Dante's POV I watched her leave, a half smile on my face. I loved watching every nuance of her expression- her surprise, irritation, and anger. Right now, anger took center stage as she stomped into the shopping mall. The doorman gave her a look of surprise as she walked- stiff-legged- past him. If I knew anything about her, the staff of the mall were in for more of such surprises. Hell, she had shocked the hell out of me the very first time I saw her. She slammed the glass door so hard I was worried for a moment that it would shatter into a million pieces. Wincing, I braced myself and heard nothing. Then, I remembered. The type of glass most places like this had was tempered glass- strong and durable. I smiled wryly. Strong and durable were words that aptly described Allison. She was like no other woman I had known. Others would kill to shop in a place like this. With the way she dressed, her personality, and her strong dislike of her room decor, I knew she hated shopping. Madison
I had thought that I could endure at least a few hours of this but I was damned wrong. More than anything, I bitterly regretted coming here. This place was like a circus. The shopping mall was massive with all kinds of clothes and accessories cleverly displayed. I wondered why people would dedicate a whole lot of space to resources to create a comically huge shopping mall like the one I was in. As soon as we came in, we were swamped by attendants who offered to show us around. They probably knew Madison and had definitely seen Dante outside. His influence was felt here as they all but fawned over us. He was their Alpha, after all. I literally put my foot down, refusing to move an inch until Madison got rid of the attendants. It was bad enough that I was here. It would be worse if I was followed and fussed over by a bunch of giggling girls. Madison had wisely told them to leave, much to their disappointment. News had likely spread that I was Dante's kidnapped mate. I looked around. T
For a few hours, I was able to shut all my problems out- all thoughts of Dante, Madison, the shopping spree, and my planned escape. It felt good to be free of the burden of responsibility for a while, even though the freedom was short-lived. My wolf reveled in the feeling. I did not come across any big game in the woods. I made a mental note to myself to try again at a later date when I got the opportunity to run in the woods again. If I got the opportunity. There was no way of knowing how Dante would react to all this. Speaking of Dante, it was probably time for me to get back. I was startled to see that the sun was sitting lower in the sky, casting its setting rays over everything. Reluctantly I stopped running, concentrating on finding the way back to Dante's pack. I picked up the scent of a trail, a shortcut leading there. I followed the trail at a run but I went at a much slower pace. I somehow wished I could remain in the words a little longer. In a shorter time than I thought
I was at the gym again. The gleam of the sophisticated equipments, and the eagerness of physical exertion had called to me day after day and I had obeyed. I had woken up this morning at the crack of dawn, restless and full of pent-up energy. I had hastily put on my joggers, shirt, and sneakers. I was not sure how Dante would react to me taking a run in the woods after the last time. With the way the guards outside watched me as soon as I got out of the house, I guessed there would be a repeat of what happened last time. It would defeat the purpose of the run and make me a lot more edgy if Dante's guards babysat me during my run. That was how I made my way to the gym. Unlike the last time, I was not alone. There was a guard there, warming up and doing some push-ups. Seeing me come in, he hastily got to his feet. "Good morning, Luna," he greeted, bowing deeply. Taking a deep breath, I mentally shook off that annoying word- Luna. Today was a new day and I was determined not to let Dan
Fight with him? That was not what I was expecting him to say when he called me back. He had to be kidding but as I glanced at him, I realized he actually looked serious. That meant he had been close enough to hear his guards' offer to spar with me. I could have obliged the guard, but definitely not Dante. The last thing I wanted right now was to be physically close to him in any context whatsoever. Also, how could he act so unconcerned? It was as though he did not remember what had happened between us a few days ago. "Fight with you?" I snorted, my eyes traveling over him. "I will do no such thing. Besides, I am already done with my exercise routine for today."I pushed open the door when Dante's warm hand encircled mine. I shivered involuntarily, my face working. Still facing the door, I struggled to school my expression before turning."Let go," I said grimly.His hand tightening on my wrist, he slowly but inexorably pulled me closer. My grip on the doorknob slackened as one, two
CHAPTER 19Dante's POV The sound of Madison's hearty laughter filled the room. I was grinning myself. In my head, I had played through my last encounter with Alison over and over again. It never failed to bring a smile to my face. Allison was feisty all right. If I had doubted it before, I had no reason to do so now. The scene at that gym had proved it. Madison and I were in the dining room and had just finished breakfast. The used dishes had just been taken away. Madison's question brought me back to the present. "She was training with the guards?" she asked incredulously. "Yeah, I saw them. The guards also confirmed it. She seems to have more strength in that small body of hers than I gave her credit for. They said she used the treadmill and barbell with virtually no signs of fatigue."Madison said reflectively. "She is a feisty one, all right."I nodded in agreement. She had just taken the words right out of my mouth. Madison looked as though she was remembering something. I ha
CHAPTER 20Allison's POV The blade passed a few inches from his face, he drew his head back and swatted it away with his palm. It fell to the floor with a metallic chink. I let out a breath I was not aware I had been holding, somewhat stunned by the depth of anger I felt. Dante brought out the worst in me. Every second I spent in his pack, I could feel myself losing more control. I had not meant to do what I just did, but I just had to vent somehow. I was not totally crazy though. Having seen Dante fight and observed his quick reflexes, I was a hundred percent certain that he would catch the dagger- and he had. At least my sense of judgment was accurate and I had not inadvertently killed this pack's Alpha- yet. I guessed that situation would probably change at any time judging by the smirk on his face. He lifted a brow in that annoying way he had and I knew he would make one of his usual caustic remarks. The most annoying part of all of this was that the object of my anger did not
Allison's POV I darted into the trees shooting glances over my shoulder to make sure I was not being followed. Coming to a part of the woods covered by dense vegetation, I took off my clothes and slippers. Making a bundle of them, I fastened them to my thigh with a stout piece of twine I always kept handy. I shut my eyes and let my wolf emerge. I shot off like a bullet, reveling in the sights and smells of the forest. This far from Dante, it was easier to deceive myself into thinking that my body's reaction to him was all just a mirage. It was easier to put my initial anger on a leash in my wolf form. As I ran, I kept my ears cocked for any sign of pursuit and for a big game.My snout picked up a foreign scent- a scent that somehow did not belong to the woods. It was the scent of other werewolves in the forest, ahead of me. Briefly, I wondered if Dante's guards had somehow gotten ahead of me and were waiting to cut me off. They would have no reason to do that though. The logical app