Page 55 of Craved By a Wolf

He needed her, dammit.

He dropped his left foot over the side of the bed and banged the floor with his boot, making sure she knew he was awake and angry, and that she hadn’t forgotten about him.

Something smacked the ceiling in response and Hella yelled, “Keep it down. I’m doing business here.”

“I will no’ keep it down, lass.” Kin stomped harder in response. “You’re my mate. I’ll no’ be letting this sex demon steal you from me.”

And what was it with Hella and males who used sex as a weapon? First a nymph and now an incubus. He really didn’t want to know the answer to that question, shoved it from his mind and kept banging his boot against the floor.

So hard the entire room shook.

She grumbled, “Don’t ask.”

“Ashamed of me now? I helped you. I saved your life. Why don’t you tell your lover that?” he growled and tried to sit up, remembered he was chained and bellowed, “Let me out of these chains, you wee bitch.”

“He was asking for it,” Hella muttered and Kin growled louder.

Sure, he had sort of been asking for it with his demand that she kiss him, but still. She was asking for him to be furious with her by flirting with the incubus within earshot of him. He kicked the floor again and this time she ignored him, earning the boards a glare because other than smashing his foot through them, that was all he could do. He growled and tugged at his bonds again, cursing them and her as crimson spilled down his arms and soaked into the sleeves of his Henley.

He willed her not to leave him.

Darkness encroached at the corners of his vision as his breaths shortened, his mind seizing on the fact it was too late. He had driven her away from him with his actions and now she was going to leave him here.

Chained forever.

To die.

Chapter 17

Hella tried to tamp down the feeling squirming in the pit of her stomach as she approached the stairs, determined not to feel bad about what she had done, even when it was impossible. Guilt gnawed at her. It had her hesitating when she placed her foot on the first wooden step and listened to MacKinnon growling. She wasn’t sure she was strong enough to brazenly walk upstairs as planned and lay down the law. The second she saw him chained to that bed, she was going to feel more wretched, just as she had when she had gone to see him after waking from her delicious dream.

This wasn’t like her.

She wasn’t the kind to hurt others like this, punishing them so cruelly for something so slight. He had only wanted a kiss. It wasn’t as if he had demanded she bare her nape for him to sink a claiming bite into it.

It wasn’t as if she hadn’t wanted to kiss him too.

She was feeling bold enough to admit that the chase had been thrilling and had fired her up too.

Only fear had kicked in when he had demanded a kiss.

She had panicked.

The bed rattled, slamming violently against the wall, and she hurried up the steps, her heart in her throat as MacKinnon grunted, sounding pained.

She drew to an abrupt halt when he came into view and her pulse rocketed, panic seizing the helm to steer her towards him. She raced across the room to the side of the bed and froze as he turned murderous silver eyes on her, tying her tongue in a knot so she stood there like an idiot, unsure what to do.

MacKinnon lurched forwards again, spilling more blood down his arms and onto the ancient bedclothes.

She couldn’t bear it.

“Stop struggling!” She lunged for his left arm and reared back when he snapped fangs at her.

“I’ll stop struggling when you release me, witch,” he snarled and twisted his clenched fists, his muscles flexing beneath his dark Henley as he glared at her.

“You didn’t give me much choice,” she barked back at him, some stubborn part of her refusing to take all the blame for what she had done.

He snorted.

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