Page 71 of The Runaway Mate

“You’ll feel better, too, after you’ve eaten.”

I limped with my injured knee back to the kitchen, where the aroma of chicken and rice wafted toward me. My wolf growled in response, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten in hours. I kept my distance from Seth as he dished out two plates of food, then placed them on the table. I picked up my plate and moved to the seat furthest away from him.

We ate in silence. I didn’t know what his plan was. How long did he think he could keep me here? Did he seriously think he could break my bond with the Three Rivers? The breaking of a bond was irreversible. I would do everything possible to stop him from severing it.

There were so many questions I wanted to ask, but I didn’t know what might set him off. I needed to heal and get fighting fit if I had any chance of getting out of here. I couldn’t afford to get another beating, not until I knew I had a chance of winning.

As I scraped the last of the rice off my plate, Seth glanced at his watch and then up at me.

“Time for bed, Mai. I’ll show you to your room.”

He stood up and gestured for me to follow him. I left my plate on the counter and trailed behind him.

He led me back to the corridor and up some stairs. A dark, patterned, threadbare carpet covered the steps, making me think that this was the house of someone elderly. I remembered my grandparents’ house before they died; it had carpet on the stairs to help their grip when they went up and down them.

“Where are we, Seth?”

He glanced back at me over his shoulder. “An old hunting lodge. It used to belong to Isaacs’s uncle. It’s not exactly a penthouse, but it’ll do for now.”

I searched my memory, trying to remember Isaac ever talking about his uncle. Was he in the Cocrane Pack? If so, we were probably on Pack lands. That was good. If I could escape, I could probably find my way to the town and find help from there. I couldn’t recall Isaac ever mentioning an uncle. Hell, this lodge could be in Alaska.

At the top of the stairs, Seth turned right, down a narrow corridor, and stopped in front of a thick wooden door. He opened it, revealing a small but airy bedroom. A double bed sat in the center of the room, covered in clean, white sheets. A window, barred from the outside, overlooked the forest. The room stank of Seth, and I knew he’d been sleeping here.

I whirled around. “I’m not staying in the same bedroom as you!”

Seth grabbed my arm, and I flinched. I hated myself for it. Hated the fear that scurried through my veins every time he came close.

“It’s here or the basement floor.”

I stared at him for a moment, then put some steel into my voice as I said, “The floor was comfy. I’d like to go back there.”

The scent of his anger spiked in the air, and I braced for the hit I was sure was coming. Instead, his face went blank before he said, “As you want, Mai.” Then he turned and dragged me back to the basement.

Chapter forty-five

Mai

The bitter chill of the basement seeped into my bones. The hard concrete bit into my skin, completely indifferent to my discomfort. My whole body ached from Seth’s assault, and I had the headache to end all headaches.

Was Ryan okay? Was Jem? Were they searching for me? What about Sofia and Jase? Had Seth killed them before he’d snatched me? Grief flooded my senses. Goddess, I’d been so stupid. So stupid to leave my Pack four years ago, to keep running, to get involved with Seth, and to stay for as long as I did.

Stupid for not realizing Brock was plotting something. Stupid for letting my guard down. I could feel the tears streaming down my face and tried desperately not to sob. I let it all wash over me and sank into my despair. I don’t know how long I lay there for before I fell asleep, but exhaustion and the call of the sweet release of sleep finally got to me.

I opened my eyes to find myself in Ryan’s arms. He felt so real, his scent overwhelming, his strong arms enclosing me, and I knew, I knew I was safe.

“Shhh,” he whispered, stroking my hair.

It was a dream, but I didn’t care. I didn’t want to wake up. I wanted to stay here forever.

“It’s all going to be okay,” he promised.

I nodded, agreeing with him. It would be okay, just as long as I didn’t ever wake up.

The feel of his body against mine sent need ripping through me as I yearned for him. He bent down until our lips were a whisper apart, and I basked in the warmth radiating from his body. His fingers teased the buttons on my shirt apart. As soon as he touched my skin, that was it. All I could think of was him, his body, the need for his hard cock to be moving inside of me. I ripped at his clothes just as he tore mine from my body. We both paused, me in awe of his beautiful cock, his hard muscles, and strong thighs. Then he rolled on top of me and slid inside. It was so sudden and so delicious that I gasped in shock as waves of pleasure shot through me. His eyes bore into mine, seeing me, the whole of me, right into the depths of my soul.

“Goddess, Mai, you’re so beautiful,” he murmured, his voice husky.

I writhed under him, needing more. More contact, more friction. He responded immediately, moving against me, pulling out until just the tip of him rested inside, then bucking his hips, pushing deep inside of me.

---