Page 36 of Kidnapped By the Wolf

“It’s about time you did something,” Sebastian growls in annoyance. “The longer you wait, the less bargaining power you’re going to have.”

“Cassie isn’t a bargaining chip.” The second voice belongs to Adrian, and my heart leaps at those words.

“Thenmateher already and get it over with.”

“You know I can’t do that.” Adrian’s voice is low and frustrated, and I lean closer to the door.

“I don’t see why not . . . Everyone else seems to be mating with humans lately.”

“It has nothing to do with her beinghuman.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“I’m fucking alpha!” Adrian snarls. “I can’t turn my back on my wolves for some female who could go running back to her father at any moment!”

“You can’t fight the mating bond.”

“Fuck the mating bond. My duty is to my pack, and Cassie will never be pack.”

I take a step back from the door, a layer of ice forming around my heart.

Some female. That’s all I am to him?

Silly girl. Ofcoursethat’s all I am to him. One night of sex doesn’t change that.

Cassie will never be pack.

I should have known better, and dammit, I did. But somewhere over the course of the last two days, I let my guard down. I let myself believe that I could be a part of his pack here.

I let myself fall for Adrian.

Stupid, stupid girl.

He’d never chooseme— some human piece of trash. My own father, my own family, didn’t choose me.

Because I’ll never be one of them.

Adrian is an alpha wolf. And alphas always put their pack first.

Hot, angry tears blur my vision, and suddenly, I can’t stand the thought of Adrian coming in here and seeing me crying and still wearing his clothes.

He must have retrieved my things from outside last night, because my ratty jeans and tank top lay folded on the dryer. I hurriedly pull them on. I grab my keys and my flannel from the pile beside the door, not even glancing at the gorgeous ukulele as I let myself out the back.

As soon as I hear the peel of gravel, I tiptoe down the steps behind Adrian’s cabin and disappear into the woods.

ADRIAN

I watchSebastian drive away with a leaden weight in my stomach. My top cyber creep showed up here at the ass-crack of dawn to let me know that the McGregors are on the warpath.

Apparently, one of Clint’s bears spotted Cassie’s bus abandoned on the side of the road. I told Sebastian to make sure that it was never found, but the idiot didn’t bother taking it any farther than Hartsel.

As if I needed one more reason not to mark Cassie.

Last night I told myself that this was it. One night was all I’d get with the beautiful human who’d hijacked my wolf and stolen my heart. But when I awoke with her curled against me smelling like incense and rain, I knew I couldn’t let her go.

I was stupid to think I could claim Cassie without starting a goddamned war, but walking away from the best thing that’s ever come into my life isn’t an option anymore.

Somehow, I’ll figure out a way to make the McGregors behave and leave Cassie out of it.

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