Girl Gone Rogue (The Shadow Hunters #2)

4. Wild Wolf

I flinched when his hand cupped my chin, coercing my gaze to his.

His face was unsmiling, I felt myself shrinking back a little but his hand on my chin restrained me so I couldn't move any further.

"Why didn't you shift?" He questioned. His grip on my chin tightened a fraction but not enough to cause pain.

Outwardly, he looked as calm as an eye of the storm, but my wolf and I could sense the dormant volcano in him just simmering at the surface. One wrong word and he'd fucking erupt.

"I-"

"-and don't lie to me." He warned.

The room suddenly felt smaller. I scanned the room, calculating how fast I could get out of there. It wouldn't hurt too much if I jumped out the window. Aella had told me how to safely land. Just jump, hold my knees close to the chest and try and let the balls of my feet absorb majority of the shock from landing. I could do it-

"Penelope."

His thumb scraped across my bottom lip. The single touch absolutely seared. My breath hitched as he leaned into my space until all I could see were those deep-honey gold eyes again. The wolf in the man had retreated a little. "Penelope." He repeated.

My first reaction was to run. I was still contemplating the idea but more than that, I was terrified to tell him something so personal, I hadn't even told Aella. I knew if I had divulged to the Luna, she would do anything to help but my wolf instantly clamped up tight at the thought of spilling out something I had kept intently hidden.

In front of this fearless Enforcer, I felt the secret lingering on the tip of my tongue. I felt the faint brush of my wolf tell me it was okay, that they could trust this man who watched them with so much intensity, it made my toes curl in my boots with stark awareness.

His thumb grazed my lip again. An uncontrollable tremor shook my body from head to toe.

He held his body steady, waiting as his gaze bore down on me.

In that moment, I made a decision.

I sagged in defeat, dashing away the hard shell I kept over my secret like a titanic shield.

How did I ever think I could keep things from this lethal man?

I unlatched his hand from my chin and took a step back until the back of my knees touched the edge of the bed. My gaze fell to his hands that he kept tightly fisted at his sides. A pang of something hit me in the chest seeing the absolute control he wielded.

"Tell me." He demanded.

I lifted my chin, holding his searching gaze. "I can't control my wolf."

A soft breath escaped his lungs.

I studied that firm chest, avoiding his gaze as the next words slipped from my lips, "I don't know how to control my wolf."

Those fisted hands loosened.

"I don't know what's wrong with her but the last time I shifted; I barely could shift back Alexei. It spooked me a little, so I haven't let her surface in a while." I admitted, feeling ashamed and painstakingly vulnerable under the heat of his gaze.

I was a fucking Elite Syndicate Enforcer for the Shadow Hunters!

Yet, I couldn't even control my wolf.

Pups had better control of their wolf than I did. If people knew just how much power I had given my wolf, they'd crucify me.

Alarm darted across his expression, slackening the sharp angles of his face. "When was the last time you shifted?"