Sam's jaw dropped. Darius stared at James. What a load of horse crap. Bring on the violins. The Fae was very, very smart, outing himself before Darius could and winning Sam's sympathy.

"As you know, we must hide among the Skins and I did not dare reveal my true self to you. I am sorry for lying, Samantha. Please, will you forgive me?"

Oh please. Darius fisted his hands beneath the table.

She blinked in surprise. "You're Skin. You love the city, the restaurants, shopping, gardening like me and you're a vegan, you're into recycling..." Her voice trailed off. "Oh!"

"It's why I chose to work at Comairise Energy. My people believe in protecting the environment." He glanced at Darius. "As do yours. We must work together to save the planet. As a Fae, and one who is gay, my people have been oppressed enough by what mankind has done to the earth."

Holy crap if this dude laid it on any thicker, he'd need wading boots to slog through the b.s.

Sam's expression grew tight. "James, why didn't you tell me what you were, and that you knew what I was? I thought we were friends."

"I was afraid, Samantha. For too long my people have been forced to hide from humans, and live with mistrust." James sighed. "I am sorry for hurting you."

Darius leaned forward. "I'm glad you told the truth, James. But have you told all of it? Like I said before, I don't care about sexual preferences. Or your species. Gay, Fae, it doesn't matter to me. What matters is what you're not saying. You can sell yourself into a martyr for the cause, but I'm not buying it. Caveat emptor."

"Darius, he had the courage to reveal himself." She touched the Fae's arm. "I wish you'd told me earlier, but at least now I know your secret. I'll never share it."

"And I will never share yours." James glanced at Darius. "Or yours. We must band together, and work together as well. I hope to gain your trust, Darius. You seem like a Lupine who is fighting for the same cause as Sam and I are, protecting our world."

"Oh, I'm into protection, all right."

Darius smiled as the waitress brought their food. His gaze centered on Sam, who began to eat. He took a bite from his sandwich.

"Very good." He wiped his mouth with the napkin. "Nice and rare. I like meat. Rare, full-bodied. I don't believe in vegans." His gaze flicked to James. "Except to graze on them as a small snack."

James shook his head. "Eating meat is so unhealthy. But being from a cattle ranch, and considering your origins, of course you have your preferences."

"I know exactly what I prefer." Darius centered his gaze on Sam. A different hunger bit him.

Body language aggressive and male, he leaned forward, locking his gaze to the Other. "What I prefer is what I take, and what I take, I keep. And damn the one who tries to stop me or hurt anyone close to me."

Chapter 8.

The three-story oceanfront mansion looked big enough to host his whole damn pack. Darius paced inside the master suite he'd been given.

Facing the Pacific, it had a private balcony and beach access via a staircase leading to the bricked walkway. It boasted a fireplace, huge flat screen television, a bathroom with a Roman tub, and even a private hot tub on the wide balcony.

A damn palace within the palace.

It didn't suit him. This suite took up half the third story, and was extremely private, but too far away from Sam's bedroom. She'd been given a smaller bedroom on the first floor, a room too damn close to James.

The urge to shift and run wild and free itched within him. But business came first. He sat at the desk overlooking the ocean and powered up his laptop.

After answering emails, authorizing payment on invoices and dealing with the construction of a new ancillary barn and outbuildings, he began searching through online records. Two hours later, he shut off the computer and gave a long stretch. The golden sun began to sink into the Pacific, streaking the sky rose and gold.

Darius walked onto the balcony overlooking the wide beach. Whitecaps rolled lazily onto the shore, licking the sand, then rolled out again. His hackles rose as he spied a bonfire on the beach and several chairs grouped around it.

In one of those chairs sat Sam, with James and two other men. Sam, alone with three men.

He was a predator, and right now, the prey he sought was surrounded by other males. A low growl arose in his throat. He wanted Sam in his bed. Now, before another man took what was his.

Unfortunately, he must do things the Skin way if he did not want to violate Sam's fragile trust. He sensed she craved this deal, and needed to prove herself to management.

He would not interrupt. But he could observe.

Darius climbed down the private staircase to the steps, which cut through the boulders protecting the house from the beach. Behind the boulders, he called upon his magick. His alpha powers enabled him to shift into a dog that resembled a German Shepherd than a wolf.

The illusion came in handy when he needed to mingle among Skins, flushing out information to eavesdrop on business competitors.

Paws digging into the hard sand near the grayish surf, he scampered and barked, playing with the incoming tide. As water lapped around his paws, he leapt back.

Whoa, that was cold.

He loped along the shoreline, sniffing the sand, catching smells of brine, dead crab, dogs, Skins, and then finally, Sam's delicate scent. Darius loped over to the bonfire where Sam sat with James, her manager, Ken, and a man Darius had been introduced to earlier as Tom, director of sales. Tom had a round, jowled face and light blond hair.

She sipped a tropical drink and laughed, the sound sweet and carefree. He missed her laughter.

Sharpened Lupine senses enabled him to overhear their conversation. They discussed the coastal water project and its efficiency. Nothing more. Business.

Maybe Sam could walk with him on the beach. Better yet, walk him back to his room, and then join him in bed.

Oh yeah. His tailed wagged.

Then his ears pricked as he overheard his name.

"You seem to be quite familiar with Darius, Samantha. Did you know him before you ran into him at the Heathman?"

This from Ken. Darius pretended to be absorbed in scenting a piece of driftwood.

"We knew each other in childhood." Sam's voice was tight.

"Ah, old friends. Good friends?" Ken asked.

