Dylan returned to the house and explained what he had found to his client and what his uncle had said. Sophia was not happy they couldn’t come right away. He went back to the bag, brought that in the house, and called the detective and left him a message about what he had found. He made sure to mention the manila envelope with the things that Sophia had shown him. After that, he went through the house and sniffed for the man to see where he had come in. Now that Dylan had the scent, he would remember it. He walked the house and traced the stalker’s movement to the west wing of the house. Outside of the first floor window a large magnolia tree touched the house and made it nearly impossible to see the windows. One of the windows had been left open such a small crack that he almost missed it, but when he sniffed he caught the fading aroma. Dylan went back into the house to the window.
“What are you doing?” Sophia asked him.
He froze because he had his nose pressed against the floor. Mr. Giggles came up to him and licked his nose. “Shoo!” He pushed the dog out of the way as he inhaled once more from the carpet, catching the cleaning solution and the scent of the man. He looked up at Sophia and realized what he must look like to her with his nose pressed to the ground and his ass pointed in her direction. “I thought I smelled something. Your stalker came in through the window over there. The tree blocks the view, so no one would see him. From here, he wandered through the house and up into the bedroom.” Dylan traced the stalker’s route from her media room, into the library, into another dining room or whatever it was, then into the kitchen, and finally up the backstairs to the bedroom where Sophia slept. He stopped at the door because he wasn’t about to enter her space without her permission.
“You can go in. Everyone else has.”
Mr. Giggles trotted behind him, jumped on the bed, turned, and plopped down on the pillow so he could go to sleep. Dylan envied the dog. It was easy for it to have a life. It was cared for. All it had to do was eat, sleep, shit, and have its owner care for it in her own strange way. It wasn’t as easy for a wolf. He couldn’t stay in his other form and hope that someone was going to adopt him and pretend that he was another animal that could be rescued from the streets. He wasn’t a stray dog. What would happen when the owner found him shifting into his animal form?
Dylan walked into her bedroom. He had seen it before, but he had not really paid attention to it. A smaller bed sat next to hers with Mr. Giggles’ name embroidered in blue on it. Her closet was closed. It was one of those walk-in deals that was nearly as big as her bedroom. The room was full of antiques and nothing modern. Even the bed had an iron frame. He didn’t doubt that it wasn’t the real thing. The whole house was more antiques than anything modern.
He caught the prowler’s scent by the closet, as well. He opened it and went inside. A spiral staircase was in the center of the room and nothing but shoes. He went down the stairs and saw all of her clothes. At the end of the wall a doggie door was cut into the wall. “What’s this?”
“It’s for Mr. Giggles, so he can go out and do his business in the middle of the night or whenever he needs to. The only way to get into the closet is from my bedroom. That madman couldn’t have gotten through here, could he?” Sophia asked.
The doggie door was big enough for a bulldog to pass through. If he was in his wolf form, Dylan might be able to squeeze through. “No. I don’t think so. It’s too small. We’re going to have to keep an eye on it. Have a camera installed on this space so we know it’s Mr. Giggles using it.”
The dog’s tags clinked together as he came down the stairs and stared at the Dylan. He uttered a small woof, telling Dylan he wasn’t too happy and then went out of the door. He pushed it open and it flapped on its hinge as he went out.
Dylan scanned the rows of dresses and caught sight of the silver number she had worn the other night. When he pulled it out, shreds of it fell from the hanger and onto the beige carpet. “I take it this wasn’t like this when you took it off?”
Sophia shook her head. “No. It was fine. Oh, God.” She took out several other dresses, only to find they had also been cut up. Next, she went to her bureau. It didn’t seem like her T-shirts and regular clothes were touched. It was only the dresses and the clothes on the hangers. “I had these four racks set aside to donate to charity. I’ve been doing it for a few years. The money raised on selling them goes toward the local animal shelter. Now they’re ruined. What am I going to do?” She sank into one of the chairs and held her face in her hands.
Dylan was starting to see the human behind the actress. He sat on the arm of the chair and touched her shoulder. “It’s going to be okay. The cops are coming back. We’re going to tell them everything we’ve found. Then I have to go back to my apartment and pick up a few things. Take the dresses and put them with the other stuff in the kitchen. Go get some lunch or whatever, and I’m going to take another pass around the grounds while we wait for the cops to get here.”
