Cloaked in Secrecy Read online

  “Help me save him,” I pleaded, snatching back my glove and slipping it over my shaky fingers. Without them, I would put myself into a coma by accidently zapping all my healing energy into anyone I touched. Every nerve tightened as dread coiled inside my belly. “We can take them together. Please.” With his help, we could overpower the police and rescue Nicolai in no time.

  Over my shoulder, a policeman aimed his gun at us. “Stop, or I’ll shoot!”

  The wulfkin seized my wrist and dragged me into a sprint, putting space between Nicolai and me. Leaving the alley, we swerved toward the strip of forest for cover. Tears that had beaded in my eyes now rolled down my cheeks in the rain. This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be.

  Behind me, boots slapped the ground, and voices yelled. Thunder clapped overhead. The world was crumbling around me, and I was simply running away. Number-one rule—never, ever leave a pack member behind.

  I skidded to a halt near the belt of woods, wrenching my grip from the stranger, and turned, surveying my options. Left—two officers ran out from a lane. Right—an empty passage. Ahead—tall fence. Behind—trees. If I could circle back to Nicolai quick enough, maybe I could get past the guard and free my brother.

  But the police now had their guns aimed and were too close. “Stop!”

  I lunged toward the empty passage. The wulfkin snagged the back of my jacket, trying to drag me into the woods. I tripped and fell onto my backside.

  A shot exploded.

  I crouched, my arms covering my head.

  A crack and then a hollow thump resonated nearby.

  No pain meant they’d missed. I leapt to my feet, but the wulfkin now lay crumpled alongside me, blood pouring from his thigh. He pulled himself upright, groaning.

  The officers advanced, and more sirens squealed in the distance.

  My mind swam in nausea. Crap. I forced the wulfkin to lean against me as we hobbled quickly into the woodland. A bullet whizzed by, the heat of it brushing across my lower back, barely missing me.

  Charging straight through the strip of woodland, we came out on the other side of the highway, managing to cross before a caravan of trucks. Safe. Cover. Perfect.

  The wulfkin felt sluggish against me, missing steps and losing blood fast. Thankfully, the pouring rain would wash the blood away and cover our tracks.

  My mind screamed to return for Nicolai, but I knew I’d never get near him. He'd be taken into custody. A court date could be months away. The full moon was soon—just over a week away. Then he’d transform into a moonwulf in front of humans, who’d kill him. We were both in so much shit right now. Tears mingled with the rain on my face, but this was no time to cry.

  CHAPTER TWO

  ENRE

  Startled awake from a nightmare, my eyes snapped open. My inner wolf was half climbing out of my throat. I hurt everywhere. Shit, even my balls ached.

  For a split second, I swore I was back in the cave where my previous alpha, Sandulf, had thrown me in with a dracwulf—the same man-eating, berserk wolf capable of slaughtering entire villages. Instead, I was lying on a bed of blankets, not rocks. Dim light from a window cast shadows across the walls. This definitely wasn’t the pack house either. It was a trailer, and my imprisonment with the dracwulf had ended weeks ago, but the raw memories remained. Sandulf had reared the beast that started killing humans. When I tried to stop the dracwulf, Sandulf offered me to the monster as a potential mate. My insides churned at the thought. But that was behind me, a distant horror I had to forget.

  The room spun as I climbed to my feet. Fog blurred my thoughts, strange wulfkin scents smothered my senses, and my legs buckled, dropping me back onto the bed. Around me, elaborate, sparkly leotards and ribbons hung off the walls. Stacks of books nestled on the corner of a table, and a pile of clothes covered the two-seater couch.

  Was that a bag of chips on the couch? My stomach growled. When I leaned closer, I realized it was only an illusion caused by the sunlight hitting the sparkling, shiny fabric. Damn.

  This had to be one of the circus trailers from the Bulgarian pack. The same pack I’d left my family in Transylvania to spy on in order to confirm their alpha was about to attack us. Rumor had it that he planned to slit our throats for our territory. And if that was the case, then I’d strike first. But none of my plans involved getting this cozy with the enemy. Sure, my new alpha, Daciana, had no idea I was here, but sitting back and waiting just wasn’t me. She could thank me later, after I saved our hides. And I’d take any punishment she set if it meant I’d protected my family.

