Page 30 of Grace of a Wolf 1
The wolf's tail tightens around my waist like a furry seat belt.
"Mmmph!" The shocked sound I make is embarrassing, but the gag at least muffles it into something unrecognizable.
His ear flicks. One gray eye cracks open, fixing on my face.
I narrow my eyes at him, trying to radiate all my disapproval and betrayal in his direction.
The wolf lifts his head and yawns, displaying rows of teeth that could snap my bones like twigs. His tongue lolls out, and he has the audacity to look pleased with himself.
His tail wags once, thumping against my hip. He stretches, pressing closer against my back. His nose nudges my cheek, and his breath fans hot across my face.
Dew has soaked through my jeans where I lie on the ground, my fingers have gone numb from the ropes, and this oversized furball acts like we're on some kind of camping trip.
The gag makes it impossible to tell him exactly what I think about this situation. About him. About everything. It's going through my head with a lot of curse words, though. If I'm going to die anyway, I may as well tell him exactly what I think of his disloyalty.
The wolf stands, shaking out his coat. Sparks of light dance through his fur like fireflies. He circles me once, twice, sniffing at the ropes, and I'lldiebefore I admit the disappearance of his warmth sucks.
"Just untie me," I say through the gag, though it comes out as unintelligible mumbling.
He sits back on his haunches and cocks his head to one side. Those storm cloud eyes study me with far too much intelligence.
"Please?" I try to make my eyes wide and innocent. It works in movies, though not usually on wolves.
His tail sweeps across the ground. Amusement radiates from every line of his massive body. I don't know how, because nothing changes, but I canfeelit in my bones. He's laughing on the inside.
A branch snaps in the distance. The wolf's head whips toward the sound, ears forward. A low growl rumbles from his chest.
My heart kicks into overdrive. Fight or flight instinct screams at me to run, but I can barely wiggle my toes, let alone stand.
The wolf's fur bristles along his spine. The glow intensifies until it hurts to look at him directly. He positions himself between me and whatever approaches, muscles coiled tight beneath his shimmering coat.
"Oh, fuck off, Fenris. I'm not going to eat her."
The voice makes every muscle in my body seize as the wolf growls in a grumbling sort of way before settling onto the ground, like a dog who's been told to lay down.
The stranger steps into view, and my heart stops to see those dark tattoos on his neck. His gray eyes are disturbingly similar to the wolf's—Fenris, this man calls him—so I assume they're… brothers, or something?
"You survived the night," he says, as if he's displeased.
My throat closes behind the gag. Fenris huffs and settles his massive head on his paws, but doesn't look my way even once.
Disloyal as a damn dog, once anyone shows up with a milk bone. I knew it.
The stranger's boots crush and destroy fallen leaves as he approaches, the sound far more intimidating than it would be under any other circumstance. My skin prickles as he crouches in front of me with a long sigh.
His fingers grip my chin, rough and calloused, sending goosebumps down my spine. He jerks my face to one side, then the other. The inspection makes me feel a bit like a budget cow at auction, and his touch burns against my skin.
At least I'm not thinking about him shirtless anymore.
Though, now that I think of it—
No. What the hell is wrong with my brain? He must have some insane power to take over a woman's thoughts and throw them straight into the gutter. He's my kidnapper, and kidnapping is literally zero percent sexy.
"Interesting." His thumb brushes my cheek, and I flinch. "A human girl who reeks of shifter." His lip curls. "Tell me, are you mated to one of those Blue Mountain mutts?"
The question makes me flinch. Rafe's face flashes through my mind, and Ellie right beside him. Bile rises in my throat. I shake my head. My eyes burn with unshed tears.
His fingers tighten on my jaw. "Don't lie to me, little human. I can smell him all over you."
