“This is a surprise,” she said.
“I’m sure,” he returned, now looking more like he was lounging.
She wasn’t fooled. A male like Erik Volk didn’tlounge. He was six and a half feet tall with solid muscle and killer instincts. His wet hair was a burnished brown with blond streaks that curled beneath his ears in a shaggy-yet-wild look. His eyes were an impossibly light blue, and his bone structure was so sharp it was predatory. While his brother’s face seemed more rugged, Erik’s was comprised of hard planes and excruciating angles.
She set her feet in case she needed to fight, although she didn’t figure she had much chance of winning. Even with their obvious size differences, Erik came from a long line of Alphas and could probably snap her in two while shooting off a text with his other hand. “You’re trespassing,” she said.
“I’m aware,” he returned, a slow smile tipping his firm lips.
She blinked as heat flushed through her. That was one dangerous smile.
There was no doubt or argument that Erik Volk was probably the most handsome wolf shifter on the planet. But she’d also heard rumors that he could easily decapitate somebody with a careless swipe of his hand. So why he would bother meeting up with her was something she didn’t understand.
“Are you lost?” she asked.
“Usually,” he returned. “But I think I found what I want right now.”
Was there an innuendo there? Because her body flared wide awake like it had been sleeping for pretty much her entire twenty-five years on this planet. She looked around for something to use as a weapon and couldn’t see anything all that helpful. She had some syringes, but that wouldn’t harm him. She’d have to shift into a wolf to fight.
“I wouldn’t,” he said mildly.
“What?” she asked.
“Shift. It’s unnecessary. And I could handle you in wolf form, even if I stayed human.” The words were lazy but not unkind—and they were probably true.
Curiosity slammed into her, whether she liked it or not. “How about you just tell me why you’re here?”
“I’m here to kidnap you,” he said congenially.
She swallowed and just stared at him. He appeared serious. “Why?” she asked.
“I can’t tell you that, darlin’. Sorry.”
She processed the information and again looked for a weapon. She really should keep at least a knife in her lab. Her people tended to ignore her work—and often her—so she hadn’t deemed it necessary. Not in a million years had she expected to look up and see one of the Volk brothers wanting to kidnap her. “I don’t think so.” She began to shift.
“I do.” With that, he lunged for her.
Erik Volk carriedthe struggling bundle into his family home where he’d been raised. Lately, he was much more comfortable out at his cabin across the lake, which was good because Seth and Mia could have this place. Seth had taken it over, and after a fire, he was still rebuilding parts of it. Erik reached what he’d always consider his father’s study and set the cute shifter on the sofa. “You might as well stop fighting me,” he said. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
She kicked out and barely nicked his knee. “You are such an ass.”
“I’m aware of that.” Erik studied her.
She was a delight with thick brown hair that curled around her shoulders and bright greenish-blue eyes in a hue he’d never seen before. She was a member of the Copper Pack, and most of them had brown eyes. So, she was an intriguing anomaly within their pack. She was also stunning in a cute, girl-next-door way and had to be about five feet tall. While a little on the thin side, she had some decent curves. Her face was elfin, and her mouth a true heart shape.
Touching her as he’d carried her inside had struck something inside him that he had to ignore. Oh, she was intriguing, and she was under his control for the moment.
“What do you want?” She shoved to stand and looked up at his face.
Well, at least she wasn’t afraid of him any longer.
“We need your help.” Seth walked into the room carrying a struggling Mia in his arms.
“Put me down, Volk,” she snapped.
“You passed out,” Seth returned, gently placing her on a thick leather chair.
Erik stilled. “You passed out?”
