Page 59 of Wolf Desired

I tried to scramble to my feet, but only got halfway up before the force of Cyrus’s wrath pushed me to my knees and consumed that flicker of determination that had told me to stand in the hope that he’d gotten his emotions under control.

But this was just like what had happened with Merrick in those early years. There’d been times when he’d calmed down for a moment, usually when there was a witness, but as soon as the witness was gone…

It didn’t matter if I had a good reason or not for jumping in and saving Knox, I knew what came next. The alpha was always right and always punished those who disobeyed him.

I was a fool to think I was anything other than what I was.

I clenched my jaw, fighting the urge to look down, and failed, my gaze dropping to the polished stone floor in submission. As much as I wanted to be strong, to be someone new in this realm, and as much as I’d momentarily lost my mind and tried to goad Knox into punishing me for talking back to him. I was weak and I’d always be weak.

“You can’t go sneaking around. Ever. It’s dangerous. Knox could have killed you and we would have lost both of you. You,” he growled, his tone growing darker with each word, his control vanishing. “You are not exempt from the rules. You might be mated to one of the pack alphas but you arenotan alpha. You can’t just do what you want whenever you want.”

“Yes, alpha,” I forced out, hugging myself, desperate to stop shaking. “I’ll learn my place, alpha.”

Remember your lessons,I told myself, my throat tightening and my eyes burning with tears.Stay calm. Stay small.

Cyrus growled, the sound a precursor to violence, and I squeezed my eyes shut. I couldn’t let him see me cry. Crying was weak. Crying wasn’t submitting to the will of my alpha and accepting my situation.

Just stay small. He’ll do whatever he’ll do and then it will be over.

Until the next time.

He threw his head back and roared, the sound echoing through the arena, and I flinched, anticipating a strike.

But instead of hitting me or ordering a punishment, he stormed away.

Tears rolled down my cheeks and I fought to stay silent. I couldn’t let him hear me. I couldn’t risk bringing him back.

For whatever reason, he hadn’t vented his anger on me and I needed to keep it that way. He was so much stronger than Merrick or Sterling, both in alpha power and physical strength. He could easily hurt or even kill me. I didn’t stand a chance against him.

God! I didn’t know what had happened. I didn’t understand how Cyrus could turn on me so quickly, but maybe I’d been wrong about him. Traveling together had been extenuating circumstances and this was what he was really like when he was leading his pack.

Except that didn’t match with how he’d been at dinner with his betas and how they’d all been comfortable joking and disagreeing with him.

But none of that really mattered. I’d forgotten myself. I’d let my guard down because I’d thought I was safe when my whole life was proof that I was never going to be safe. Bishop had seemed sincere in his promise to court and mate me, but that didn’t mean I was safe from Cyrus.

A sob broke through and I slapped my hands over my mouth to muffle the ones that were sure to follow.

I’d really thought things were different, but I was even more trapped here than I was in my old pack. The only thing I could do was keep my head down and make myself as small and as invisible as possible.

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