  Sitting on the edge of the bed, my head hanging forward, I struggled to sort out the multiple wulfkin scents. One in particular overlapped the others—earthy and sweet, with the faintest wisp of lavender—a female. The one I’d saved from the police today. Or at least I thought it was the same day. I shouldn’t have gotten involved, especially since it occurred to me she’d be part of the Bulgarian pack. Except, doing nothing when wulfkin were in danger from humans wasn’t my style.

  A sharp pain coursed through my thigh, and I gritted my teeth. Blood stained the white fabric around my injury. The time I’d spent captive by the demon dracwulf had made me frail, and now the smallest injury took twice as long to heal. Everyone said to give it time. Fuck time. I wanted my strength back.

  How was I going to get out of this mess dressed only in briefs and a T-shirt? Scanning the room for my jeans was pointless. They weren’t here, and I doubted any of the tights or clothes strewn all over the place would fit me, so I looked around for a weapon. I could smash someone with the desk chair if I had to.

  Voices floated in from outdoors, and I pushed myself upright, leaning on my good leg. Limping toward the door and biting back the growing pain, I slumped against the wall and listened.

  “Why bring him here?” a man’s voice with a strong Bulgarian accent asked.

  “He saved me. I couldn’t let him to get captured too.” It was the wulfkin girl. Trying to help her had gotten me shot. What trouble had she heaped on me now?

  “Yes, you could have.” The male’s voice grew thicker. “Do you even know where he’s from? Let me finish him off before Maxim finds out.”

  “Absolutely not. The problem is Nic. He—”

  “Alena,” the man interrupted. So that was her name. “No disrespect, but your brother’s an idiot. He can rot in prison.”

  “Get away from me.” Alena’s voice quivered as she obviously struggled to control herself. “Never speak about Nic like that again or next time you’ll be bleeding before you know it.”

  Tough girl.

  Heavy footfalls faded into the distance. Only one person remained outside.

  When the door swung open, a deluge of chilled air rushed inside, and I came face to face with her, the wulfkin I wished I’d left alone. Light from the trailer shone on her features—sharp cheekbones and pale gray eyes the color of clouds after the rain. She frowned while studying me. Behind her, the storm blemished a darkening sky.

  How long had I been unconscious?

  A breeze blew past, throwing long, dark strands across her shoulders. The temptation to lean in and slide them back tingled in my fingertips. My wolf nudged me, eager to close the distance between us.

  “Eavesdropping?” she sneered.

  Weakness needled down my thigh, and I jerked toward the wall for stability, but it was too late. My knee crumpled beneath me, and I hit the floor, my ass taking the brunt of it. The suffering, I could handle—fuck, lately I’d become the lord of torment—but limbs that refused to hold me up were a different story. I had made a promise to myself while in the cave with the dracwulf—I’d never allow myself to become immobile again.

  Alena lunged forward and offered a leather-gloved hand, but I pushed it away.

  Rubbing her palms down her pants, she said, “Let’s get you back to bed.”

  Once on my feet, I hobbled farther into the trailer, hissing between my teeth each time I put pressure on the injured leg. I collapsed onto th
e mattress.

  Alena propped her ass against the table, her long legs painted in black denim crossed at the ankles, while her hard gaze honed in on me. Were those reindeer on her sweater?

  “Are you hiding my jeans so you can keep checking out my legs?”

  One of her eyebrows arched, but her stare didn’t falter. “Your wound’s bleeding. And you’re welcome. I removed the bullet.”

  A coppery taste persisted at the back of my throat, and a droplet of blood rolled over my knee. I smeared it clean with my palm.

  “Thank you.” She normally wasn’t my type—sleeping with the enemy and all that—but I could make an exception. The fire in her was strong, and who knows, maybe that spunk showed even more in the bedroom. “But if you insist on staring at me, I’m ready to move to the next base.”

  Alena scooted off the table and crouched behind the couch. She reappeared with a new bandage, towel, bottle, and a bucket before kneeling in front of me.

  “Here.” After shoving the already stained towel onto my lap, she proceeded to unwrap my thigh. “Does your cock always tell your head what to say?”

