Ruthless love

4

He’s definitely not one of my father’s men, was Blue’s first thought, shortly followed by, he’s too… too handsome. She scolded herself quickly, pointing out that she hadn’t even seen his face yet.

Sniffing, Blue confirmed her theory. He was the man whose scent was all over the penthouse and he was most definitely a werewolf.

“You know, it’s rude to sniff without even saying hello,” he remarked, his voice making her jump. It had been so silent before that she hadn’t expected him to bother. A part of her had thought he might just sit there like a statue until she tried to walk right out the front door. His words didn’t just make her jump, his tone gave her butterflies that fluttered so badly in her stomach it was almost painful.

“Don’t you know it’s rude to abduct someone?” she responded aggressively. So long on her own had left her defensive.

The man’s shoulders bounced in silent laughter and then hunched once more as he reached for the glass in front of him to sip what Blue could now smell was whiskey. He didn’t speak until he had put the glass back down on the breakfast bar in front of him. “That’s an odd way of thanking me for rescuing you.”

Blue’s hackles rose at that. She had never been a damsel in distress, never needed anyone to swoop in and protect her. From the moment she was born she had been fighting for herself, surviving in a world where her mere s*x made her the underdog, even as the daughter of an alpha.

She barely managed to stop herself from snapping at him. Crossing her arms over her chest, she said through gritted teeth, “Thanks but if you don’t mind, I’ll be on my way.”

She was surprised when she turned in the direction of a second hall which she guessed led to the front door of the penthouse and he didn’t immediately try to stop her. In fact, he became as still as stone again, only speaking up when she reached the hallway and the front door came into view with its peephole and its double deadbolt.

“Feel free to leave, but the moment you step out that door you’ll be at the mercy of every werewolf in New York,” he stated, still not turning to look at her. Blue stopped in her tracks, her shoulders tensing to the point that they almost touched her earlobes when she flinched at his words.“Why would that be?” Blue asked, her jaw clenched so hard that she could barely raise her voice above a whisper. A part of her didn’t even want to ask the question. She didn’t want to give this guy any suggestion that she cared about his opinion. She didn’t want him to think that he might be able to convince her to stay, that he might be just wolf enough to protect her from all the things she hadn’t been able to protect herself from. She would never allow another wolf to hold power over her again, not now that she had managed to get away from her father. How long will that last once I step out of this penthouse? she wondered begrudgingly.

“This hotel is the only place safe from other werewolves because it belongs to me,” the man told her, and finally he turned to look at her. His pale brown eyes glinted amber as he did so, showing the conviction of his words. “The moment you step foot out of this penthouse, I rescind my invitation for sanctuary.”

A lump instantly formed in Blue’s throat, and she wanted to snarl at him that he couldn’t blackmail her like that. Is he really trying to blackmail me? she asked herself instead. If she really thought about it, she realized she didn’t think he was. Nothing about this man suggested he wanted anything from her, nothing suggested he wanted to use her or abuse her, nothing suggested he was anything like any of the other werewolves she had met in her life.

“What makes you think I need sanctuary?” she asked, raising one golden eyebrow at him. Instinctively, she crossed her arms over her chest again, protecting herself from his piercing pale brown gaze. His eyes were almost the color of brown crushed velvet, contrasting dramatically against his dark mocha skin. The contrast and the intensity of his gaze made her heart flutter.