She gave a sigh so wistful it turned his heart over. "Once."

Ken shook his glass. "I'm out. Anyone care for a refill?"

"I'll come with you." Tom jumped to his feet. When the two men had left, James turned to Samantha with a concerned look.

"You sound sad, Samantha. How well did you know Darius?"

"Too well. He was fun, and very protective of me. We once talked about a future together. But he moved on, to other women." She sighed again, and Darius felt guilty.

"Many alpha males do, and he's definitely an alpha male," James said, with a hint of dryness. "You're a smart, independent business woman with a career. Do you truly want an overprotective womanizer in your life?"

Darius growled low in his throat. Fuck you, Fairy.

Time to move in, and stop this conversation now.

With her back to him, she could not see his approach. But James sat up and pointed.

"A stray dog. Poor thing, it looks lost."

As Sam turned, he rested his muzzle upon her armrest, big doggy eyes imploring her as he hoped she'd recognize his scent. In a peppermint shirt, pink shorts and pink strappy sandals, she looked as delicious as a candy cane and just as lickable.

"Be careful, Samantha. He looks friendly, but may bite." James leaned forward. Fae Man wore a neatly pressed white shirt and trousers, for crying out loud. Trousers on the beach?

She smiled and scratched Darius' ears. "He seems harmless. Probably escaped from his owners for a few minutes of freedom. Didn't you, boy?"

Boy? Boy?! Darius hid his dismay. How could she fail to recognize him, even in this disguise? Had the Skin life dulled all her Lupine senses?

James smiled as Sam petted Darius. "You like dogs? I prefer other pets. Dogs can have bad habits and they like to lick."

Oh yeah, I like to lick all right. Darius wagged his tail as he eyed Sam's breasts.

Sam's smile slipped, and he scented her gathering tension. "Dogs are wonderful. They can be sweet and loving and very loyal. Sometimes I miss..."

She bit her lip and dropped her hand. Firelight danced over her troubled expression. Darius' heart wrenched. You wish what, darling? You wish you had a pack again? Come with me, and I'll give you a pack who will never turn you out.

"Loyal? Yes, they are, though one must be quite careful in housebreaking. Dogs can have a tendency to urinate on the carpet," James continued.

Darius suppressed a low growl. Oh yeah?

Calmly, he loped over to James' chair and lifted his leg, releasing a small stream over the male's trousers.

James jumped up, spilling his drink. Darius woofed and then silently laughed as he trotted away. Not just the carpet, asswipe...

As he glanced over his shoulder, Darius saw Sam run to James, who waved her off. "It's nothing. I was about to change clothing, anyway. Please, enjoy your drink."

She said something about returning the dog to his owners, who were probably worried.

Once she'd thrilled at the chase and to run wild and free. Darius broke into a run, hearing her footfalls in the sand.

When they were out of sight, he slowed, allowing her to catch up. Sam called out in a low whisper, "Darius! Get over here."

More like it. He raced to her side as she sat down. Deeply pleased she'd recognized him, he shifted back into human form. He waved a hand and clothed himself by magick and dropped down beside her.

"You knew it was me. You recognized my scent."

She shook her head. "Not until you targeted James. You had that same kind of laughing woof when you used to pee on your father's truck."

Darius hid his disappointment.

Sam sighed. "Please leave James alone. My job is very important to me and I need to make a good impression this weekend. Don't ruin it."

"I have no intentions of ruining your career. But I'm not leaving your side."

"Because you're determined to make me return to the Lupine life, a life I never want to have again?"

Anger tinged her voice. He waited a moment for her fury to dissipate.

"How can you determine you don't want it, darling, when you never really had it?" He brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "Your mother never told you how enjoyable and fulfilling it is to mate."

Her heartbeat quickened, and he smelled the sweat trickling down her temple, despite the coolness of the evening. Darius put his lips close to her ear, letting her absorb his natural scent, needing to trigger her instincts.

"We are sensual beings, Sam. Touch," he stroked a finger down her cheek, feeling the surge of warmth from her blush, "is as important to us as breathing. And no touch is more enjoyable than the touch experienced during mating. Nothing but skin to skin."

Darius blew a breath on her ear. "Males instinctively know how to pleasure their partners. We know each and every erogenous zone on a female..."

He traced a line down her neck, enjoying her little shiver. "Because we take the time to explore what she likes the most."

Her breathing quickening, Sam shook her head. "Please, Darius. I don't know if I can take this. You're getting me all hot and bothered and we're in public."

You can, and much more. And you will. But he dropped his hand because he needed to discuss something important with her.

"What are you running from, Sam?"

Her pulse quickened further, and she turned away. "I'm not running."

Capturing her chin, he turned her to meet his gaze. "Don't lie to me. I can hear your heart rate increase and taste the scent of your sweat. You changed your name because you want to hide. Who is after you, Sam?"

Sam bit her lower lip.

"Did something happen at my father's pack that made you run away? Did someone threaten you?"

"No one threatened me, Darius. But we didn't exactly part on good terms."

He waited.

A small puff of breath escaped her. "In fact, he didn't know I was leaving. I left in the middle of the night."

"Explain."

Her mouth worked violently. "One thing I do remember about Lupine life. The more pack members, the more power an alpha has. After you left, he told me he'd never let me go."

"You think he might be tracking you, to return you to his pack?"

Sam's gaze flicked away. "I've been good at blending into the Skin world. I don't see how he could find me."

Darius dropped his hand, his jaw tensing. "Maxim's got a damned good sense of smell, like me. If he wanted you back, he'd find you, no matter what it took."