A sudden thud jolted Rosette's attention, followed by the forceful swing of the bathroom door as Kyle nearly yanked the stall off its hinges. His eyes shimmered with a bright golden glow as he peered down at her."What are you doing?" Rosette inquired, her alarm evident."Why did you enter here unaccompanied?" Kyle questioned, brushing off her query. "I sensed your relief at the absence of your guard. Their presence is for your protection. As a human, you lack the means to defend yourself against wolves. You must not be alone unless within our suites."Sporting his authoritative Alpha demeanor, Kyle's stern expression brooked no dissent, despite the seeming irrationality of his demands."As a human, I value my privacy in the restroom. There's no one else present here. I fail to perceive the urgency that prompted your intrusion," Rosette retorted, her voice escalating with each sentence."Yes, you are human and therefore vulnerable. Unlike a wolf, I fear for your safety. Members of my
"I've arranged for a replacement, so no love lost between you and the witch's kin," Kyle mentioned, flinching slightly at the end of the statement. Despite his business dealings with certain witches, he harbored some unease towards them as a whole. Some witches were willing to create or sell anything, disregarding the consequences of their magic. The pack's past issues and recent reminders left him wary of witches and their intentions. "For some, money is the sole priority," he had remarked during their discussion."Do I have the privilege of driving myself?" Rosette inquired, already aware of the answer."No," Kyle chuckled, playfully patting her backside. "I've heard plenty about your driving skills. Will handles all the driving to and from your workplace. At the clinic, you'll be accompanied by Will, Robert, and Seth."Surprisingly, Rosette felt a twinge of disappointment at not being able to join Shana for their gym sessions. She had honed her self-defense skills, with Shana teach
"Under no circumstances," Will asserted when Rosette mentioned the need to speak to the women alone. "You will not endanger yourself at all on my watch. If you want to talk to them alone, then ask Madonna for their phone numbers and call them tonight," he coyly suggested as a compromise.Rosette did call the women that night. The conversations were brief, and the women appeared to relax over the phone. Only Ryana seemed curious about specific details."So he's mated you then, I saw the bite mark when you leaned over, all right," she remarked. "You have the mate bond?"Recalling her instructions, Rosette provided information cautiously while maintaining the conversation flow."It doesn't work because I'm human," she responded."Well, that's a shame. I'd heard with the bond mates could communicate telepathically," Ryana mentioned."Nope, doesn't work when you're human," Rosette reiterated, hoping to deter further probing for details she couldn't disclose. "I don't really understand all
"He is the pack leader and your mate," Will hissed quietly at Rosette. "He will not take well to you ignoring his direct orders. The Alpha here is not known for his leniency towards rule breakers. My father made a point to explain that to me before I left home; he does not tolerate disrespect from anyone."Rolling her eyes at him, Rosette retorted, "He doesn't own me, Will. You have some peculiar ideas about how relationships work.""You aren't even trying to understand this," Will shot back as two of the front office staff rushed past them towards the party.They reached the door of the break room without further incident but were halted by a laughing Bea."No boys allowed at a bridal shower!" she declared, crossing her arms across her chest.Will glared at Rosette but didn't openly object. The room was filled with laughter from the women of the clinic, appearing far from dangerous. Rosette turned her back to Will and strolled casually inside. Will's demeanor was becoming increasingl
Once the van stopped, Rosette was roughly pulled to her feet and led up to a dilapidated cabin with a faded green door nestled in a thick stand of trees. The wind whipped hard, indicating they were definitely higher up than in town. The surrounding area appeared to be just forest to her.She was thrust none too kindly into a small room at the back of the cabin. It was empty and dirty, with the only other exit being a window that had bars over it."After this, we get to keep you, bitch," her captor spat out while twisting a nipple painfully. Rosette whimpered a little and dropped her gaze submissively. The wolf seemed pleased with himself and sauntered out, locking the door from the other side.'My training in all things wolf was paying off,' Rosette thought warily. Now, hopefully, her survival training would be just as effective.She waited until she heard the howling fading outside, indicating the dogs had gone for a run. Peering out the window, she saw the van still sitting outside.
The wolves moved at a relentless pace, and Rosette found herself soaking wet in the cold night air. Trying to divert her focus from her discomfort, she sensed that her unease was being directly felt by the wolf she was riding. Preferring to be cold rather than dead, she huddled closer to him, pressing her chest against his back for warmth. As they approached a light ahead, signaling a clearing filled with wolves and wolf men in various stages of transformation, a collective howl reverberated into the night sky at the sight of Kyle with Rosette on his back.Sensing Kyle starting his shift beneath her, Rosette allowed herself to fall off his back as he transformed. Assuming he wanted to address his troops, she began to step back from him towards a nearby stump, intending to sit.Her movement was abruptly halted as a wolf man menacingly dragged her back in front of him, locking eyes with her in a silent command to stay by his side. Wrapping her arms around him, she nuzzled his chest and
"If it wasn't for the mate bond, he would have killed your detail immediately. You gave them a small reprieve by feeling guilty. He knew you disobeyed him.""I've never seen him so upset before. He keeps talking about chaining you up in his rooms until you learn to pay attention. As Alpha, he could do that, and no one would stop him. He needs to calm down for both your sakes," he finished, pleading with his eyes. The driver subtly nodded his agreement but kept his eyes straight ahead. Ethan had never said much to Rosette, and she got the feeling that was more than he really wanted to say. She took his warning seriously. She wanted to ask him more about it, but Kyle was sliding in on her right as Sam slid in on her left. Kyle was as naked as her, sans the blanket, but Sam had on a pair of jeans with a plain T-shirt.Quite quickly, Rosette found her blanket removed, and she was pulled to sit in Kyle's lap. They rested skin to skin, and he wrapped the blanket back around them. There was
The night was dark as they pulled back into the large roundabout in front of the den. Rosette wondered how many more times she would have to be driven in there after being kidnapped. It was getting really old.The place was crowded with the pack. She saw Katrina right away, bouncing, literally, outside the den with her hands clasped in front of her. In the myriad of faces, she also saw some of her new friends looking nervously at the SUV. Several large men she recognized as Betas pushed the pack back and cleared their way to the door. They stepped out, and Kyle made an announcement to the assembled pack. He told them who was involved and what they wanted, also warning them that the witch had gotten away."Is that really your mate?" she heard one brazen wolf ask. He shrunk back as Kyle approached him, growing claws. Rosette thought it was a valid question, considering what he had just told them. Kyle turned to look at her with fire in his eyes, a blazing look. She concentrated on the i