Page 48 of Wolf's Mark

“That would mean we’d need to share something in common, which we don’t.”

Could I be considered more of a bad girl since I was thrilled he wasn’t closer to Daphne? Maybe, but the truth was that if he was, I’d be hesitant in continuing the date. Good employees were tough to find. I’d tried to remind myself, including when Mattie had called grilling me about him, that I’d sworn off men. How many times had I made the vocal proclamation that it wouldn’t matter if the hottest man in the man insisted on dating me, I wouldn’t be interested?

What was I supposed to say to him? I wasn’t good at chit-chatting.

I was saved by the arrival of champagne, the waitress fawning over Jax as if he was the celebrity of the year. I’d glanced at the man’s profile on Google, curious if my bestie was accurate in her statement regarding Jax and his wealth.

She was.

The perfect candidate for a dream date.

After the champagne was poured, I was even more hesitant to allow the evening to continue.

He still didn’t bother glancing in the direction of the girl who’d served us, even after she’d all but exposed her voluptuous boobs right in front of him. His eyes were unblinking, locking onto mine with such intensity I was afraid I’d run out of breath.

“There’s no reason for you to be nervous around me. I might be many things from dangerous to a merciless man in business, but I will never hurt you.”

Maybe it wasn’t his actions I was concerned about. Maybe it was the way I might feel after all was said and done. “I don’t think this is a good idea. I’m sorry.”

The moment I tried to get up from the table, he slapped his hand around my arm.

“Sedona. You’re not going anywhere.”

“And why not?”

“Because I said so.”

CHAPTER 14

“She loves with the insatiable hunger of the wolf. Bloodthirsty lust dripping from her savage bones. She longs to be devoured like the dark of the sky in the moon drenched night. She’s craving every part of your raw, wild soul.”

—JL MacDougall

Jax

My actions were unusual.

Demanding.

In need.

There were reasons, some by instinct if nothing else. I had the distinct feeling she was in danger, but that wasn’t the reason behind my possessive behavior.

My wolf had awakened fully. He was restless, the woman only part of the reason. But she was a damn good one. I was arousedjust thinking about her. Damn it. I needed to get her out of my mind. I ran my hands through my hair out of frustration. I hadn’t lost control in a long time and doing so twice in a short timeframe was troubling.

I needed to concentrate on the real issue. I’d picked apart what I’d heard at the council meeting along with what Mother had told us.

Stories.

I’d heard several stories over the years regarding the Wolfen. Our kind. Not just from my mother, but also from others in the pack.

There’d been a point when I was a young boy when a huge number of the pack had met on a regular basis, not only discussing the past but also aspects of the future. We hadn’t met in a dark and gloomy forest setting as the majority of humans and dozens of horror stories might suggest. We’d met either at someone’s house or at least twice inside the conference room of a hotel.

A convention of sorts.

Of wolves.

The meetings had been held in secrecy and the utmost privacy. Certain members had been assigned to ensure humans never arrived when not anticipated. I’d been fascinated by the wild tales of hunting during the time when humanity had been limited by more boundaries than currently existed. Very few people ventured into the woods surrounding us for fear of being attacked and eaten.

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