Page 1 of Wolf's Forbidden Curse

CHAPTER 1

KATRINA

"Stop here."

"Here?" The cab driver looked over his shoulder at me, his brows meeting in the middle of his sweaty forehead.

"Yes," I said. "Here."

I hadn't given him an actual address when I got into his cab at the Charlotte airport. I just told him to drive towards the coast and then along the way through smaller towns with fewer people. He didn't like the idea at first, but then he must've calculated how much money he could make off me and agreed. I said I would tell him when I found what I was looking for, and that's where we'd stop. Three and a half hours later, that's exactly what I did.

"What's this place called?"

We had been directed off the main coastal highway due to some road work and spent the last five minutes meandering around one of the cutest-looking areas I'd ever seen—so sweet it could give me a cavity. Growing up, I never saw myself settling down in a small town, especially not one as sickeningly charming as this one. But a lot had happened in the last ten years. A lot had changed.

"Solara Bay," said the cabbie. He had a Northeast accent that I noted right away. I wondered what he was doing down south. "Are you sure this is where you want me to drop you off?"

"You don't think this is a nice place to live?"

"It's a nice place to visit for sure, but if you don't already have a place to stay lined up, I'm not sure you'll be able to make any last-minute bookings. This is a vacation spot, and seeing as we're coming up on summer, things are going to be full. And expensive."

"I'll figure it out." With what little money I would have left over after paying for the ride, I was going to have to spend the night on the sand no matter where I asked him to drop me off, so I figured I might as well camp out in what seemed to be a very safe little community. I fished the last big bills out of my pocket and handed him four. He looked at them with an even deeper frown.

"It's going to be at least 6."

"I only have $450," I said, throwing another fifty onto the stack.

That truly was everything I had, save the five-dollar bill in my back pocket, but I really didn't like the idea of handing this man literally every cent to my name.

He curled his fingers over the money but didn't stop staring at me.

"I'm serious. That's all I've got."

"Well, then you better figure something out," he said. "Or else I'm not letting you into the trunk to get your luggage. I'm not running a charity."

I weighed my options. How much was the stuff in the back really worth? A few changes of clothes, some jewelry that I planned on hawking if things got really bad, and a small photo album. Aside from the pair of diamond earrings and gold chain, nothing in my bag would be useful to the cabbie, and the jewelry would more than pay for my ride.

Shit.

I didn't have any other option.

"Open the trunk," I said, getting out of the cab. "Let me get something out of the back. It'll cover the whole cost plus some, and I can take my cash back."

He smirked. "I think I'll hang onto this money in the meantime. Just in case you try to make a run for it." The man opened the trunk but got out of the driver's side door and watched me carefully as I went around to the back of the car.

He'd parked on the curb in front of what appeared to be the city hall building. It was a small, square structure with dark brick and white pillars. Very stately but adorable at the same time. I unzipped the front pocket of my backpack and dove my hand inside, scraping my fingers along the bottom of the pouch until I felt cool metal. The gold chain. I hated parting with it, but at least then I could get the cash back and call it a day. "Here."

I held the chain out to him. When he reached for it, I drew my hand back. "Trade me for the cash."

He shook his head. "No way. I don't even know if that's real."

"It is."

"And I'm just supposed to trust you?" He laughed. "Yeah, right. Try again. You got anything else in that bag that I could take a look at?" He walked closer to the open trunk, but I was too quick, slinging the backpack over my shoulder and grabbing for the handle of my duffle.

"It's either the $450 or this chain that's worth at least $1000. That's all I have to offer, and if you so much as lay a hand on me, I will scream bloody murder."

"Are you kidding me?" He narrowed his eyes. "This is ridiculous! You're playing me."

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