Ruthless love

6

Blue’s mind raced as she stared him down, her arms crossed defensively over her chest. She’d dealt with manipulative wolves before—wolves who thought they could twist her world to suit their needs, always under the guise of protecting her. She wasn’t naïve enough to believe this stranger would be any different, no matter how calm his voice sounded or how much his velvety eyes seemed to glimmer with truth. She’d learned the hard way that safety often came at a price, and it was rarely one she was willing to pay.

“And why should I believe anything you’re saying?” she demanded, her voice sharper than she intended. “You dragged me here, didn’t give me a choice, and now you’re feeding me this ‘sanctuary’ story. You expect me to just nod along and say thank you?”

His lips curled slightly at the corners, but it wasn’t a smile—it was a restrained expression, a mix of amusement and something darker, something more calculating. He leaned back in his chair, the leather creaking softly under his weight, and swirled the whiskey in his glass like he had all the time in the world.

“No,” he said at last, his tone so smooth it almost made her shiver. “I don’t expect you to trust me. But I do expect you to listen, at least if you care about walking out of here alive.”

Blue’s jaw tightened, her nails digging into her arms where they were crossed. “Alive? Do you really think I’ve survived this long by trusting men like you?” she shot back. Her voice cracked on the last word, and she hated herself for it. Hated that she couldn’t keep the cracks sealed tight in his presence.

He didn’t react to her outburst, not in the way she’d expected. There was no flinch, no anger in his expression. Instead, he tilted his head, watching her like he was dissecting her piece by piece. That piercing gaze of his saw too much, lingered too long, and she hated how it made her feel exposed.

“I think you’ve survived by being smart,” he replied, his voice low and deliberate. “And if you were smart, you’d realize this isn’t about trust. It’s about survival. Yours.”

Something in the way he said it—the conviction behind those words—made her stomach twist. She clenched her fists tighter, her nails biting into her palms, grounding her in the moment. “I don’t need your help,” she said, her voice laced with defiance. “I’ve been fine on my own.”

“Fine?” he echoed, raising an eyebrow. “You were barely conscious when I found you. You’d have been dead in a matter of hours if I hadn’t stepped in.”

His words hit her like a blow, and for a moment, she could do nothing but glare at him, her mind scrambling for a retort. She hated that he might be right. She hated even more that some part of her felt a flicker of gratitude she couldn’t extinguish.

“I didn’t ask you to save me,” she said through gritted teeth.

“No,” he agreed, his tone still maddeningly calm. “You didn’t. But I did anyway.”

The room fell silent again, heavy with unspoken tension. Blue’s heart pounded in her chest, each beat echoing in her ears. She wanted to walk out, to slam that door behind her and prove she didn’t need him or anyone else. But his earlier words lingered in her mind: Every werewolf in New York. What did that mean?

Against her better judgment, she forced herself to speak. “What exactly do you mean by that? About the other wolves?”

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he studied her for a moment longer, like he was weighing whether or not to tell her the full truth. Then he stood, his movements slow and deliberate, and walked toward her.

Blue tensed, every instinct in her body screaming at her to run, but she held her ground. She wasn’t about to show him weakness. He stopped a few feet away, close enough that she could feel the heat radiating off him, close enough that his scent—warm, woodsy, and undeniably wolf—wrapped around her like a cloak.

“This city isn’t safe for someone like you,” he said, his voice softer now, almost gentle. “Especially not someone running from their pack.”

Her breath caught in her throat, and she took an involuntary step back. “How do you know that?” she whispered.

“I know more than you think,” he replied, his amber-flecked eyes boring into hers. “And I know that if you leave this penthouse, they’ll find you. It’s only a matter of time.”

Blue’s pulse thundered in her ears, and for the first time, she felt the cold grip of fear slither up her spine. “Why?” she asked, her voice trembling despite her best efforts to keep it steady. “Why would they come after me?”

His expression softened, just slightly, but it was enough to make her stomach twist. “Because you’re not just some runaway,” he said. “You’re the daughter of an alpha. And that makes you a prize.”

The weight of his words crashed down on her, and she staggered back a step, her back hitting the wall. The truth she’d been running from, the truth she’d tried so hard to bury, was now staring her in the face.

“And you,” she managed, her voice barely above a whisper, “what do you want with me?”

For the first time, his mask slipped, and something raw flickered in his gaze. “I want to keep you alive,” he said, his voice barely more than a growl. “Whether you like it or not.”