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joke he made, she was taken off guard when Luke suddenly turned and backed her against the wall. The coolness of the bricks seeped through her thin shirt, but all she felt was warmth emanating from Luke’s body.
    “I’m sorry.”
    She ignored how good his body felt pressed against hers. “For what?”
    “Lying. It’s not just dinner.” A grin broke out a moment before he lowered his head and kissed her.
    Gina was ready for it. Leaning up on the tips of her toes, she eagerly met his mouth. She’d been a kissed a few times, but nothing could prepare her for the sparks. Their lips met, softly touching, before the kiss deepened. Mouths pressed together, both strained to gain control. Despite her attempts to take over the kiss, Luke remained in command. His tongue slid into her mouth, tasting of the chocolate dessert they’d just shared.
    She was so far gone, it was several moments until she realized the sound she’d just heard meant they were no longer alone in the alley. Lifting her head, she sniffed the air. Luke stiffened beside her, as if he too had sensed danger.
    A rock skittered down the alley. “Did you hear . . . ?”
    Her words trailed off at the unmistakable sound of a hammer being cocked. A dark shape loomed over Luke. Oh, no.
    •●•
    A gun barrel pressed into the base of his spine. Forcing himself to remain calm, he looked down at the woman in his arms. Gina’s eyes were dark and wide with fright. Her pale face gleamed in the moonlight.
    “Don’t worry,” he mouthed to her. The scent behind him was definitely human. Nervous as well. Not a professional thief.
    Regardless, the cool metal against his back reminded him of the danger.
    Whatever happened, he couldn’t allow Gina to be hurt.
    “Give me the keys to your Lexus and neither of you will be hurt,” a rough voice said. The gun prodded him in the back.
    He didn’t want to reveal his wolf side, but he would if he had to. In human shape, he had no doubt he could take the other man but he couldn’t risk Gina’s safety. He would do what the man said. Slowly dropping his hands from Gina, he held them out at his sides. “The keys are in my pocket.”
    “No,” Gina gasped. Obviously, the threat of his car being stolen upset her more than it did him.
    He gave her an encouraging smile. “It’ll be okay.”
    A change came over Gina. Her wide eyes narrowed into tiny slits. Only a glimmer of blue iris remained, but the color brightened until her eyes almost appeared to glow in the dark.
    Fuck . She was going to shift.
    Attempting to dissuade her, he quickly reached into his pocket and tossed the keys down the alley. The thief cursed as he dove after them. Gina growled, her body visibly trembling with the need to shift. “There’s something I haven’t told you.”
    He knew what she was about to say. Panic set in.
    “Gina, no!”
    She ignored him. Shoving him aside, the change began. Her pink shirt and jeans ripped away, revealing golden limbs and shapely curves an instant before her bones lengthened and hair appeared. Dropping onto all fours, she completed the transformation into a red wolf.
    His mate was a thing of beauty, whether in wolf or human form. Now wasn’t the time to marvel. He had to protect her.
    The thief stared at her like he’d just seen a ghost. The gun trembled in his grasp, but it was still a danger. “What the fuck?”
    Placing his body between the gun and Gina, Luke stared the man down. “Get the keys and go. Forget anything you’ve seen here tonight. Or I promise I’ll hunt you down and kill you.”
    Some of his wolf must’ve shown on his face because the man’s horror increased. He scrambled for the keys and took off running. As soon as he was gone, Luke turned back to Gina. Crouching down to her level, he stared into the intense blue of her lupine eyes.
    “You shouldn’t have done that,” he whispered. “It’s not safe here.”
    Fur bristling, she changed back. Nude, she crouched before him. Crossing her arms