Page 12 of Kidnapped By the Wolf

Adrian pauses as if he senses my unease, deliberately slowing his movements as he kneels before me and takes the blade to the duct tape binding my ankles.

The tendons in his neck stand out as he lowers his head, carefully maneuvering the knife to avoid cutting my skin.

I’m not sure why, but the sight of the powerful male on his knees in front of me causes my core to tighten, and an undeniable liquid heat blooms between my legs.

Get it together, Cass, I tell myself. There’s fucked up, and then there’s getting turned on by yourkidnapperfucked up.

Adrian’s gaze flickers to my own, and for the first time I notice that his eyes have little flecks of gold in them. The golden flecks seem to glow against the brown as he stares at me, and for one horrible moment, I worry the alpha somehow heard my thoughts.

But then he stands and comes around behind me, holding my wrist between his fingers as he takes the knife to my zip-ties. I shiver at the light contact, and then the zip-ties clatter to the floor.

“Bathroom’s just through there,” he says in a low, strangled voice.

I nod and grab the bag of tampons at my feet before fleeing into the bathroom. I slam the door shut behind me, heart hammering against my ribs.

It’s now or never.

Adrian’s bathroom is small but just as clean as the rest of the cabin. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’ve neverseena cleaner bathroom.

Two pristine white towels are hanging from a bar beside the door. There’s a glass-encased shower and a pedestal sink, and — above the toilet — a window that looks just large enough for me to shimmy through.

Setting the tampons on the edge of the sink, I lock the door and slip off my boots to avoid making a sound. Knotting the laces at the ends, I hang them around my neck and climb up onto the toilet seat.

I can practically taste freedom as I reach for the window latch and pull it toward me. To my immense relief, it unfastens silently, and cold air hits my skin.

Taking a deep breath, I carefully wedge the window open and brace my elbows on the sill. I pull my weight onto my forearms, and for half a second, my lower half dangles as I summon all my strength to shimmy through the gap.

I’m free, I think. I actually did it!

But then the bathroom door bangs open, and strong arms lock around my thighs.

CHAPTER FIVE

ADRIAN

The momentI feel the cold draft slip from under the bathroom door, I know I was right about Cassie. The little human was playing me, and I fell right into her trap.

For half a second, I consider letting her escape. Then at least I wouldn’t have to decide what to do with her.

One look at the beautiful female, and I knew I didn’t have it in me to hurt her. Not that my wolf would allow it. For whatever reason, my beast feels protective of Cassie.

It would be easier to let her go.

But then I think about Marcus’s victims — the she-wolves he forced into breeding. Marcus paid the McGregor bears for every female they brought in. Clint McGregor might not have raped those females, but he profited from their suffering.

The bastard shouldn’t be allowed to live. At the very least, I should run him and his bears out of Colorado.

Before I can talk myself out of it, I’ve crossed to the bathroom and flung the door wide open.

Cassie’s perfect ass is level with my face — just a few wiggles away from being out the window and gone from my life forever.Her bare feet are dangling over the toilet, and her boots are hanging by the laces from her neck.

I have the sudden bizarre urge to laugh, but then that rich incense-and-rain scent hits me all over again, and my wolf makes a sound I’ve never heard from him before.

A rumble works its way up my own chest, and one word rings in my head louder than anything else:mine.

The thought nearly knocks me sideways, but I shove it down and barrel into the room. Cassie squeals as I grab her around the legs, her fingernails scraping at the window ledge as she tries to pull herself up and out.

I give a hard tug, and she lets go — sending us both careening into the towel bar.

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