Page 37 of Bait Wolf
His fangs extended and he snapped at me. Disgusted, I shoved his face away. Then using the other hand wrap, I stuffed his mouth.
“Now listen here,” I said. “You be nice and quiet, and I’ll let you live. How about that?”
For a moment, his panicked gaze fixed on me, looking unsure.
He nodded minutely.
“Good boy,” I said quietly.
I slammed the trunk shut and climbed into the driver’s seat, worry over leaving Ember again, making me move fast.
Luckily, the traffic seemed to know I was in a rush, and I pulled up in front of Harvey’s office building on the edge of Shadow Alley in no time.
Lambert had been quiet for the ride, just as promised, but that didn’t mean I was going to give him a break.
I hoisted him unceremoniously out of the back of my car, ignoring his grunt as I dropped him to the ground.
Then, gripping the loose end of the hand tie, I dragged him over the sidewalk and through the front door.
Business people leapt out of my way like I was on fire, eyes wide and staring. I didn’t care. I wouldn’t be here long enough for the police to show up.
The elevator to Harvey’s floor was a silent ride, broken only by the sounds of Lambert struggling at my feet.
Harvey's receptionist screamed when I walked in. That drew Harvey out of his office.
He took one look at me, and all the color left his pinched, rat-face. Then he ran.
I dropped Lambert, jumping after him, not even bothering to shift, because I was so much bigger than him, and really, he didn't warrant the extent of my ferocity.
As expected, he didn't even make it to the back of the office before I was on top of him. I tackled him to the ground, relishing in the sound of his shout and grunt of pain as I crushed his small body under me.
He was already crying, begging for my forgiveness, but that only made me angrier.
“Please!” he whined. “I didn’t have a choice!”
My claws slid out despite myself, cutting into his cheap suit and the flesh inside of it until he was crying out in real pain.
I lowered my lips to his ear.
“If Ieversee you or your little friend again, you will not be walking, or even crawling away. Get it?”
He nodded frantically, tears spilling out of his beady eyes.
Satisfied, I released him, pushing to my feet.
I didn’t look at anyone as I left, not even acknowledging Lambert as I stepped over his body. My mind was already elsewhere.
It seemed to take forever to get home.
An oppressive fear filled me as I drove. I was without Asha and had nearly lost Ember on my first day with him. I was a terrible guardian and mate if it was this easy for people to trample on me.
Then again, until recently, I had thought that I was untouchable. I had trusted my standing in society to be a shield.
That was my own fault.
Pulling into the driveway, the house looked the same as normal.
I walked through the house until I was in the entryway to the living room. Ember was still there, just as I’d left him.