  I cleaned the red smudge off my palm with the cloth, unable to peel my gaze off her slightly parted lips. My heart galloped faster at the notion of tasting them. Gorgeous. The light hit her flawless skin, highlighting the few freckles on her cheeks, and the way she’d entered the trailer, shoulders squared, chin high, had indicated a wulfkin with a sense of pride.

  “Mostly,” I replied.

  She peeked out from beneath long lashes and took the towel out of my grasp, drenched it with vodka, and jammed the moist fabric against my wound. Wiping my wound clean, she said, “I see.”

  I gritted my teeth. It stung, and I had to look to make sure someone hadn’t ripped off my flesh and poured acid over what was left. My hands fisted. “Mental note … You’re into pain. I mean, causing it to others,” I said through my clenched jaw.

  She laughed while bandaging the injury again. Her soft tone turned me on more than it should have, and the wolf inside whimpered for a touch, for a connection with this odd character.

  Her head snapped up, and those tantalizing eyes widened. Did she sense it too? I’d heard of wolves sharing a connection when they found their soul mate, but not wulfkin. Mainly, I believed the myth was a romantic story created by females. Except, a tornado was whisking through my veins. Before I knew it, I was brushing away the few strands of hair caught at the edge of her luscious mouth. Shivers developed at the base of my gut and spread through me. Every thought vanished from my mind, replaced by one: getting closer to Alena.

  Instead of pushing me away, she closed her eyes and leaned into my touch, her curvaceous chest heaving with each inhale. Silence embraced us, and the charge in the room became electric. Following my instinct had gotten me far in life. This felt right.

  Sliding my fingers to the back of her head, I drew her into a kiss and parted her soft, warm lips with my tongue. Her lavender scent spread inside me with a blaze while her arms encircled my neck, and she lifted herself to her knees, pressing closer. Our breathing grew heavier, faster, synchronized. I cupped her bottom and squeezed gently. In one swift move, I had her on my lap. Her legs molded around my waist. I ignored the twinge of discomfort in my thigh.

  Tugging at her sweater, I tore it off. She took her T-shirt off immediately after. My attention caught on the bouncing tops of her breasts. I slid the bra strap off her shoulder and pushed the lacy fabric lower. A rosy nipple popped out, taut and perky.

  I dipped my head and seized her, my tongue flicking the tight bud. The saltiness of her skin danced with my arousal.

  Alena’s head arched back, a mewling sound escaping her throat. The slow grind of her hips, back and forth, against the bulge in my briefs, had me charged and ready to go while her delicious groans sang in my ears.

  She pushed me onto my back and followed, leaving a trail of kisses down the side of my cheek where the wolf girl had scratched me. My flesh tingled, and every hair stood on end.

  Grasping her hips, I rolled her over and covered her body with mine, her soft breasts pressed against my chest. Desire purred deep in her chest.

  She yanked up my T-shirt, offering me a sultry do-me look, and I was all about obliging. My shirt flew across the room. Her gloved hands trailed my stomach, the leather promising kinkiness. Sliding my fingers down the inside of her arm, I started to peel away one of her gloves. She snatched her hand away and leaned against me, licking the length of my neck and earlobe. I drank in her sweet female scent and couldn’t wait a second longer, desperate to taste all of her, my hard-on pushing against my briefs.

  I popped open the top button of her pants and unzipped them to reveal black lace undies. “Nice.”

  “Stop talking. Take me.” Her tone drowned in desire—gritty and faint.

  My fingers curled around the waistband of her pants, eager to pry them off. Her hips raised in anticipation. But when our sensitive hearing caught sharp, male voices outside, we froze. Whoever it was, they were getting closer.

  “Shit!” Alena cupped a hand to her mouth, her eyes growing wider. Then she shoved me off her and scrambled to her feet, refastening her pants and tucking the most delicious breasts back into their lacy casing.

  Snatching our tops off the floor, she turned and threw mine at me. “I don’t know how you made me do that, but stay away from me.”

  Quick to get dressed, she left me standing in my briefs with the world’s biggest boner and the fuzziness in my head clearing. “You seduced me, remember?” Despite the pressing urge to rip her jeans off, lean her over the table, and fuck her hard, I wasn’t too sure how we ended up in bed in the first place. I mean, I knew, but … It was as if I’d lost myself in her presence.

