Page 94 of Grace of a Wolf 1
What the hell does smelling like coconuts have to do with anything? I blink at Caine, genuinely confused by the bizarre shift in conversation.
Caine's jaw tightens as his nostrils flare again. He breathes in deeply, looking almost offended by my smell.
"It's lotion, okay?" Something about the intensity of his stare makes me want to fill the silence, but I have nothing particularly nice to say. Instead, I mumble, "Not that it's any of your business what I put on my body."
His eyes darken at my words, and I immediately regret my phrasing. It's stupid to antagonize someone when you don't want them to kill you, but it's hard not to get a little uppity when they act so damn strange.
I shift in my seat, tapping my fingers against the table as I gather my courage. "Look, I don't think you have any legal right to hold me as a prisoner."
It's something I've been thinking about for some time, going around in circles in my head. Trying to sound confident, even as my heart threatens to burst through my ribcage, I add, "I was a minor when I was taken to the Blue Mountain Pack, and I haven't done anything illegal."
"I need to investigate," Caine says simply. No other explanation. No details. Just those four words, like it's all he needs to say and I should just go along with it.
"Investigate what?" My voice rises despite my effort to stay calm. "We know I'm human. Alpha Brax brought me here. I was a minor, so it isn't like I had much choice. What else is there to look into?"
He stiffens, his shoulders squaring. "There are things I need to look into," he mumbles, still without a real explanation. "Your involvement…"
When he trails off, I assume he's going to finish his thought. But he doesn't. It's like he's trying to make up excuses or something.
"My involvement in what? Dating Rafe? It's over now."
He shifts his weight, looking strangely uncertain. It's almost hard to reconcile the Caine in front of me with the Lycan King I met in the forest. For one, he's still kneeling in front of me, like he's trying to serve me instead of keep me prisoner. For two, he's just so…soft. Almost approachable, even.
"I still need to determine—"
"Dude." Lyre's voice interrupts his words as she enunciates clearly, "Back. Off."
Caine's head whips toward her, all pretense of gentleness evaporating. A low growl rumbles from his chest, like a reminder of how threatening he can be.
But Lyre doesn't flinch. She squeezes past him in the tight space, her rainbow hair brushing against his shoulder as she slides into the booth beside me. Her hip nudges mine, pushing me further into the corner as she becomes a physical barrier between me and the Lycan King.
His mouth tightens as he stands, looming over us with his outrageous height difference. Seriously; why is he so tall?
Crossing her arms on the table, Lyre leans forward, her catlike eyes narrowed. "So let me get this straight. You're detaining a human girl who hasn't committed any crime, based on what exactly? Your royal prerogative?"
His nostrils flare. "This doesn't concern you."
"Actually, it does." Lyre's voice drops to a dangerous purr. "Since you're in my home, threatening my guest."
My heart pitters and patters. She's defending me. It's the sweetest moment I've had in way too long.
"I'm not threatening anyone," he protests.
"No? What would you call it then?" She tilts her head. "Forcible relocation? Kidnapping? Unlawful detention?"
Caine's eyes flash with something dangerous. "She was found in the forest during a regional Mate Hunt—"
"Against my will," I pipe up, emboldened by Lyre's support.
"She was connected to pack affairs—"
I grimace. "He means Rafe," I whisper to Lyre. She's heard me mention him, though I haven't exactlyexplainedanything. "My ex-boyfriend. He ditched me as soon as he found his fated mate."
Lyre nods as she listens. "As an unwilling participant," Lyre counters Caine smoothly, as if I didn't interrupt with myclarification. "It sounds as if Grace was raised by wolves, but isn't one herself. She's human. She has no legal obligation to follow pack law. Human laws apply to her, and human laws are pretty clear about forcibly taking people against their will."
Fenris whines from where he sits, his ears pressed flat against his head. The sound is startlingly human in its distress, and he nips at Caine's hip.
He swats absently at Fenris's muzzle. "I'm not here to detain her," he says, as if he hadn'tjusttried to argue about my status as his prisoner. "I'm responsible for her safety."
