“And the person who murdered that wolf was able to place the body in the center of a crowded room without being seen or heard. Whoever Jonah has in his corner is a powerful magical being. Who’s to say he didn’t kill the real Kyle and take his place?”
“No. Trust me. He’s not. I’ve spent time with him. I’d know, okay. Look, if he were Jonah, I’d already be dead.”
“Unless he’s using you to draw me out by gaining your trust. Has he tried to get Jason there? Has he asked about me?”
Laina’s skin tightened, a chill wrapping her in its icy grip. She’d spent hours talking about her past tonight with Kyle, including stories of growing up with Silas and Jason. What Silas said was possible, but was it true?
“I’ll be careful,” she said. “But he smells human to me. I don’t think you’re right about this.”
Silas growled. “He’ll want to keep you alive to draw me in. That puts you at an advantage.”
“Okay.”
“There are three tests to tell if he’s under a camouflage enchantment. The first is direct sunlight. It can cause color variations to his outer appearance, like an aura. If you’re not looking for it, you might not notice.”
Laina tried to remember if she’d ever seen Kyle in direct sunlight and realized she hadn’t. That would have to change.
“If that doesn’t work, try viewing his reflection in water or through water. If there is dark magic involved, water will reveal him for what he is, if only for a moment.”
“And if that doesn’t work?”
“If all else fails, you need to view his reflection in a mirror under moonlight. The right angle should give you a glimpse of who he really is.”
“And if he passes all three tests, I can assume he’s human?”
“You can assume he’s not Jonah disguised as human. Kyle could still be working for Jonah.”
Laina’s eyes flicked to the ceiling.Goddess give me strength.“I don’t think you’re right about this, Silas, but I’ll do it. I’ll test him.”
“The three tests aren’t foolproof, but they’ll catch most enchantments. Look for other clues. And if at any point you suspect him of being Jonah or working for Jonah, don’t hesitate to kill him.” It was a direct command from her alpha. She prayed she’d never have to act on it; doing so would mean killing her vice. Just the thought cut her to the quick.
“I love you, sis. Stay safe.”
“Love you too.” The call disconnected. Laina stared at Milo for a moment, trying to process what she’d just heard. If Silas was right about Kyle, she was sleeping across the hall from the enemy. Worse, her wolf desperately wanted to fuck the enemy. Even now.
“Time for bed, Milo.” The dog looked up at her from his nest of blankets but didn’t move. Double-checking that the door to her room was locked, she wedged a chair under the knob for an extra measure of protection. Inspections of the bathroom and closet turned up negative for anything suspect as well. Satisfied she was safe, at least for the moment, she crawled under the blankets of the large bed. But although Milo’s snores echoed through the room soon after, sleep eluded her.
ChapterSeventeen
Something warm and wet slid across Laina’s temple, and she came awake with a jerk, springing from the mattress and landing in a defensive position on the other side of the bed. It took her a few moments to comprehend that it was Milo who had woken her with a lick to the face, both massive paws planted on her side of the bed. He smacked his lips at her expectantly.
A glance at the clock revealed it was almost nine. No wonder Milo woke her up. He probably had all four legs crossed. She washed her face, brushed her teeth, and gathered her hair into a messy bun. Donning jeans and a T-shirt, she declared herself ready to go in less than ten minutes.
After unbarring the door, Laina clucked her tongue to call Milo to her side. The house was quiet as she crept into the hall, the jingle of his collar the only sound. She stopped short at Kyle’s open door, the ache between her legs returning with a vengeance.For the love of the goddess.
Asleep on his stomach, arms tucked under his pillow, he faced away from her, affording her a view of his broad back. The deep dimples formed by his shoulder muscles mirrored the two narrower grooves above his buttocks, the latter peeking from under a swath of his white comforter. From the mess of his sleepy dark hair to the swell of his rounded ass, he was a perfect specimen of a man, and that was a problem. Were his extraordinary good looks authentic or the result of dark magic? Her wolf salivated, begging her to cross the threshold and place a kiss between those shoulder blades. But if it was Jonah lying in that bed, she’d been a fool. He would relish using her body before taking her life.
A daydream of running her tongue along his spine had hit her full force when Kyle cleared his throat and adjusted his head on the pillow to face her. His eyes opened, their pale sherry color staring blankly in her direction. He rolled his hips against his mattress.
“Laina?” he whispered, his voice all grit.
“Time to get up! Milo needs a walk,” she said brightly, internally wrestling back her wolf. After her conversation with Silas, it was more important than ever that she maintain control.
He groaned and rolled onto his back, the covers falling low across the front of his hips. A trail of dark hair descended from his navel and disappeared beneath the white duvet.
“Something you’d like to see?”
Her eyes snapped to his. “No!” she squawked. “I mean, yes! Yes, I would like to see you out of bed and downstairs, ready to walk your dog, in five minutes.”
