Page 58 of Wolf's Forbidden Curse

“Damn right, I have!”

“Then what’s the point in beating a dead horse?” She was looking away from me now, absently playing around with a little metal knife on the table. I took her moment of distraction to try tugging at the ropes, binding my hands behind the chair. They were very secure.

“So what now?” I asked. “What are we doing here?”

“We’re waiting.”

“For what?”

“For my buyer to come pick you up,” she said. “He was kind enough to settle on a halfway point, and I’m expecting him in a couple of hours.”

“What are those for?” I motioned with my head to the table.

She smiled wickedly. “Oh, these? They belong to my buyer. It’s like my colleague said: these guys really like to have some proof before they hand over the money. They might not be able to get you to transform tonight, but there are other ways they can figure out you’re not human.”

“Are you saying they’re going to torture me? What is that going to prove?”

“I don’t recall using the word ‘torture.’”

“You didn’t have to.”

“Look,” she said. “It really won’t be so bad. They just have to be sure. You see, werewolves are rare, and there are only two ways a new one can be created. They are either born out of the union of two existing werewolves, or they are born out of a curse. If you're pure blood, they can check for that, and if you’ve got magic running through your veins, they’ll be able to see it using some of these tools.”

“And what if I’m neither?” I suggested. “What if your partner was right, and I’m not even a werewolf? Are you really willing to put your life on the line over something you overheard me say out of context?”

Missy gave me a look. “Don’t try to play that game with me, dear—I’m much better at it than you are.”

“I’m just saying, if you really did your research and you know so much about me, then you must’ve found out that I was a middle child. Not only that, but I was a middle child in a family that didn’t show much love or affection in the first place. Those types of people often grow up to be huge attention seekers. They’ll say anything—including making up elaborate stories—just to get someone to think they are interesting.”

She scoffed. “If only you had been playing the part of attention seeker in your daily life, then maybe I’d believe you. But you’re the definition of someone who wants to keep a low profile, all quiet and mysterious. And for someone hiding a secret like yours, I can’t blame you.” She picked up another tool and examined it in the sunlight that was streaming through the side window. It was finally morning. “If only you didn’t fuck it all up for a man.”

This comment sliced deeper than anything she’d said or done to me that entire night. I had nothing to say in response, which made the whole thing even worse.

“But you want to know the real reason I know you’re a werewolf?” she said, hesitating for effect.

I said nothing. I felt like she was laying a trap.

“It’s because I saw you,” she said with a smirk. “The night you shifted in town. I was smoking a cigarette behind the bar when all of a sudden, I heard this ear-shattering howl. A few seconds later, a furry creature the size of a fucking bear comes barreling around the corner and disappears into the dark. Now, naturally, this piqued my interest, but I wasn’t about to abandon my current plan until I knew for sure that I could get my hands on you.”

I bit the inside of my lip, feeling the blood rush to my face as a fiery combination of anger and fear fused inside of me.

“I had all but given up on finding out who the werewolf was,” she said. “Until I heard you talking to that townie. Not only did you come clean about what you were, but I learned that you were inexperienced and could only change on the full moon. That made capturing you a lot simpler, which is why I was able to jump into action right away.”

“If you saw me that night,” I said, looking down at my feet now because I couldn’t stand to meet her gaze. “Why did you let your partner think you had no other proof?”

“That was a little bit of improv on my part,” she said. “I could tell he was getting antsy and would bail if he thought things weren’t cut and dry. I needed his help getting you drugged and in the car, but after that, he was disposable. So I let him believe what he wanted to, let him walk away, and think he was doing what was best for himself. Now, this way, I don’t have to split the cash with anyone.”

As she talked, I once again tried to wiggle my fingers, hoping to loosen the ropes around my wrists. At first, nothing happened, but then I managed to get one of my fingers underneath a twist in the rope. I dug it in further and slowly started to undo one of the bigger knots. I couldn’t risk Missy noticing, however, so I had to keep her distracted.

“What about Al?”

“What about him?”

“Do you really not have any feelings for him at all? Was that also, how you say, a bit of improv?”

She cocked her head to the side and smiled. “I did like him. I admit that. Just because I was using him doesn’t mean I was immune to his charm and good looks. In another life, he’s the kind of man I would like to end up with. But he’s too innocent for me.”

“Obviously,” I grumbled.

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