She knew; she'd seen the inside of those a time or two.

“This is a bondage club.” He looked serious, but she could see he was stifling a smile. It was there in a dimple that flashed in his cheek.

“Thank you. I think I just figured that out,” she said wryly. Good God. Of all the doors she could have ducked into, she'd chosen a bondage club's.

The man gave her space, taking a seat on a battered table that dominated the center of the room. She couldn't miss the chains and shackles that were conveniently anchored to the floor.

“It's all for play here. Adult play, but still, everyone's here because they want to be.”

Eva bit her lip and glanced away from him. He was tall. Of course, everyone was tall compared to Eva, but this man would be tall next to most people. His wide shoulders were clad in a precisely tailored Victorian suit in dark coffee brown. His lush, wavy hair was the same color. A waistcoat of gold and green brocade winked out at her. The colors of the waistcoat matched his hazel eyes. He was handsome enough to immediately put her defenses up. His cheekbones were sculpted; his nose, straight and slender. His lips were just short of being full and were beautifully shaped.

In Eva's experience, the pretty men were usually pretty damn worthless.

But the way he smelled…

“I know what the club is all about. I don't have a problem with what goes on here.” Eva had plenty of knowledge about the scene; it was the surroundings that gave her problems. The place crushed the breath from her body. She shivered in delayed reaction. She wasn't shivering because of the presence of this much-too-handsome man. Hell, maybe she was.

“Why don't you tell me what you're doing here at Dark Haven? You're dressed for tonight's theme. Did someone pull a prank on you?”

She faltered, glancing away. How to explain her situation? She opted for the truth. He probably wouldn't believe it anyway.

“I was being followed. They were waiting for me outside where I work. I saw some people coming in here, so I followed them.”

His casual posture suddenly looked alert. “Followed? Who was following you?”

He didn't ask why. There were many reasons a woman would be followed in the city, and none of them were good.

“I don't know. Some men. Maybe three. I managed to shake them for a few minutes.”

She gathered her courage, deciding to trust him.

“One was following me by scent.”

“Shit.” He'd gone white. “Abraxas is in San Francisco.”

“I didn't know that's what they're called. But I thought I'd lost them a few years ago. I thought I was safe here.” Tears prickled her eyes, but she would not have welcomed his comfort. He was too strange, too male. She breathed deeply, calling up her female pride.

“Now I've led them to you.”

“You've led them to my pack. Several of us are here tonight. Patrice wanted to come for the Dickens thing.” He looked at her speculatively. “They won't be looking for us, so their tracker won't fixate on anything but you.”

Eva took a breath. “I should go, then. I know this city. I can lose them down in Chinatown.”

“No, we can hide you here. Right under their noses.” His eyes took on an eerie glow. Immediately Eva stifled an impulse to retreat. As a general rule, she never let others decide her actions or dictate to her. But this man was an alpha; her wolf could sense it. He'd switched from Good Samaritan to predator right before her eyes. She'd rarely encountered other shifters in her life, and she'd never met an alpha before. He was a complication she didn't need right now.

“How?” She swallowed. Her voice was just a whisper. He was examining her, his bright gaze lingering on her stocking-clad legs and then moving up her body.

She should take offense at his rude behavior. Instead she felt wobbly—weak.

“Remove the cloak.”

She raised her chin at the command. He held her gaze, backing her down, and she looked away.

Eva reached up and untied the bow at her throat. The heavy velvet cloak slipped to the floor and puddled around her feet in a crimson pool. She stood impatiently as he evaluated her.

“There. If they get a look at you now, they won't recognize you at all.” His gaze now wandered her figure. “Corsets are generally worn under the dress.” He was hiding his smile again, and that seductive fragrance filled the air. Eva shifted, mortified at the arousal that pulled low at her belly. She'd never reacted to a man before—not like this.

“I worked at a corset booth at the Dickens Faire today. This is how we display the merchandise. The corsets…” Eva trailed off; her voice was thick and husky.

When she peeked up at the alpha, he was staring at her with frightening intensity.

