Page 14 of Nightmare Island

I can’t help but chuckle. “The man who saved your ass from becoming Sten’s new chew toy. You’re welcome, by the way.”

“My hero,” she deadpans. “I’ll be sure to send a thank-you note. Now, if you’ll excuse me…”

She starts to get out of bed, but I’m not done with her yet.

“Not so fast, sweetheart. You still haven’t answered my question. Where did you come from?”

She sighs dramatically. “Would you believe me if I said I fell from the sky?”

“Cute,” I growl. “Almost as cute as that little lightning trick you pulled out there. Want to tell me how you managed that?”

She laughs, but it sounds forced even to my ears. “You think if I controlled the weather, I’d let myself get captured by Alphas like you?”

I take another step closer. “I saidlightning, but you can do the whole weather thing, can’t you?”

She glares up at me, her jaw set. “You’re delusional.”

“And you’re a terrible liar,” I counter.

“Well, thanks for not leaving me in the woods.” She stands up from the bed. “I’d better go.”

I’m blocking her path in seconds. She has to crane her neck to look up at me, and I hear her swallow hard.Yeah, sweetheart, I’m not some runt you can push around.

“Where will you go?” I ask, my voice deceptively calm. “Is someone waiting to pick you up from the island?”

That has me intrigued if it’s the case.

She scoffs but reins it in quickly. It tells me everything I need to know. She’s stuck here, just like the rest of us poor bastards.

“So,” I continue. “What did you do that was so bad you got thrown onto Nightmare Island?”

She shrugs, aiming for nonchalant but missing by a mile. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

She tries to sidestep me, making her way across the room. I take a few long strides backward, easily cutting her off again.

“You never answered my question,” I state in a darker tone. Deep in my chest, my wolf rumbles, curious about the new toy in front of us.

She stares at my mask, her gaze tracing the contours of it. “Why do you wear that?”

“Why are you avoiding my questions?”

We stand there for a long, silent pause. Finally, she breaks the silence.

“Look, I appreciate the save, really… but I don’t know you, and you don’t know me. Let’s keep it that way.”

I lean in close, close enough to catch the faint scent of her impending heat. It takes every ounce of self-control not to bury my face in her neck right then and there, to lick her, taste her, bite her.

“Here’s the thing, sweetheart,” I growl. “On this island, there are no secrets. Not from me. So you can either start talking, or you can get comfortable because you’re not leaving this room until I get some answers.”

Her vibrant blue eyes flash with anger, and for a second, I swear I see a spark of electricity dance across her skin. Interesting.

“Do you have a name?”

“Hel,” she answers. “And you can’t keep me here,” she hisses.

I grin behind my mask. “Watch me.”

With that, I turn and stride out of the room. I hear her rush forward, but I’m already closing the door. The lock clicks into place.

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