“Sure. Do you want anything?”
“No. I’ll be fine. I’m going to check the guesthouse while I’m out there. Did you find the key?”
She dug into her pocket and held it out to him. “Here.”
“Thanks. I’ll be back.”
Outside the dog snapped at a butterfly fluttering by. It flew out of his reach so he threw himself onto the ground, rolled in the grass with all fours up in the air as he twisted his back this way and that to get to the itch he needed to scratch. Dylan unlocked the guesthouse and didn’t catch the aroma of any intruder. It was stale from being closed up. Nothing was out of place. A fine layer of dust blanketed everything, telling him the staff didn’t clean it all the time. The house was bigger than his home, but it felt more exposed because windows covered three quarters of the house. The curtains and blinds were thick enough to block out anything that he didn’t want anyone to see, but still. From his view, he could see across the pool straight into the kitchen patio doors and had a great view of the backyard.
His phone rang while he studied the patter of leaves floating in the pool. “Hello, Casper. What’s going on?”
“Father informed me about your situation. He says he can spare me tonight if you need me to come over.”
“No. I’m good for tonight. The cops are on their way back over to collect some more things I found. I have a good idea of how he’s getting onto the property.”
“Are you going to lay in wait and then pounce on the guy?”
Dylan snorted. “That would be your way, cousin, taking too many risks so that the mortals might figure out what we are. No. I’m not going to lie in the grass and hide until he comes around. I don’t think he’ll be back today, anyway. The cops probably scared him off.”
“You never know. Those sickos get off watching what’s going on. Did you find any bugs in the house?”
“I don’t have the equipment for that. Carl is sending over others who are better equipped to sweep the house and upgrade the security system.”
“Well, is there anything I can do?”
“Yeah. Swing by my house and grab me some things. I’ll text you the address here. Think you can do that?”
“And miss meeting the famous Sophia Atters? Not at all.”
“Thanks.”
Dylan turned the phone off and listened as he picked up someone pulling into the driveway. He left the guesthouse and headed toward the front of the house to find the detective.
“So we meet again, all too quickly. You found something my men didn’t, Mr. Bane?” the detective asked.
“I found a few things that your men missed. I am sure they looked well enough. No offense to you, Detective.” Dylan told the man what had happened and what he had found. As Sophia came out of the house, she was carrying the other things that he had found and as well as the letters. The detective looked at the evidence.
“Thank you for this. Are you staying with Ms. Atters to keep her safe? I’m not sure I can spare any officers to stay behind and watch over her.”
“Mr. Bane is staying with me. Thank you for your concern. Can you catch the guy with what I’ve given you?”
The detective glanced at the bag. “I’ll make sure we run it for fingerprints and check for everything else. I’ll let you get back to your day. Good afternoon, Ms. Atters.”
The detective left. Dylan waited, and he saw another car coming up behind the driveway. Sophia clutched his arm. “Who’s that?”
“That’s my cousin, Casper,” Dylan said. He untangled himself from her and went down to meet his cousin. Casper slid out of his white 1972 Corvette. The lines were something that he could admire. He gripped his cousin in a quick hug and then Casper threw him his bag.
“You have to get a better selection of clothes, cuz. All I could find was black everything. Don’t you own any colors?”
“Funny.”
“And who might this be?” Casper walked past him and took Sophia’s hand. He kissed it and gave her a winning smile.
Dylan shook his head. His cousin could win over any woman, or man, if he put his mind to it. He had that kind of charisma Dylan envied and wished he possessed. People were drawn to him. Carl had the magnetism as well, but he was always the quiet one. Dylan let people go by him until he was noticed or until he noticed someone that caught his attention. He sighed and thought about the man in the garden. He still thought about the man and the encounter that he had. All he wanted was to find the stranger again or something about him. Sophia blushed. He grabbed his cousin and steered him away from the actress.
“You don’t want to go there. Thank you for the clothes. Tell Carl to call me.” He walked Casper to the Corvette.
“I’m going. Oh, Father wanted me to give you a message.”
