Page 11 of The Piece You Stole

“Don’t do this,” I whisper the words as I fight with everything I have. All my energy has to go toward breaking free, so I can’t spare anything to scream or shout. “Please don’t do this.”

But it’s pointless. Nothing I’ve ever been able to say can convince Rylan of anything.

“Nathan,” he snaps.

Nathan grips the back of my hair and jerks my head to one side, forcing me to stare at a silver chain and open handcuff attached to the wall.

He’s baring my neck to the wolf Rylan will soon become. And then…

The thought makes me struggle harder. “Let mego.”

“Let’s see if we can’t get this to work.” Rylan’s tone is brisk, all business-like efficiency.

Out of the corner of my eye, I watch it happen.

It’s seamless. Easy.

In the Cerberus, Dariel fought not to shift. He tore a chunk out of a solid wood bar trying to stop himself from doing it. But he couldn’t.

Rylan doesn’t hold back. A heavily muscled black-brown wolf bursts out of him, silver eyes glinting as he prowls toward me.

I try to swallow my fear. I try to be strong and let anger win out over terror.

He closes the distance between us.

I fail.

My terror crawls up my throat and makes my breathing ragged.

I feel Nathan harden against my ass. He swallows most of his moan, but I catch the tail end of it.

Sick fucking bastard, that this is what gets him off.

Hot tears well in my eyes. Hatred for Nathan, for Rylan. For this utter…powerlessness.

And then the wolf is right there, his breath hot on my throat.

I meet his metallic silver stare, will him to remember I’m his mate. That he once lapped my bruises and comforted me when I cried. “Don’t.” My whisper is a thread of sound, but it’s nothing less than me begging him not to do it.

A wolf bite changes you. Reshapes you into something else.

Change is never easy, and it’s never painless. At least, that’s why I tell myself it feels like someone is pouring acid on my throat.

Once is enough to scar you, mentally and physically. More than that…

I’m not the same. I willneverbe the same Saige Leo as before that first bite.

The wolf’s teeth pierce my skin, hot like a knife cutting into me.

It burns. How does it hurt even more? Tears fill my eyes. Overflow. But he’s oh socareful. There’s a reason for Nathan to hold me just right. One wrong move and I would be free of this hell. Rylan intends for that never to happen.

I bite my lip until it bleeds. When it’s not enough, I bite my tongue, choking down the blood and the agony as fire eats my throat. Tears splash on my cheeks, an endless flow of them, dripping into my ear and soaking the hair around my head.

The wolf lifts his head.

I sag against Nathan, every muscle quivering from the sudden release of my tension.

It’s over. He’s done.

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