She didn't glance down, aware of how the snug lingerie pushed up her ample breasts so that they strained against the pink silk of her blouse. Her deep purple skirts flared out from beneath the lacy pink edge of the corset. Her stockings were held up by frilly lace garter belts that attached to the corset. Her clothing had seemed fun and silly when she'd put it on. Now she wanted to strip, to bare her skin for the alpha.

He straightened, approached her, and then walked slowly around her in a circle. He reached out and stroked a strand of hair that curled next to her cheek.

She growled at his presumption. He ignored her anger.

“It's your scent that's going to be the problem. And there's one obvious solution to that tonight.” He came to a halt in front of her, just inches away. Eva had to look up to see his face.

“And what's that?”

He looked at her intently, as though evaluating her worth. “Do you want me to help you?”

His voice had dropped to a whisper, and behind his eyes, the wolf was rising fast and hard. Her wolf reacted, causing the hair on her arms to stand up. She clenched her hands, fighting off the urge to flee—or to roll on the floor at his feet.

She glanced at the door, wondering if she could make it before he caught her. She looked up at him again.

“What does your help consist of?”

He stared at her steadily. “Do you want my help? They could be here in the next minute. Think fast.”

“Yes! I want help… But what do you want in return?”

For a painfully long moment he didn't answer.

“If I help you, I will keep you hidden from these people. Plus, I will teach you things that your alpha would have taught you if you had one.” He reached out and clasped her chin between a thumb and finger. “I'll bet you can't even identify them by scent, can you?”

She glared but had to be honest. “No.”

“How did you know they were stalking you?” His index finger was stroking her skin slowly.

“I don't know. I just did. Sixth sense, maybe.”

“No such thing among our kind.”

He let go of her chin and ran a finger over her cheek. She did her best not to flinch away.

“I will help you. I will teach you, but you must obey me without question. Do you understand?”

“In here? In the club?”

There was a light knock on the door. Neither looked in its direction. His thumb dragged over her lower lip, coming away with the sparkle of her lip gloss. He carried his thumb to his mouth and tasted the sweet gloss. She shivered and felt a tug of arousal at her belly. Her nipples went hard, and he was gazing at them, which made her skin go hot. She knew exactly what he wanted from her. Her body was intrigued, but was she willing? Would her wolf submit?

Her gaze boldly dropped to his groin, but his formal coat was buttoned closed.

It didn't matter; she'd suddenly identified that delicious fragrance. It was his arousal. She didn't fool herself. It wasn't her; it was the situation that had him excited. He probably went hot with arousal the moment he walked in the door of a place like Dark Haven. Now he was getting off on her fear and the possibility of her surrender to him. He was a dom, and she was fresh meat.

“I'm not into this stuff. I don't like pain. Being helpless… Let's just say it taps into my fight-or-flight response. That could make me shift.”

“Don't worry. I won't let that happen. And we won't do anything that you don't want to do. Those are the rules.”

It seemed to Eva that he was making up his own rules as he went along.

The door opened and then settled closed again.

“That was a dungeon monitor. They make sure that nothing gets out of control.

They're very responsible here.”

“How will my posing as your sub tonight protect me?”

“You won't be posing. And it will help you because your scent will be lost in here. They might know that you're in the building, but they won't be able to pick you out. Plus, as I mentioned, I'll teach you.”

“What? What will you teach me?”

He stepped back, drawing out of her space. Immediately she felt cold.

“I'll teach you survival skills. I'll teach you not only to hide, but to use all your senses. If you're very good, I'll teach you to hunt.

“Tonight? All that in one night?” She forced a skeptical smile.

“If you behave. If you do everything I tell you to do.” He was back at the table, leaning casually against it. All the sexual pressure had receded like an invisible wave. He wasn't going to coax her anymore. She had to push back a smile. He'd come on like a tidal wave and was now pulling back, denying her of his presence. He was flirting.

“If you want, you can meet a couple of members of my pack later. I can put you in touch with others like us. You won't have to be alone anymore.”