“What message?” Dylan asked.
“He said to tell you that the shifter you ran into is rare and normally kept as a pleasure slave among other shifters.”
“Did he say what kind of a shifter?”
“No. He said that they are rare and could be any kind of shifter. What happened, Dylan? I’ve heard of pleasure slaves, and I understand they’re magnificent. Did you have a run-in with one of them?”
“In a way. Thanks for everything. I’ll talk to you later. Are you going to take over the job for the visiting wolves?”
“Yeah. I got all the details. I think Father is coming tomorrow to make sure everything gets set up the way it’s supposed to be. You’re on your own for tonight.” Casper winked at Sophia, slipped into the car, and peeled out of the driveway.
They went back into the house. His stomach rumbled. “Let’s go inside, and I’m going to get settled into the guesthouse. I’ll be back in a little while.”
“Okay. Are you hungry?”
He nodded. “I am.”
“I’ll cook.”
“You can cook?”
Sophia flashed him a smile and headed into the house. Dylan went to the guesthouse and set his things on the bed. He ran his fingers over his face as he took in a deep breath. The information about the pleasure slave swam around in his mind. He had never heard of them before, but if that was the case, then it would make sense for all of the scars he had seen on the man’s back.
What did they do to him? Who could keep another as a slave and force them to have sex? And the way that he had made him feel. The way his voice made him feel and his enticing smell made him hard. All he wanted was feel the stranger again, look deep into his eyes and actually glimpse his face. Dylan wanted to learn his name so he could call it out. He lay back on the bed, closed his eyes for a minute to relax, and let himself remember the way he was touched. The way his lips worked on his cock. It made him erect thinking about it. He drew in a deep breath and had to focus back on his duty. He had to get inside and make sure that Sophia was okay.
Dylan sighed and headed back into the house. The wonderful aroma of her cooking assailed his nose when he walked in. “That smells delightful.”
Sophia stopped cooking and glanced up at him. “Thank you. I hope you like steak tips. They’re some of my favorite. I have this great recipe from my mother. She runs a restaurant back in Vermont. It’s been in my family for three generations. She wanted me to go to culinary school, but I always wanted to act. Nevertheless, that didn’t mean she didn’t try to teach me. I ended being an okay cook. Will you grab me a beer in the fridge, please? Help yourself, too. I mean that. Help yourself to anything in the house. It’s the least I can do after everything you’ve done for me.”
He grabbed a beer for her and a bottle of water for him. He set it on the counter and watched as she plated the food for him and then for herself. She even set aside a few pieces of steak for the dog. Dylan dug into it and was surprised at the suppleness of the meat and the rest of the vegetables and rice.
“Do you like it?”
“It’s delicious. Thank you.” He sipped at the water and took the time to savor the meal.
Sophia then fed the small pieces to Mr. Giggles. “What do you want to do tonight? We can sit and watch a movie. Or...” She trailed off and looked at her plate and then started laughing. “Right. We’re not going to be doing anything.”
“Sophia, this won’t last forever. The police will catch the bastard who broke in and then you can go back to your life. I’m not going to watch a movie with you. I’m going to walk through the grounds and make sure that I don’t see anyone.”
“How are you going to see? There’s no moon. It’s dark and...can’t you stay here at least until I fall asleep? I-I’m afraid of being alone.”
He sighed. “Okay. I’ll stay here until you fall asleep, but I’m going to make rounds in the house and around the perimeter.”
“All right.”
Dylan smiled and collected their plates. He rinsed them off and did the dishes. He needed to keep himself busy. He didn’t want to stay in once place and watch a movie with her because he had the sneaking suspicion that she would make a move on him again. Dylan finished with the dishes and wandered into the other room where Sophia had curled up on the couch watching a movie. He figured her for some trouping romance or drama, considering that is what she had starred in, with a few action movies in the past. Instead, she pulled out a ghost story and horror movie. He didn’t say anything, but sat on the edge of the couch waiting.
