The Bucklin Wolves Next Generation: Revelations by Jessica Ryan Page B

dear. It’s my job to know.”
    She could feel her skin crawling as he got closer. “So what?”
    “I wouldn’t want you catching feelings for this guy that could cloud your judgment. You know what you’re going into the forest for, right?”
    “To analyze the risk for Mr. Sokolov.”
    Jacko shook his head and made a “tsk tsk” sound with his mouth. “That’s not what you’re doing, dear. Read between the lines, honey. You just need to give me an excuse.”
    “An excuse for what?” She already knew the answer. He was a bloodthirsty psycho who obviously had a problem with wolves. She should have known after he had easily dispatched the werewolf that had been terrorizing a prior investment. He had dispatched the poor creature with brutal efficiency.
    “An excuse to do my job,” he whispered. “Know your place, dear, and do the right thing. If you do the right thing, then nothing will happen to the boy you’ve caught feelings for. I can handle it after you get back. He’ll never have to know. It’s not like he has any contact with those wolves, anyway.”
    “This is insane,” she said, trying to hide her disgust.
    “Now, there’s something I didn’t want to hear,” he said with a growl in his voice. “Maybe you have caught feelings. Maybe you’ve caught feelings for all of these mongrels.”
    “I haven’t caught shit,” Maribel said.
    “So you’re on my side?”
    “I’m on Mr. Sokolov’s side,” Maribel said. “If that’s your side, then I guess we are.”
    “Good girl,” he said, with a smile that looked more hungry than happy.
    “It’s your job to know?” she asked. “Did you also know I broke it off with Seth today?”
    “What’s that?”
    “After the meeting I told him we weren’t going to see each other in that way anymore. I told him last night was a mistake. I’m here to do a job, dammit.” She had to say anything to convince him she wasn’t against him. She didn’t want to be on the wrong side of his fury and anger.
    “You may have made a big mistake, girl,” he said.
    His demeanor changed to one of concern in a split second. His hands shot up and gripped her shoulders as his forehead wrinkled with concern and his eyes softened. She didn’t trust it for one second—it was another tactic to throw her off her game. If she didn’t know better, she would open up completely to the psycho.
    “What are you talking about?” she asked.
    “You’re in danger going with him,” Jacko said. “I saw the way that alpha looked at you, Maribel. He claimed you as his own.”
    “He didn’t claim me,” she protested.
    “Maybe not physically, but mentally you’re all his. His wolf has imprinted on you, and it’ll never let you go. You have to understand, these monsters rely on instinct more than anything else. The beast sees you as his now and he won’t let you go. By rejecting him you’ve angered him and challenged his authority as alpha. By god, Maribel, do you know the situation you’re in? This isn’t a man who’s used to being told no.”
    He was full of shit. Wasn’t he? He had to be. There was no way Seth would hurt her. He had promised to protect her—no man had ever done that before. It meant so much to Maribel.
    “Let me give you this,” he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out what looked like a small pager.
    “What’s a pager going to do for me in the forest?” she asked.
    “It’s a GPS locater,” he said. “If you press the button, it’ll send a signal to me showing me exactly where you are. If you turn it on, I’ll know you’re in distress and I’ll bring the fucking thunder with me.”
    “So you’re going to track me the whole time?” she asked.
    “No,” he said, shaking his head and stepping away from her. “It only works when you press the distress button. Only use it if you’re in trouble. If the signal goes off, I’m coming and I’m coming hard with no questions asked.”
    “Okay,” Maribel said. She should press it