34. Riley
Riley
Ishould have known Tobias was here. Of course he was. Most of the bigger shifters had shown up. I’d spotted three more of the names from my list while standing by the bar.
The two feline shifters were no longer suspects, as both were in relationships according to my pussy squad. Titus, the wolf, I was less sure about.
Tobias, however, was exactly the type of charmer my sister would have fallen for: charismatic, ostensibly nice, and sexy as fuck.
The wolf in question yanked me down a side tunnel and into a small cave. Crates of beer and liquor sat stacked at one end, and I spotted a pile of towels on a long bench along the back wall.
The cave smelled of musk and sweat, causing my nose to wrinkle in disgust. Male shifters were truly gross, I decided. Whoever last used this area could stand to take a fucking shower.
“Was there a reason you dragged me in here against my will?” I shoved the stupid wolf shifter away while noting he smelled delicious. Too good. So good I wanted to rub my nose all over him while huffing up his enticing scent.
Goddess, I was legit losing my mind.
My wolf disagreed. She was fully on board with all my salacious ideas, and from the way Tobias’s eyes glowed gold, he’d picked up on my spiking interest.
The longer I stayed in a stinky, enclosed space with this intoxicating wolf, the more likely I was to do something I’d regret. And as much as I wanted to lick the wolf all over, he wasn’t the type to just stand there while I enacted all my most perverted fantasies.
“You know why, little wolf,” the stupidly attractive male purred.
He stepped closer, encroaching on my personal space.
My nipples perked behind my chest binder and I strongly regretted strapping my boobs down.
Not only was it uncomfortable as hell, but I desperately wanted to rub my nipples raw against this wolf.
Did that make me a slutty wolf?
Yes.
Did I care?
No.
“All I know is you’re violating my personal space, asshole. So back the fuck off.”
I tried kneeing him in the nuts, but he used a thick thigh to block my pathetic blow. In my defense, my brain was too busy misfiring on all cylinders to come up with a better game plan.
“That’s not nice.” He pouted. “I’m only trying to get to know you better.”
“If this is your idea of getting to know me better, you need to brush up on your interpersonal skills. Females don’t appreciate being dragged away and coerced into talking to a male.
” I nearly bit my tongue in half at my stupid slip.
“Males like me don’t appreciate it either!
” I hurriedly tacked on, hoping he didn’t read anything into what I’d inadvertently revealed.
“Females usually love it when I pay them attention,” Tobias replied smoothly. “Males too."
“Great. I’m happy you’re bisexual or whatever,” I huffed, making another feeble attempt to shove the asshole back. And failing miserably because he was solid as a rock and packed with muscle, even though he wasn’t as bulky as the giant shifter I’d run away from.
My wolf howled. She wanted both of them.
Shut up, I told her. I can’t think straight with you acting like a bitch in heat. Or was that me?
“Maybe I’m pansexual?” Tobias mused, leaning in to sniff my neck. “Stars, you smell fucking amazing,” he groaned.
“Pansexual would mean you’re attracted to my sparkling personality, not my looks, and I can assure you, there’s nothing about me that sparkles right now.”
“I like it when you’re all prickly, cute stuff. Playing hard to get turns me on all the more.” The evidence of his desire pressed against my belly, doing absolutely nothing to quell the burning need in my core.
This was bad.
Like, really bad.
I might look like a male, but if Tobias did more than touch me superficially, he’d soon discover I was a female.
He brushed a strand of hair away from my cheek. “Stars, why is your skin so soft?”
A shudder of intense need shot through me, but I gritted my teeth while picturing Lorna in my mind. I was here to find Lorna, not get laid.
“Say, have you met a gorgeous snow leopard shifter with pale blonde hair?” Tobias blinked in confusion at my abrupt change of topic.
“Um…no? Why?” His eyes darkened as his mouth flattened in annoyance. “Are you interested in the female?”
My face must have broadcast my horror at his question because he relaxed and then smirked.
“Jealous?”
“What? No! Just asking because she’s a friend of mine and I haven’t, um, heard from her since she went to the Full Moon Party in August.”
Tobias shrugged. “I don’t recall a female matching that description. I’ll check with Tate. He might remember her.”
I detected no trace of deceit in his words. Tobias wasn’t lying—either he hadn’t met Lorna or, if he had, he didn’t remember her, which meant he wasn’t the male in the camera image.
The wolf slid a firm hand up my side and froze. “Why do you feel like a female?” Fear bloomed sour between us, and when he stepped back with a look of wide-eyed confusion, I ducked under his arm and fled.