Page 24 of Wolf Hunter

“I know exactly who you are. I know how you use people. How you let your wolves do whatever they want to innocent women. You’re going to tell me the truth,” I demand. And since he’s close enough to touch now, I jab him hard in the chest for good measure. “You don’t care as long as you get what you want.”

“How odd. You talk like you’ve lived my life, and yet I’ve never met you before,” he points out, trying to casually talk me down while I continue to jab at him. “It seems a little hypocritical.”

I balk. “Excuse me? I’m not being hypocritical.”

“I really think you are. You make assumptions based on what other people have to say about me. I’m in a position of power. Don’t you think that begets more rumors than truth?” he asks.

He almost sounds like he commiserates, and I make a show of curling my fingers into a solid rock directly over his heart. If I had a dagger now—

I want to smack him right across his perfect face. Right in the slightly puffy, bruised area where I’d gotten in a couple of hits last night. It makes me feel pretty damn happy that he hasn’t healed yet, since wolves are notorious for their hyper-healing.

“I think I know more than enough about you,” I counter, ready to put this guy in the rearview mirror and walk away until he’s nothing but a ghost. “Such as, the fact that your wolves not only accept the sacrifices but steal women in the interim.”

Reid at least has the grace to look like he’s been struck with a whip. I notice a healthy dose of confusion there, too. Although he’s probably putting on a damn good show. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“I’m talking about the local women you let your people kidnap,” I say to him.

People like Carmen, who would never hurt a fly. The sweetest and kindest person I know. She didn’t deserve any of the bad shit that happened in our lives. She didn’t deserve to feel like she had to watch her every step, and so I took care of her.

I air none of those things to him.

“If you’re going to toss around that kind of accusation, then you’re going to have to give me some pretty fucking good proof,” he says.

At least he doesn’t sneer at me. I might have had to dick punch him again if he went with the competitive I-know-better-than-you crap.

And I’m not ready to give my hand away just yet. Not when Reid clearly has the scale of power tipped in his direction.

Instead, I sniff and turn my head to the side as though entirely unconcerned with whatever rising anger I catch on his face. “Get out of my room. I can’t stand looking at you anymore. And do me a favor. Take a shower. You smell like a wet dog.”

His low growl continues for a moment longer before he cuts it off with a grunt. “Fine. If this is the way you want to be.”

“This is the way I have to be.”

From the corner of my eye, I see the way he straightens at the challenge in my voice.

“I’ll make sure you’re fed,” he rebuts. “And I’ll make sure they leave the poison out.”

Nothing more. I read between the lines.

He leaves me alone a second later, and I drop down at a small table near the shadows of the window, staring at my hand. I try to draw my magic, only to feel it shivering beneath my skin and refusing to come when I call.

I raise an eyebrow at the sensation.

Okay, if I don’t find a way to get things working again, then I’m so majorly screwed. I can’t get out of here without my powers. Without them, I’m as good as human. And a human at the mercy of a wolf?

I know that story.

It doesn’t end well.

My thoughts drone on in circles as I wait for Reid to make good on his promise of food, because despite my claim, I’m empty inside. It doesn’t take long before the door cracks open and a tray slides through. I’m not fast enough to get there before it shuts again and the wards snap back into place.

I have no defenses. But I have an egg sandwich with a side of bacon and potatoes.

A little food will go a long way toward clearing my mind and giving me a better idea of how to escape the prison I’ve gotten myself into. I sigh, hating this crap.

Damn it. My fault entirely, really. I’d been an idiot to think I could get in and out without some kind of backup plan in case things went south. A tiny taste of power, and I want to attack the alpha head-on without having Plan B and C and D in place?

An icy wave of fear hits me.

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