Page 6 of Auditing the Alpha

Klaus turned, plates in hand, and stepped closer than was strictly necessary. “They’re curious about who I bring home.”

“Do you bring many people home?” The question slipped out before I could stop it.

“No.” His eyes locked on mine. “Never, actually.”

My heart rate kicked up. “So why—”

“You smell good,” he said, cutting me off. He set the plates down and moved closer, crowding me against the counter. “You smell…” He inhaled deeply, leaning into my personal space. “Right.”

I should have been creeped out. I should have made a joke about needing better cologne. Instead, I stood frozen as Klaus Wolff bent his head to the crook of my neck and inhaled like he was trying to memorize my scent.

“Klaus,” I whispered, hands gripping the counter behind me. “What are you doing?”

His beard tickled my skin as he spoke against my throat. “Learning you.”

His large hand came up to cup the back of my neck, thumb stroking along my jaw. I felt surrounded by him—his heat, his scent of pine and woodsmoke, his sheer physical presence. My body responded embarrassingly fast, blood rushing south as he pressed closer.

“Your family is in the next room,” I managed, though I made no move to push him away.

“They know not to interrupt,” he murmured, nose tracing a line up to my ear. “They can sense when I’m… interested.”

“Interested,” I echoed weakly.

Klaus pulled back just enough to meet my eyes, his pupils dilated so much the amber was just a thin ring. “Very interested, Jordan.”

The way he said my name sent a shiver down my spine. His thumb moved to trace my lower lip, and I had the insane urge to take it into my mouth.

Before I could act on that impulse, a loud crash from the living room broke the spell. Klaus growled—actually growled—and stepped back, running a hand through his hair.

“We should—” I gestured vaguely toward the door.

Klaus nodded once, jaw tight. “Later,” he said, and it sounded like a promise.

The rest of the evening passed in a blur of small talk and apple pie, but I felt Klaus’s eyes on me constantly. When he drove me back to the inn, the silence in the truck was charged with tension. He walked me to the door, standing close enough that I could feel his body heat.

“Tomorrow,” he said. “Nine o’clock. I’ll show you the business operations.”

I nodded, fumbling for my key. “Nine o’clock.”

Klaus reached out and straightened my collar, his fingers lingering. “Sleep well, Jordan.”

As I watched him drive away, I pressed my fingers to the spot on my neck where his breath had warmed my skin. Martha found me still standing there a minute later.

“Everything okay, Mr. Chase?” she asked, eyeing me speculatively.

“Fine,” I said, too quickly. “Just… processing.”

She nodded sagely. “The Wolffs take some getting used to.” She leaned closer. “Especially during a full moon.”

I glanced at the sky, where a nearly-full moon hung between scattered clouds. “When is the full moon, exactly?”

“Three days,” Martha replied, watching my face carefully. “You might want to finish your audit before then.”

As I climbed the stairs to my room, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was missing something obvious—something about Klaus, his family, and their odd behaviors. Something about the way they moved together, ate together, the constant touching, the sniffing…

Oh.

I stopped midway up the stairs as a ridiculous thought struck me. Werewolves? Was that where my mind was going?