure about that?” Dominic didn’t seem convinced.
    “I’m positive.”
    He motioned to the blazer. “And the lack of clothing?”
    She winced. “Wellll . . . ”
    “Gina,” he warned.
    “I shifted, all right? A man held a gun on us and . . . ”
    “Wait!” Dominic held up a hand. “Someone pulled a gun on you?”
    “Yes, after we left the restaurant. He stole Luke’s keys. It was the weirdest thing. He didn’t even take the car.”
    Dominic’s brows snapped together in a frown. “He only took the keys?”
    “Yes. I guess I frightened him when I turned into a wolf.”
    “Jesus.” Dominic’s face paled. “Are you okay?”
    She nodded, feeling guilty she’d upset him. “I’m fine.”
    He came forward and touched her shoulder. “No more shifting, okay? It’s not safe here.”
    “That’s the same thing Luke told me. He said you’d told him about us.”
    “It’s not exactly a secret I could’ve kept from him. We work too closely.”
    Gina thought it odd her cousin would reveal his wolf nature. In Clinton, it was a well-kept secret. To admit it to anyone other than family or close friends was tantamount to treason. Dominic must really trust Luke to tell him. “He isn’t like most humans.”
    Her cousin’s expression was guarded. “What do you mean?”
    “I’m just being silly.” She waved her hand through the air as if to dispel the words she’d just spoken. “I feel like I’m missing something.”
    Dominic opened his mouth, but he snapped it closed when his cell phone began to ring. He pulled it out of his pocket and glanced at it. “Shit. I have to take this.”
    “Go ahead. It’s been a long day. I’m going to bed.”
    After Dominic had gone to take his call, she climbed beneath the covers. She stretched lazily, her muscles protesting the movement. Shifting wasn’t something she did very often. Unlike her parents, who roamed the woods around Clinton in wolf form, Gina kept her shifting at a minimum. She couldn’t always resist the lure of her animal nature, but she’d learned to control her impulses at a young age. Tonight was the first time in months she’d ditched her human form. And only to protect a man she’d just met.
    Groaning, she turned on her side and plumped her pillow. Try as she might, she couldn’t get the image of Luke’s kiss out of her mind. What would’ve happened had the thief not interrupted them?
    •●•
    Luke flicked on the lights and surveyed the lab. The stark white walls and cabinets glowed