Finally, Sophia fell asleep. He laid a blanket on top of her and turned the television to some animal show. Mr. Giggles remained next to her. He slipped out of the house and felt the night stir over him. The moon was a small sliver, but exploring the grounds would be quicker if he was on all fours and not just on two legs, so he could get into deeper places and go faster. Dylan walked until he was out of the line of sight from the windows of the house. He stripped down and folded his clothes so they wouldn’t be found and let the wolf loose.
Once he was free, the world exploded in fragrances. The night was alive with animals that scampered around the yard. A possum was in the underbrush and a raccoon foraged in the yard next door. He moved slowly into the wooded area and took a drink from the stream. Dylan picked up the trail of the stalker near the back where the tree had taken down the bridge. He followed the scent, and it was getting closer to the house. As he got closer, he found a man hunkered down behind a fir tree surveying the house with binoculars. He stepped softly upon the grass and hoped the man wouldn’t hear him. Dylan stared back at the house and noticed a light on in the kitchen. It wasn’t on before. The form of a man passed by the patio doors in the kitchen.
“Fucking bitch!” the stalker whispered.
Dylan moved from the shadows and growled. Should he be worried about the man in the kitchen? Sophia could have called and invited a man over. First, he had to take out this stalker. As he got closer, it was a different scent. He growled and bared his teeth at the intruder.
“N-nice d-dog,” the intruder stammered and sat up.
Dylan took a step closer. This was some other prick trying to get his rocks off. And this was why she needed to beef up the security on the property. He lunged at the stranger who had his binoculars suspended around his neck. Dylan landed within inches of the man’s face. He wheeled backward and raced off through the bushes toward the downed fence. Dylan sprinted after him to be sure that he was not coming back. Then he went a little bit farther into the neighbor’s property and heard a car start up. The man drove off. Dylan trotted toward the house and jumped over the fence where the tree flattened it. He waited for everything to go quiet so he could focus on the sounds around him. He sniffed the air and didn’t catch a whiff of the other stalker. The prowler he frightened was spying on her. He nosed around in the dirt and found a badge. It identified the man as a reporter with the Charlotte Times. Dylan shook his head in disgust and took the badge in his mouth so he could give it to his uncle, because he was sure that he and the police would want to look into and at least charge him with trespassing.
As he had the plastic badge in his mouth, he remembered the other man he had seen in the kitchen. Dylan sprinted to where he had left his clothes, shifted back, hurriedly threw his pants back on, and bounded toward the kitchen. Slipping into the patio doors, he sniffed the air. He smelled something that he hadn’t before and it wasn’t left over, lingering in the air from dinner. Instead, he caught the faint, fading perfume of sage. He followed it through the house and rechecked every room. No one was in the house save Sophia and her damn dog that was still coiled up at her feet. He shook his head and glanced at the clock. It was almost two in the morning, and he had to get some sleep. It was tempting to lay on the couch with her, but he wasn’t going to press his luck. Dylan stepped back outside into the guesthouse and looked at the pool glistening in the moonlight. He pondered taking a swim and decided to take a hot shower instead.
He threw the badge on table inside of the guesthouse and stepped out of his pants. His feet were filthy and he was all sweaty. Dylan rolled his shoulders to pop his muscles back into place from the hurried shift back to human form. His muscles called to feel the warmth of the water cascading over him. He went into the bathroom that was nearly as large as his bedroom and turned on the shower. Once he turned it on, it took only a few minutes for the place to steam up. Dylan slipped underneath the water and let the warmth wash over him. The hot water kneaded his muscles. The wolf remained alert underneath all of the flesh. As he rinsed the shampoo from his eyes, he wished he had the other man there with him.
“You wanted me.” The deep baritone voice echoed within the bathroom. He turned quickly and banged his knee against the soap holder jutting from the wall.
“Shit.” He clutched his throbbing knee.
The voice chuckled. As the other man laughed, it did help to ease his pain. Dylan wasn’t sure how that happened. “Who are you?”
“You desire me. That is all that matters.”
“How do you know that?” Dylan couldn’t feel the knock on his knee anymore.
“It’s part of what I am. I just happen to know. My presence is something that many have longed for. I know you crave me. I’m here to make sure that longing is satisfied.”
Steam blanketed the glass sliding door so he couldn’t see the man. “Whatever brought you here, I’m not going to use you. I know what you are. A pleasure slave.”
