Page 30 of Kidnapped By the Wolf

“No, no.” I shake my head. “It’s perfect. It’s a concert, just like my other one, and . . .” I struggle to find the words, but “thank you” just isn’t enough. “No one has ever given me something this nice.”

My cheeks heat as I say the words, and a fierce look rises in Adrian’s eyes.

“I can’t accept it,” I say finally, bringing my hands together as if that will somehow keep me from wanting to pick up and play the beautiful instrument.

Adrian fixes me with a stern look. “It’s yours. No strings attached.”

My mouth twitches at the pun, and Adrian’s eyes soften. Did the alpha just make a joke?

Hands shaking, heart bursting, I reach for the ukulele. The neck is perfectly smooth and comfortable in my hands. The person who sold it to Adrian must have tuned it for him, because when I ghost my thumb across the strings, four perfect notes ring out.

“The sound is incredible,” I murmur, strumming out a few chords I know. “I-I don’t deserve this. I’m not even very good.”

Adrian shakes his head once, the warmth evaporating from his gaze. “You deserve the best, Cassie. Don’t ever let anyone tell you any different.”

His words make my stomach do a backflip, and it feels as though I skipped a step going down a flight of stairs.

I draw in a ragged breath, trying to summon the courage for what I know I have to tell him. “You should know . . . Sebastian didn’t break my ukulele.”

“Oh, no?”

I shake my head. “I used it to bludgeon him in self-defense. So technically, I guess he did break it . . . with his face.”

Adrian’s mouth twitches once, and then a hard laugh bursts out of him. It’s not a chuckle or a perfunctory reaction to my joke. It’s a full-belly laugh that makes every inch of me tingle, and I realize Ilikemaking Adrian laugh.

After a moment, his laughter fades, and his gaze softens again. “Play something for me.”

“What do you want to hear?”

He shrugs. “Doesn’t matter. I’ve never been big on music. I just want to hear you play.”

Hands shaking, I try to steady my breathing as I strum out the first few bars of “Moonshadow.” The familiar tune calms my racing heart, but then I stop and look at him. “Why did you do this?”

Adrian frowns. “I thought we already established that Sebastian broke your ukulele with his face.”

“No, I mean . . .” I gesture around at the wine and food. “Why are you being so nice to me?”

“Cassie, I fed you and gave you a couch to sleep on. If that’s your standard for ‘nice’ then we really need to adjust your expectations.”

I open my mouth and then close it again. My chest feels suddenly much too tight, and I can feel tears burning in my throat.

“What is it?” Adrian asks.

I shake my head. “N-nothing.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean —”

“No,” I choke, furious and embarrassed that he noticed my reaction.

Adrian’s right. I’m pathetic. I’ve grown so used to being treated like dirt that I don’t trust it when someone is nice.

I shouldn’t trust Adrian, and yet I do. My stupid heartwantsthis, and that’s a weakness I never let show.

But then he reaches across the table, his warm fingers brushing my cheek. His calloused forefinger comes to rest along my jaw as he cups my face in his hand. “Don’t.”

“Don’t what?” I whisper, fighting the urge to shrink back and instead staring him in the eye.

Big mistake. His chocolate irises have turned to pure liquid gold, and the way he’s looking at me . . .

---