I jerk my eyes away from Darius and meet Finn's wolf-like stare.Even though he doesn't say anything, I can still read the order in his fixed gaze. Stay put."I assume she's to blame for all of this drama." The stillness is broken by Darius's stern voice. You've just thrown away your life, I have to tell you that. I own her.He scans the landscape with his pale blue vision before focusing it narrowly on the fire that is consuming his pricey woodland. He then makes this cut to his eyes. A smirk curls his lips, and his nostrils flare.I will know then that we have him committed. After giving it some sniffing, he's realized that, in contrast to his pack of dogs, there are only three of us. I quickly count...eighteen?How the fuck did the other two end up?It makes no difference as long as they don't surprise us from behind. And should they give it a shot?That will be their final error.He now realizes that there are only the three of us on the tree, and he will not go back in the automo
My back is to the glass wall as he turns me. I wait for him to kiss me while I look into his face. I've tried to kiss him before, but he keeps me there by swiping his hand over my nape. He says to me, "No, Amanda." "An alpha takes the lead."He is the boss everywhere, not only in the bedroom. Because he is more experienced in this world than I am, he enjoys placing orders for me that include food, clothes, and other items. He's right, coming from a dingy flat with empty cabinets. I have no idea how to place an order at a restaurant without looking foolish, and if something caught on fire, I would have no idea what was in style. I thus don't gripe. Why would I do that?His fingertips dance over my cheek as he looks at me with warm, gratifying delight. His eyes find my throat and the thin scar there, and I start to become wary.He gives a light back-and-forth stroke.Darius has smooth calluses on his fingertips. Callouses need manual labour, menial tasks, and physical exertion.I am the
DanI stifle the cough that threatens to burst out of me by pressing my mouth against my arm and tilting my face away from the worst of the smoke. One thing is certain: This fire is going far out of control.My eyes are burning from the smoke, and the fumes are irritating my throat and impairing my vision.Fun, Jade had mentioned. Enjoyable.I understood why I should have been anxious.I'm going to burn myself out of this tree with his concept of fun.My rifle and my sight are drawn to my right by a sudden movement. My photographs now are more about feeling my way than looking because I'm so far up and there's smoke pouring below.A wolf appears from behind a tree, its fur coloured reddish-brown. I pull the trigger.I have a split second to compose myself; the shot seems nice, but the wolf has moved from where it was just a moment before.B*tch.I look for my next objective. It's harder now that the wolves are aware that I'm up here and that I'm not just capable of firing, but also ai
Choke.I can't breathe because of the object in my throat.I struggle, whimpering, but no part of me wants to move.I need to notify someone that something is suffocating me in my throat, but I can't move.My right arm is lightly squeezed by a hand. "It's okay," says a masculine voice.It's not acceptable! Something is scratching my throat, and I want to scream. And it's suffocating me.Hands press against my back, talking to me in a voice I should recognize. The black hole returns to take me away before I can connect the voice to a face.* * * "...for observation." Her arm..."The monster in my throat has vanished, but the mask clamped tightly around my mouth is blowingcool, strange-tasting air into me.I shift my attention away from the mask and onto what is genuinely important: the people in my room, because the doctor must be speaking to someone, and that someone is not me.The masculine voice is sharp and unusual. It's not one I've heard before, but the confidence and assurance
"So, you have him doing what, exactly?" I lock my gaze on him.He notices my expression and pauses. "We needed another pair of eyes."My wolf is gritting his teeth. "You have him watching her.""We didn't know you were even still alive." He lowers his head and moves his gaze away. It was always the idea, but two days later, he's still feeling guilty about it. "So we—"My wolf growls. "Tell me you didn't have Leandro watching Amanda?"SilenceThey abandoned Leandro in a room with Amanda.I walked in alone with the brother to find fucking my mate since she liked a pair of shoes and her father wouldn't buy them for her.Amanda.While she was sleeping.Helpless."Finn."Dan's wariness brings my attention to my low growl filling the room."Oh, hey there, beautiful." Leandro's voice is full with astonishment. "Going somewhere?"Because we intended to be nearby when we bought this house, all of our bedrooms are on the same floor. After living literally in each other's pockets in tiny flats,
For a long period, Dan looks down at her. I have no idea what he's thinking or feeling. Jealousy, and annoyance that Amanda chose me over him. I'm not fucking sure. "She's going to come to us for different things," he continues, his voice as low as mine. "But it's hard not to think of…"Mona.Some portions of us she liked, while the others she pretended not to notice. What will Amanda do with the parts of us she dislikes?Because it's only Dan here now, I take my hand and sweep back the black hair from her still-too-pale face. "She's different.""I know." Movement causes me to raise my head, and I notice Dan turning away. "Sleep. "Finn and Iare both awake."Dan's departure is announced by soft footsteps.I do nothing but look down at Amanda's gorgeous face, calm in slumber, for many seconds. I see her beautiful pink lips, gently slanted nose, and thick lashes that look like dark wings resting on her pale cheeks. After over two days of sleep, she still appears to need more.She didn't
"Jade is all talk," Leandro replies, half-shrugging as his familiar emerald-green eyes sweep over me.If I had awoken in the middle of the night to discover him standing at my bedroom door, I would have ordered him to go and go back to sleep. I wouldn't have been paralyzed and holding my breath as I did with Finn."I doubt that." A concept immediately occurs to me. "They only send you to keep an eye on me when they go downstairs." "Do they have any plans?"Maybe it has anything to do with why I'm here with them and not with Darius?"Nothing as interesting as that," Leandro purrs, his stare lingering on my breasts as if he hasn't noticed I'm not wearing a bra.I pretend not to notice his expression as I slide to the side of the bed and push myself up without using my hands because, despite my assurances to Jade that I can feed myself, my palms still hurt when I put pressure on them. "Then you won't mind if I go downstairs and see what they're up to."They must realize they are in dange
Neither of them reacts for the longest second in history. Because I can't believe what just came out of my lips, my face has turned crimson red. I'm about to apologize when Jade and Dan break out in a roaring laugh."Well, angel," Jade says with a grin. "If you'd like a repeat, I'm game when you are."A repetition.A repetition would signal that I was staying. And if Darius finds me here...Simon's ripped throat rushes across my memory as his blood paints the hospital parking lot red. Jade's body may be at my feet. Or perhaps Dan's.My enjoyment has died. "He will kill you if he finds me here," I say quietly. "Don't think I'm not grateful you followed me. I am, but you have no idea what he is capable of. "I should go."Jade's smile doesn't waver, and when I return my attention to Dan, his face is unconcerned."Your job, Amanda," Dan adds softly, "is to heal." That's all there is to it.""I'm supposed to sit in this room and heal while Darius kills you?" My tone is tense due to a threa