The other man sighed. “I was a pleasure slave. I am no longer. What I do now is under my own will and not the will of others. Do you wish me to enter?”
Dylan couldn’t listen to the man talk any more. The more he spoke, the more Dylan’s prick firmed. The more he was falling underneath the shifter’s spell the way he had done before. “I want to be clearheaded about this. I don’t know you. I don’t know why you’d be interested in me. You’ve said I helped you in the past. How did I help you?”
“Not all questions have to be answered at this moment. The water will run cold if we stay here all night talking.”
He sighed, feeling some pain in his knee returning as he fought the enchantment woven from the man’s voice. What he said made sense. Dylan wanted to be with him because he craved to feel his soft touch once more, but he also wanted more. He wanted to see him.
“If I let you in, will I get to see you this time?”
“Alas, that is not in the bargain. If you wish me to take away your longing, then you must turn around. Plant your hands on the tile and let me claim that wonderful ass of yours.”
“So you can make me your bitch? I don’t think so.”
“Then there are others things we can do, but you have to allow me to enter.” The other man pressed his hand against the glass so Dylan could see the outline of his palm and some of the lines embedded it in.
His silhouette showed he was as tall as Dylan remembered, taller than him and more muscled. His hair was dark, but Dylan couldn’t tell the exact color. What he truly yearned to see was what color his eyes were, and see into the man’s soul to know if he was telling the truth or if he had an old soul. The stranger spoke the truth, and he wanted to feel his hands on him. Feel his lips on his and other parts of his body. Dylan needed to understand more about this man who had him tied in knots. No other had ever stuck in his mind before. This wasn’t some ordinary one-night stand or tryst he had had before. This was something different, and Dylan could feel it.
The water blazed hot along his body. Although he was tired from the day’s happenings, he was suddenly awake and ready to go. His cock ached from the idea of being with this stranger. “What if I came out?”
“That’s not how this encounter will go. I want to see you slick with water. Your hair mussed from running your fingers through it.”
“Don’t you think that’s a little unfair? You get to see me, but I don’t get to see you?”
“I make my own rules, my lord wolf. No one tells me what to do. I bring comfort and pleasure to those that I desire. I am free and a slave no longer.”
“You might be free, but now you wield your power and enjoy making others beg you for their attention. You make them the slaves.”
“Would you be my slave, master wolf?”
Dylan couldn’t fight the influence of the man’s voice anymore. It bespelled him and came back with a full-force power that made him moan. As the shifter said the words, his dick pulsed with the need. It was crucial he be touched by the other man. No, consumed by him. His wolf salivated for it, too. He might have been an alpha wolf, but this man made him feel like he wasn’t. The man’s question bounced around in his thoughts. Dylan flashed back to the other night when they had been together and his hands had been all over him, touching him, his mouth embracing his cock. Before Dylan realized it he was on his knees in the shower. This man had complete control over him, and he knew it as well. Dylan didn’t know how it happened, but his head was swimming.
“Yes.” His mouth formed around the words and the shower door slid open. He looked up, but the water pounded into his face so he couldn’t see the other man. The water forced him to close his eyes. Dylan lowered his head, defeated.
The other man shut the water off so it didn’t hammer into his face. “Give me your hand. Trust me.”
Dylan wanted to ask more questions, but the rational side of him wasn’t responding. It seemed the other shifter also tapped into his wolf. Dylan’s arm rose without him willing it to. The other man helped him stand and step out of the shower. He stood on the rug as the shifter took a towel and slowly wiped him down. His fingers pressed against Dylan’s body through the cloth until he felt dry except his hair. The shifter chuckled and stood before him.
“Such a handsome wolf,” he muttered.
“Can I open my eyes now?” Dylan asked, hearing the slight plea in his voice.
“Not yet. If you’re good, I will let you touch me. Kiss me even.” Hot breath exploded against his ear as the stranger nibbled his earlobe.
Dylan cried out. “Please, can’t I kiss you now?”
“Keep your hands to yourself. Understand?”
“Yes.”
