Page 29 of Posing for the Artist Wolf

Rafe shifted, his hand wrapped around the wolf’s throat. His voice was low and deadly serious as he leaned into his hold. “You’re going to crawl back to whatever hole you came from and deliver a message. If you or any of your friends ever set foot in my territory again, I will personally rip out your spines and use them as chew toys. Do I make myself clear?”

The wolf nodded frantically, blood bubbling from his lips.

Rafe released him with a disgusted snort. “Get the fuck out of here.”

As the defeated wolf scrambled away, I shifted back to human form. Pain radiated through my body, but I ignored it. All that mattered was Claire.

She threw herself into my arms, and I held her tight, breathing in her scent. Cinnamon and blackberries wrapped around me, soothing my tattered sanity.

Safe. She was safe.

“I told you to run,” I murmured into her hair.

Claire pulled back, her eyes blazing. “And leave you behind? Not a chance in hell.”

A raw, grateful laugh bubbled up from my chest. My brave, stubborn mate. I cupped her face in my hands, drinking in the sight of her. “Remind me never to piss you off. You’re terrifying with a chair leg.”

She grinned, so fierce and beautiful. So resilient. So alive. “Don’t you forget it.”

I leaned in, pressing my forehead to hers. Cinnamon and blackberries flooded my lungs. I inhaled deeply, memorizing her scent and the feel of her in my arms.

My wolf struggled inside me. A howl. A snarl. I bit my cheeks to hold him back once he realized what I meant to do.

I would never put Claire in danger again.

Even if it meant leaving her life completely.

CHAPTER TEN

CLAIRE

Itrudged through the front door of Briar House. The quiet of the place, normally so welcoming and comforting, pressed in around me. My skin felt too tight. My throat constricted. I could barely breathe.

I hadn’t felt this on edge since my brother’s dealer knocked on my door and welcomed himself inside.

Heavy footsteps trailed after me. He didn’t say a word. He didn’t have to. The dark cloud over his head spoke volumes.

“So that’s what you meant about your world not being gentle,” I tried to joke.

Kai didn’t laugh. He just kept staring at the ground. His eyes were haunted. Haunted and cold. He’d been like that since we left the abandoned cabin. No smiles, no quips. His warmth that made the chills in the air disappear was nowhere to be found.

“I’ve done nothing but put you in danger from the moment we met,” he started. His voice was soft. Familiar, but not.

Hollow.

“Kai, what are you doing?” I asked, feeling dread settle in my gut. “What are you saying?”

His face twisted in an expression of pure anguish. I moved forward to cup his jaw, but his hand around my wrist stopped me. A foot of empty space now felt like a canyon between us. “I’m not good for you. I’ll only keep dragging you through the mud and down rabbit holes you shouldn’t be anywhere near.”

I jerked free of his hold. “Bullshit.”

His jaw tensed, and he looked away. “It’s true. You nearly froze in the blizzard. I could have mauled you when my wolf stole my form. And now this?” His voice grew ragged. “I put a target on your back the moment I laid eyes on you.”

I reached for him again and was rewarded with another rebuff. My heart squeezed. “Stop this. It wasn’t your fault.”

Kai’s shoulders slumped, defeat written in every line of his body. He moved towards the door, each step hammering home his resignation. “I’ll stay away,” he promised. “Just... don’t go throwing cheese at random dogs, okay?”

His attempt at a smile was more of a grimace. The humor fell flat, landing between us with a thud.

---