Page 9 of A Wolf's Bargain

He stood before her, bare but for his trousers, and grinned. As she searched for words, he picked the skin up from the table and readjusted the thick, black fur, tugging a piece up to rest on his head.

She opened her mouth to question him, but her words died halfway out of her mouth. Without warning, Fane groaned, twitching as though he were in pain. The fur over his head spread, stretching over his limbs. Cora’s eyes widened in horror as she watched him change...into something else.

Bones popped, and skin seemed to melt into dark, thick fur. Muscles stretched, and limbs shifted until they were longer andlarger than before. Through it all, Fane’s groans and snarls grew deeper, rougher, and more animalistic.

It seemed to take ages and no time at all. When it was over, Cillian Fane was gone. In his place stood a beast with fangs, claws, and bright, cobalt eyes. It was the largest wolf she’d ever seen.

Cora blinked once. Twice. As though closing her eyes would erase what she’d seen.

But it didn’t.

No matter how many times she closed her eyes, the wolf was still there when she opened them. Everything seemed to have frozen, but then the wolf unexpectedly rose up on its hind legs as though it were a man. Fully upright, the wolf was taller than even the largest warrior in her father’s company. Its shoulders were broad and powerful, leading down to long, thick arms tipped with wickedly sharp claws.

Before she could take in more, the beast took a step toward her.

Fear flooded her body. Primal instinct demanded that she run from the predator in front of her before he caught her, and she obeyed.

She didn’t make it very far.

She’d no sooner burst through the flaps of the tent and out into the camp than a pair of arms caught her around the middle. Panic overtook reason as she struggled against her captor.

“Let me go!” she shrieked.

Cora thrashed and kicked as hard as she could, but it did her no good. The iron-like arms held firm.

“Release me! Please, it’s coming!”

The tent flap fluttered, and then it was there.

Cillian Fane. The wolf creature.

Her heart pounded as it made its way toward her. She knew she would die now and wished she’d kissed her father before she’d gone.

In what she knew would be her last moments before she’d be thrown to the giant beast, she dared to look into its eyes.

Blue.

Uncommonly blue, just like—

“Peace, Lady. You’re in no danger here.”

The man behind her spoke in a soft and unexpected tone, almost too quiet to hear over the sound of her own heartbeat. She might have believed him, except that the wolf creature suddenly snarled and bared its teeth.

There was nothing but darkness after that.

Chapter 5

Cillian

The girl crumpled against Cathall, the tension and terror still present on her face even in oblivion.

Good. Cillian expected that when she woke, she’d have learned a thing or two about the ‘wolf stories’ she’d been so quick to dismiss. He’d always found a good dose of fear set most men straight. She would be no different.

Still, he’d found her fear of his change bitter and distasteful. His beast hadn’t enjoyed it either, which was strange. The feral thing lived for the hunt, and the tang of sweat and pheromones was part of the thrill. Prey was always afraid, and it made the chase that much sweeter.

This girl, though—Lady Cora of the Ossory Kilkenny’s—wasn’t prey. At least, not in the way he’d expected. He’d meant to frighten her, certainly. She’d barged into his tent without invitation, as fiery and wild as the hair that ran down her back. Most fine ladies he’d seen—granted, there hadn’t been many—kept their hair hidden away. This one tried to keep hers contained in a thick plait down her back, but pieces escaped. The total effect made her seem much less of a proper lady but, at the same time, more real.

Cathall hefted her into his arms to keep her from falling to the ground. Cillian’s snarl surprised them both. The beast within understood little about humans, but he recognized that the small, bold female had offered herself as a mate. In the beast’s mind, that meant she was his already. What did he care about human tradition or ceremony? She’d shown bravery by coming here, and she was lovely—both traits the beast held in regard.That was enough. After all, he had no mate. Why shouldn’t he have her? In his opinion, the man had waited far past a proper age to take a mate. If one practically fell at his feet, and such a pleasing one at that, he ought to take her before another could.

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