The stranger took his face in his hands. His fingers were long and thin. The flesh of his fingers wasn’t calloused but smooth. “I like that you haven’t shaved.” Dylan hardly dared to breathe as the lips of this visitor pressed against his lightly at first and then harder. His teeth scraped Dylan’s bottom lip. Dylan couldn’t hold back. He met the other man’s tongue in a hungry kiss, trying to devour him. To feel all of him as he pressed against him, but Dylan didn’t make contact with the other man’s chest. He had stepped back so only their lips and his hands caressed him. Those long fingers gently slid down Dylan’s arms and took one of his hands. He placed it on his prick and pumped it slowly.
Dylan moaned as the hand left him so he could keep manipulating the stranger’s shaft. The length was impressive, but as he was so close to him now, the musk of his body overwhelmed him once more. He cupped the shifter’s balls and squeezed him as the shifter kissed him harder and broke away. He worked his lips down Dylan’s throat until he nuzzled the curve of his neck next to his shoulder and bit into his flesh. A small whimper came from Dylan as his body yearned to be claimed by this other man. The same with the wolf inside of him, but he fought it.
“Please.” Dylan couldn’t help the plea that came from him. He dropped to the floor before the man and stared at the man’s feet. He drew in great gulps of air. It was thick with this man’s scent. The wolf struggled to get out and have this stranger touch him. Nonetheless, he fought for control and won. He was not going to let his body be taken over by some exotic shifter that he couldn’t see. Dylan had to get the man out of his mind, or he wasn’t going to be able to function. He curled his hands into fists and fought the compulsion to not look up. Dylan slowly lifted his gaze and took in the shifter before him.
His legs were muscular and striped with old scars and lash marks. His gaze fell on the perfectly round birthmark on the man’s inner thigh. All of them appeared to be old scars except this one mark. Dylan stood and got to the man’s chest, which again was covered in a fine mishmash of markings. Whatever this creature had been through it was clear his body told the secret of the hardships and abuse. Dylan felt sorry for him. The other man didn’t say anything as he met his gaze and everything in Dylan wanted to melt. A great weight evaporated from his mind. This shifter had a square jaw. His nose was pointed, but he had high cheekbones. His skin had an olive hue. His hair brushed the top of his shoulders, streaked white within the black locks. He was clean-shaven with a slightly hairy chest. When Dylan met his eyes, his heart stopped for a split second because he was overwhelmed. Swimming in those gray pools streaked with gold was so much sadness and loneliness.
“Beautiful,” Dylan whispered.
“I should go.” The other shifter turned to leave, but Dylan grabbed his wrist.
“Why? Because I saw you? Because I’m able to break whatever hold you had over me? What was that, anyway?”
The shifter flashed him a half smile. “Now that you’ve looked into my eyes, met my gaze, it won’t work. You won’t want me. That is the way of it. My influence over you will falter and you won’t feel the same pleasure. It is the one drawback of being with one like me. Most who come to me are blindfolded. Or they succumb to the power of my voice, my scent. Our connection is broken, so I can’t sense your desire.”
Dylan might not have been under a spell, but his cock still burned for release, his wolf still wished to be with this other shifter. This man was a beauty, and Dylan still tingled at the sight of him. “I don’t think so.” Dylan stood on tiptoe and captured the other man’s mouth. He didn’t respond to him, but remained as still as a statue until Dylan pulled away. The other shifter’s eyes remained staring straight ahead as though he was looking off into space and not feeling anything.
“Haven’t you ever received pleasure instead of being used by someone else?” Dylan asked.
“My masters and trysts have done things to me. I experience the sensation of their caresses, but what pleasure is that? It would be the same as if you touched me now. We pleasure slaves only feel desire and true hunger if we find our mates, and that’s a rare occurrence.” He began to pull away.
Dylan didn’t want to let him go yet. “Have you ever even tried?”
The other man’s eyes darted to him and a cynical laugh filled the bathroom. “Of course I have. I’m four hundred years old. I want nothing more than to find the one I’m going to be with. I’m lonely.”
“Then let me give you at least some comfort while you’re here. You did come here to...do the same for me.”
“You could try, but there’s no point. I’ll be on my way.”
“Wait. Won’t you at least tell me your name?”
“Griffin.”