Page 34 of Fur Ever Wicked
Chapter Seventeen
Adalyn’s forearm burned in agony as tiny letters began to emerge on her skin. Each letter appeared red and raw as if she had carved them with a knife. Blood began to drip from her arm as she raced for her room. If anyone at Black Paw knew what was happening, they would tell Rafe and he’d have her head on a platter.
“Are you unwell?” her brother’s voice boomed in her ears.
Think of the Devil and he appears, her mother used to say.
She quickly turned on her heel to face Rafe. “Sudden headache.” Proud of the fact her voice remained even, she managed to school her face, keeping any trace of the pain she was in hidden. He wouldn’t understand, even if she tried to explain what was happening.
“Wolves don’t get headaches.” Rafe challenged.
“It’s a witch thing. You wouldn’t understand,” Adalyn said before turning and heading in the direction of her room. She didn’t bother looking back to see if he was following or not. If she could just get to her room and deal with the problem, she’d think of an excuse for her rudeness and apologize later. As soon as she turned the corner, she picked up the pace, sprinting up a flight of stairs in an effort to avoid anyone else.
Panic seeped into her pores the second she saw Wade standing at her door, apparently awaiting her arrival.
Of course he was. He had to be. She couldn’t escape anyone’s notice. The whole keeping a close eye on her thing that had been going on since she’d settled in at Black Paw was getting really old, really fast.
Her wolf, who had been eerily quiet, chose that moment to speak up.
“You’re not going to be able to hide this from him.”
“I have to try. He won’t understand.”
“He will tell Rafe, and then we’re toast!”
“Stop!”Adalyn shouted in her mind.“I can’t think about any of that right now. I have to get Wade out of here.”
“Adalyn? What’s wrong? Why do I smell blood?” Wade rushed to her side.
She sidestepped his approach, slipping past him in an unpracticed maneuver that worked perfectly until he caught her arm with his hand, spinning her around to face him.
“Adalyn, what is going on?” he said with more force.
“I’m not feeling well, I need to rest.” Her legs felt like putty. The pain in her head and on her arm suddenly besting her. She swayed forward on unsteady legs, trying to push past him. She had to get away.
The man was like a brick-fucking-wall. He wouldn’t budge, no matter how hard she pushed.
“Adalyn, stop. You can talk to me. You can tell me what’s going on,” Wade begged.
“You must tell him,”her wolf implored Adalyn to tell her mate that her mother was trying to make contact with her.
“There’s nothing to tell other than I need to rest.”
“Why is there blood on your arm?”
She had to give him credit for persistency.
“I—I scratched myself.”
She tasted the lie as soon as it left her lips.
If she could taste the untruth she’d just spoken, he would surely hear it.
“I am your mate, Adalyn. I demand to know what is going on.”
His already husky voice was laced with raw power and command. Sensual and raw—music to her ears. Had he ever sounded so sexy during any of the conversations they’d ever had? If so, she’d have likely jumped his bones right there on the spot, but as it was, her goal was to get away from him, not strip and rub up against him while he whispered naughty things in her ear with that sexy, rough voice of his.
She had to pull herself together.
