Page 10 of The Reaper's Vow
“Do you honestly think I am about to let you slip through my fingers so easily? Coming here was a mistake,” he growls, his voice dropping even lower as he leans in so close I can feel his breath through the eyeholes of my mask. “Not one male will let you walk out of here smelling so fucking good. Not until you’re bred.”
My heart hammers against my ribs. I try to pull away again, but his grip remains firm. Not painful, but immovable.
“I can smell him on you,” he continues, disgust evident in his tone. “A human male. His scent clings to you like a disease.” He leans closer, inhaling deeply near my neck. “I could teach you what it's like to be with a real wolf. What it's like to be fucked properly.”
“I don't need to be fucked by anyone,” I hiss, finding my courage. “Least of all you.”
“You have no idea who you're talking to.”
“I don't care if you're the king. Let. Go.”
His grip tightens around my wrist, and before I can fight back, he's pulling me away from the wall, dragging me toward a dimly lit hallway at the back of the club. I dig my heels in, but these ridiculous stilettos offer zero traction on the polished floor.
“You're not going anywhere,” he snarls low enough that only I can hear. “Not until we figure out exactly what to do with a rogue she-wolf in heat.”
I struggle against his hold, careful not to use my full strength with so many human witnesses around. “Let me go. You have no right?—”
“I have every right,” he cuts me off, voice dropping to a growl that makes my wolf whimper despite my anger. “As an alpha, I can take whatever the fuck I want.”
Two men materialize on either side of us, their expensive suits and blank expressions marking them as security. They flank us as the masked wolf continues dragging me down the hallway, away from the main floor and any chance of Britney seeing what's happening.
“My friend will look for me,” I warn, desperation creeping into my voice.
“Your human friend will be told you left with a handsome stranger,” he says dismissively. “It happens here all the time.”
The hallway stretches before us, doors lining both sides. He reaches for a door handle, and I see my chance. I twist my wrist sharply, using a technique my father taught me years ago—one quick jerk with all my strength. His grip loosens just enough, and I wrench free.
“Fucking bitch!” he snarls, lunging for me.
I kick off the ridiculous stilettos and bolt down the hallway, my bare feet silent against the polished floors. Behind me, I hear shouting and the thunder of footsteps. My heart pounds in my ears as I race past door after door, testing handles as I go. Locked. Locked. Locked.
“Stop her!”
I glance over my shoulder to see the security guards giving chase, their human speed no match for my wolf-enhanced legs. But the wolf moves faster, gaining on me with every stride.
The next door handle gives under my desperate grip, and I throw myself inside, slamming it shut behind me. I fumble for a lock, but there isn't one. Panic rises in my throat as I back away from the door, searching for something to barricade it with.
That's when the smell hits me—copper and iron, hot and fresh. Blood. So much blood.
I turn slowly, my senses overwhelmed by the metallic tang filling the small room, and freeze.
A man stands with his back to me, and another on the ground before me, unmoving, with blood pooling around his body.
Damien
I'm still staring at Marco's body when the door flies open, slamming against the wall with enough force to crack the hinges. The gunshot must have been louder than I thought, despite the room's soundproofing.
My head snaps up to find a woman frozen in the doorway, her face obscured by an elaborate cat mask. Her eyes wide underneath it with a pair of cherry red lips parting in shock. She's not supposed to be here. No one is.
For one charged heartbeat, we face each other, and then her attention drops to the corpse at my feet, the still smoking gun inmy hand. Her breath hitches, a small, strangled sound that slices through the silence.
Fuck.
Before I can move, she bolts, turning on her heel with the fluid grace of prey that knows it's been spotted by a predator. I lunge forward, but I'm too late. She's already halfway down the corridor.
“Stop!” I roar, my voice reverberating off the walls.
She doesn't even slow down. Smart girl.
