“That’s weird. I thought bullets were more grey. That almost looks like a silver bullet.” She couldn’t suppress a shiver that ran through her body.
Beau’s expression shuttered. He blinked and quickly shook his head. “It’s probably one of those new Russian bullets. They’re always coming up with something new.”
She shrugged off the unease that ran up her spine. She was exhausted and she needed sleep. All the stress about her house was making her paranoid. “You’re the hunter, you should know.”
“His left leg is broken. I’ll splint it after I wrap his wound.” Beau wrapped some gauze he’d gotten from the first aid kit around the wound. After placing clean towels under the wolf, he stood and rubbed his eyes.
“Want me to help you move him outside?”
“No.”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to keep a wild animal in your house, let alone your bedroom.” He stared at her like she’d lost her mind.
“I’ll keep the door locked.” She glanced out the window. “The snow’s really coming down now. I don’t think he would survive being out in that cold. Besides he’s lost a lot of blood. I doubt he could do much damage in his condition.”
Beau pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his red-rimmed eyes. “Fine. I’ll stay.”
She held her hands up. “No. You’ve done enough. Besides, you’ve got work tomorrow. Go on home and get some rest.”
“I don’t think you need to be alone with a wild animal. It could attack you.”
“Go. I’ll be fine. I won’t even go into the room tonight. Besides, I don’t think it will be able to open the door with its paw.”
Beau stifled a yawn and rubbed the back of his neck. “Alright, but you keep that door locked. I’ll be back at dawn to check on both of you. If he wakes up and gives you trouble, call me, okay?”
“I will.”
She stood at the door and watched Beau’s four-wheel-drive head down the road before locking up for the night. She grabbed her bedroom key from the hook in the kitchen and headed down the hall. She stopped in the doorway of the bedroom.
“Okay, boy, I’m gonna lock…” The words faded on her tongue and her breath hitched in her throat. The key slipped out of her hand and landed with a tinkle on the floor.
The wolf was gone. Lying in the middle of the bed, wrapped in gauze, was the hot stranger from the alley.
CHAPTER FOUR
Braxton tried to swallow, grimacing at the fiery pain in his throat. He felt like he’d swallowed fucking lava rocks. What he wouldn’t give for one drop of water.
Blinking open his leaden eyelids, his gaze landed on the frilly white curtains draped over the window of the strange room. Snow coursed to the ground, a heavy layer blanketing the earth and hopefully covering his tracks.
He relaxed a little.
Movement from the door caught his eye, and he bristled as he jerked his head around.
It was her. His female.
She stood in the doorway wearing red and black plaid flannel pajamas and looking like the sexiest thing alive. He met her astonished golden-brown gaze. She tugged on her full bottom lip with her teeth as she slowly bent to the floor to retrieve her keys. Her top gaped open, and he got a fantastic view of her perfect firm naked breasts. But it was her scent, God help him, that made him hard as a rock.
He bent his knee and groaned, trying to mask his erection under the quilt. The last thing he needed was for her to think he was going to molest her and scare her away. He was sure he looked pretty intimidating as it was, covered in tattoos and sporting blue-tipped hair. He probably looked like a thug to someone so beautifully innocent.
He licked his dry lips. “Don’t be scared. I won’t hurt you.”
She narrowed her eyes. “What are you?” She held her hand up. “Wait. Don’t answer that.” She shook her head, her long, blonde hair brushing against the tops of her pajama-clad breasts.
Damn, he’d never been jealous of hair before.
“I’m dreaming, right? This is one really long dream, and I’m about to wake up because now I know I’m dreaming.” Her words came out on one long breath. “I mean, how else would I explain a hot guy lying in my bed instead of my wolf?”
His cock twitched, and he managed a grin even through the pain in his chest. His dick hardened with desire. “You think I’m hot?”
“Duh.” She cocked her head as her gaze traveled up and down his body. “You’re that guy in the alley. The guy that held me when I was crying.”
His breath caught in his throat. She remembered him.
“It’s all making perfect sense now.”
Had the cops slapped his picture across every TV in America? He sat forward, ready to bolt. Pain ricocheted through his chest, and a groan slipped out between his clenched teeth.
She hurried forward, concern creasing her beautiful face. “Lay back.” She pressed her cool hand against his head. He obeyed, sinking into the pillow.