She sounded furious. Her fear seemed to have vanished now that they were on the boat and away from any potential shark attacks. He nodded toward Marcos. “The lady’s all right. Get us back to the island, would you?”
After a quick inclination of his head, Marcos rushed back to the wheel. A moment later, Luke heard the whir of the anchor rising. When he’d jumped overboard, Marcos must have lowered that anchor really quick. Luke made a mental note to give the guy a bonus for his work.
“Is it okay to turn around?” Rayce asked, voice amused.
Since he wasn’t feeling a bit of amusement, Luke shot the wolf a glare. “Yes, but watch yourself.”
Moving slowly, Rayce turned toward him. Rayce met Luke’s stare first—a sign of respect—and then the wolf shifter’s gaze darted to a still shivering Mina. “You sure swim fast.”
“If it hadn’t been for the shark, I would have kept swimming.” Her focus was on the water. She swallowed. “It was circling me. I could feel it in the water. Just going around and around me. Like it was holding me in place.” Suddenly, her stare jerked toward Luke. “Did you do that?”
He let his brows climb. “Did I convince a shark to hold you prisoner? Interesting idea…and I’m flattered that you think I can control everything and everyone around me…but sharks don’t exactly fall in my dominion.” They weren’t evil. They were just…
Fish. Swimming. Eating. Surviving. No matter what Hollywood and their movies wanted to say, sharks weren’t some sort of predatory killing beasts. And, to date, he’d never encountered a shark shifter. Not to say there weren’t any out there but…
“What is your dominion?” Mina asked as the boat turned and she stumbled just a bit.
Automatically, his hand reached out to steady her. His fingers curled around her waist and he pulled her against his body. Much better. Her shivers seemed to ease when he touched her.
“She doesn’t look particularly afraid,” Rayce mused. “Shouldn’t she look afraid?”
Probably.
Mina’s head turned toward the wolf. “Same eyes,” she said. “I guess they don’t change, whether you’re man or beast?”
Rayce blinked the green eyes in question.
“White wolf,” Mina continued. The lights from the boat shined down on them. “That would explain the blond hair.”
Rayce’s blond hair was thick and unruly, curving over his forehead.
The guy was wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Luke was glad the shifter wasn’t bounding around naked any longer. When you had shifters as friends, you learned fast that they let their animal sides out…a lot.
“Uh…did you just call me a wolf?” Rayce laughed. “Lady, you must’ve had one hell of a lot to drink to—”
“She knows the score, Rayce.” Luke kept his hold on her. He liked having Mina close. “So don’t bother with the bullshit. I’m not.” Most humans didn’t know about the monsters who lurked in the dark. Most didn’t want to know.
Mina was different.
Because she was one of the monsters?
Rayce’s features tightened as he took a step toward Mina. He suddenly didn’t look quite so easy going. His gaze raked over Mina and his nostrils flared. “She doesn’t smell like a shifter. She smells like—”
“The ocean,” Mina muttered. “Considering my swim, I—”
“Strawberries,” Rayce said, nodding. “Sin.”
Mina’s body inched closer to Luke’s.
The boat hit a hard wave and shuddered. Considering how fast Marcos was driving, Luke was surprised they didn’t all stumble. To be on the safe side, he tightened his hold on Mina. He also glared a bit more at Rayce.
Rayce stared back at him. “What is she?”
Mina stiffened in Luke’s arms. “Um, excuse me, she is right here, wolfie.”
Rayce growled.
“Don’t.” Luke gave the order flatly. “You don’t want to threaten her.”
Now the wolf shifter’s jaw just dropped. “Are you kidding me, man? The woman was running from your house, fleeing like a thief who’d stolen you blind. She jumps into the water—swims because she’s so desperate to get away from you—and now you’re treating her like she’s some delicate piece of glass that’s going to shatter if I growl at her?”
He shrugged. “I’m dealing with her. Your job—and Julian’s—is to make sure there aren’t any other unplanned exits from the island.” Because he’d decided something important. Luke caught Mina’s chin in his left hand and turned her face toward him. “Guess what, sweetheart?”
“What?” The one word came out worried, fearful.
He grinned. “I’m keeping you.”
***
Mina was in Luke Thorne’s bedroom, and she was wearing a silk robe that he’d given to her. Just that silk robe and nothing else.
She was scared. She was pissed. And she was way, way out of her league.
“You can’t just…keep me,” Mina said for what had to the twentieth time. “You don’t get to keep people. That’s not legal.”
He was standing in front of the big, gleaming French doors that led out onto the balcony. “Who cares about legal? You know human laws don’t work in our world.” He threw open one of the doors and walked out onto the balcony. “Come enjoy the view. It’s killer.”