Page 45 of Wulf's Pack
Samuel steps forward, hands outstretched. Skylar’s heart is racing, and her anxiety is palpable, but the overwhelming fear she showed Felix is gone. She hesitantly steps forward and allows Samuel to take both of her hands. He squeezes them in greeting, then steps back to take her in. His eyes sweep her from head to toe and back again. His smile is disturbingly genuine.“My sweet little omega. All grown up now, and every bit as beautiful as I knew you would be.”
I catch Skylar’s hand and gently pull her back to my side. I’m feeling very territorial. I hadn’t expected someone so handsome and charming. Jealousy and possessiveness are still new feelings for me. I haven’t figured out how to suppress them yet.
Samuel cocks his head to the side, studying me with open curiosity. Though the danger is there, there’s no hostility. It’s unexpected and throwing me off. I’m not sure how to approach this man.
I’m willing to follow Skylar’s lead. She claims to know him well, and for some reason she’s not as afraid of him. She did say he considered her his. Maybe he protected her to a certain extent.
Skylar clears her throat and gestures toward me. “Samuel, this is Wulf Winters, the alpha of Detroit, and his second, Bree Sutton.”
I’m only a little surprised when Samuel offers me his hand. “Ah, yes, Wulf Winters. I’ve seen you in the news, of course. You have a fascinating clan. Welcome to my home.” He waves toward the main living room. “Please, come in. Can I offer you a drink?”
We turn down the drinks and move into the living room.
His apartment is everything you’d expect from a luxury penthouse. It’s bright and airy, open concept, with panoramic views of the city. The décor is contemporary in neutral tones with splashes of bold colors in small accent pieces. It’s immaculate and, like him, expensive. The living room is huge with a big, beautiful fireplace and a baby grand piano. I hate to admire his taste, but it’s classy.
It’s not the room that has my attention, though; it’s the handful of vampires occupying it. There are four of them, two females and two males, plus Felix. Unlike Samuel, these vampires are not all charm and ease. I can feel the danger andhostility oozing from them. My wolf rises to the surface. He doesn’t like that we’re outnumbered and trapped up here. I can’t blame him. Skylar keeps me calm, though, which I’m grateful for.
Samuel enters the living room and snaps his fingers. The four vampires get up, leaving the living room sofas for us to sit. Skylar and I take a seat together, and Bree moves to stand behind us. Samuel takes a seat on the couch opposite us and lifts one ankle to rest on his knee. He spreads his arms out over the back of the couch and looks us over again.
One of the vampires brings him a drink. It smells like vodka mixed with blood. He takes a sip and savors it before he speaks. “So…Skylar…to what do I owe the pleasure? Why come back when you went through all the trouble of leaving me? What has brought you out of hiding after all these years?”
Skylar’s hands curl into fists in her lap. Samuel takes note of the tension. His eyes are sharp. I doubt there’s much he misses. “I wasn’t in hiding,” Skylar grumbles. “I didn’t leave you. I was taken. I’ve been held prisoner for the last eight years. I only just escaped.”
Samuel’s eyes slide to me. “And you went straight to the FUA, I see.”
Skylar frowns. “Wulf is not with the FUA. He’s my true mate.”
Samuel’s brows lift in surprise. “Fated?”
“Yes.”
He eyes me again with more interest. “Is it true that if one fated mate dies, the other dies as well?”
I nod. “So the stories say. Though, I’ve never met a pair to confirm that, and I’m not willing to test the theory.”
The face he makes seems to say,Pity, I can’t kill you.
He takes another sip of his O-positive cocktail, and the smile disappears from his face. “Why are you here?”
He’s looking at me, but it’s Skylar who answers. “I want your word that you will leave me alone. My life is mine. I want to live it without the fear of you coming for me.”
He chews on his tongue, his eyes locked on Skylar. Ice cubes clink in his glass as he swirls it in his hand. “And why would I do that? Why let you leave at all? You’ve made it very easy for me, coming into my home. You’re sorely outnumbered. I may not be able to kill your mate, but he and the lioness would make fine additions to my kennels.”
Bree and I both growl. Kennels? He keeps shifters as pets? I slam to my feet, and Skylar quickly jumps to hers. She grabs my hand and pulls me back. “Easy, Wulf,” she murmurs. Another wave of calm blasts through the room. It’s so strong, I gasp and Bree stumbles. “He’s just baiting you.”
“I assure you, I’m not.”
Skylar, despite her fear, loses her temper. She glares at Samuel and growls for the first time since I’ve met her. “I do not belong to you!”
Something flashes in Samuel’s eyes, and in a blink, he’s on his feet with Skylar in his arms. I roar and lunge for him, but Samuel’s goons jump in, holding me back. A couple are holding Bree as well.
Skylar sends out so much of her pheromones that my body sags. I don’t have the strength to argue, much less shift and attack. “Skylar,” I croak.
“I’m all right, Wulf. Stay calm.” She pushes against Samuel’s chest, but he has one arm locked around her waist, holding her against him. His other hand is combing through her hair.“Let me go,”she demands. Her voice is dark, shaking with rage and promising a fight. She mentioned she tried to fight against Victor at first before the hopelessness consumed her. I had a hard time picturing it, but it’s amazing to see.
Samuel leans in, skimming her neck with his nose. “I love this new fire in you, Pet,” he murmurs. “You used to cower from your own shadow.”
He goes for her neck, and at first I think he’s going to bite her, but he starts kissing her instead. I’m going out of my mind, but with Skylar’s calm and two vampires holding me, I can’t do more than growl.