  She turned toward me with narrowed eyes and parted lips, clearly ready to jump into some rant. The voices were practically outside the window. Thank goodness for curtains.

  “Where are my jeans?” I whispered.

  Instead of making out, I should have gotten out of there, kept my distance, and spied on the pack as I had originally planned. Except … now that I’d tasted Alena’s honeyed flesh, I was desperate for more of her. Too close.

  Damn Alena, and damn my wolf. The lure between us reminded me of taffy: difficult to pull apart and sticking to you, but you always returned for seconds.

  She shook her head and drew the blanket up to my waist. The piercing sting in my thigh flared. A quick look under the blanket and I wiped away the droplets of blood escaping down my leg.

  The door creaked open.

  My head shot up.

  Alena’s cheeks burned bright red, and she bounced toward the entrance. “What’s going on?”

  An older man with a long face, furrowed brow, and dark brown hair entered. His shoulders shot back, and the scowl wrinkling his features wasn’t a great sign.

  “Girl, you’ve brought an intruder into the circus?” The dark tone of his voice screamed with anger. Shaking his head, he glanced at me. “Why are you here?”

  I ran a hand across my mouth, still tasting Alena on my lips. “I saved her from being taken by the police … and took a bullet for her.”

  Alena’s words sliced the heaviness in the air. “He required medical attention, so I brought him back here.”

  The man’s stare bore into her. “You should have known better.”

  A second wulfkin with long black hair and a matching beard stepped into the tiny trailer, causing it to creak and sway. Any more wulfkin outside wanting to gawk at the newcomer? With each step, this guy’s shoulders alternated lurching back and forth. I’d call him Blackie. He shook his head as he approached Alena. Who was he anyway? Her lover?

  When the older wulfkin focused his attention on me, he cracked his knuckles. “What’s your name and pack?” His voice was tremulous as he stood, legs planted shoulder-width apart.

  My response was instinctive, immediate. “Enre Ulf.” I gave my real name but didn’t say anything about my pack. If I rev
ealed I’d been living with the Transylvanian pack for years, I might as well cut my own wrists. Maybe I’d claim to be part of a remote European pack with minimal contact, and by the time he verified the information, I’d be gone.

  “Ulf?” The wulfkin’s nose creased, and he folded his arms across his chest, crushing his violet shirt. “The Varlac Ulf clan?” The furrow in his brow deepened.

  That’s when my escape plan hit. Why not? Being born into a Varlac family made me a Varlac, and no pack would dare target me without probable cause. Varlac ruled wulfkin, and anyone not following their rules was punished severely. This wulfkin didn’t need to know I had left my Varlac family at the age of fourteen, made my own path in life, and now lived with the Transylvanian wulfkin pack in the Carpathian woods of Romania. The part about me still not being an alpha of my own pack, another requirement by my Varlac heritage, was a completely different issue. No need to volunteer that tidbit.

  “Yeah. That’s me. The clan sent me here.”

  The older man scratched his cheek as if uncertain whether he should believe me or not. Blackie butted in. “Then you wouldn’t mind if we confirmed it.”

  I shrugged. “Go ahead.”

  Blackie’s chin lifted as he strutted forward and laid a huge palm on my head, forcing it sideways. Inside, my wolf stirred, and my muscles tightened. I bit back the urge to connect my fist to his jaw.

  He folded my ear forward, and his clammy touch only fueled my rage further.

  The rapid breaths from both wulfkin reaffirmed they’d found my brand. Every wulfkin born into a Varlac clan was branded with a tattoo behind their right ear as a reminder of their royalty status. Two rip marks ran down the length of my ear topped with a crown—exactly how the Varlac reigned over the wulfkin clans in Europe: wrong them and they’d tear your heart out.

  I swept Blackie’s hand away, stood, and shoved my hands into his chest. A sting crawled up my thigh. He tripped backward a few steps, and when he caught himself, his chest thrust out.

  Bring it on. Though trying to stand up to wulfkin in any kind of menacing way didn’t quite hold up considering I stood there in my briefs and a T-shirt.