Page 29 of The Forbidden Wolf

Kiana and I had made the startling discovery when we were small pups, wrestling in front of Father’s television. In the mirror, we saw our human faces, but in the screen, we saw our wolves. We could entertain ourselves for hours, making our inner beasts do silly things they would never do when they were in control. But on our thirteenth birthday, we had moved into our separate suites on the floor below Father’s penthouse, and that was the end of that.

But here she was. No longer a pup, but a fully grown wolf. I tilted my head, and so did she. I wrinkled my nose, and so did she. I stuck out my tongue, and so did she. I smiled, and her lips pulled back, revealing her sharp fangs. But even if I had let her out down in the ballroom, those fangs weren’t sharp enough to save us. An Alpha Heir had made his claim, and only my father had the right to refuse.

He chose to accept.

And then he gathered our pack and left.

The Elder Wolf had refused to continue the ceremony because the Eternal Ring had been broken, but for all intents and purposes, I now belonged to Sebastian.

That’s why he could have me locked in a room eighteen stories above Fifth Avenue. I was his property. Right here in the Twenty-First Century.

“You’re wrong,” I said out loud, making my wolf jaws gnash. “I’m sheltered, not stupid. I know humans are still a mess in a million different ways. But I’ve seen enough movies about to know how good they are at something we won’t even consider.”

And what might that be?

I picked up the small black remote lying on the white dresser beneath the screen and ran my thumb over the confusing array of buttons.

“Changing,” I replied. And then I turned on the TV.

Instantly, three powerful knocks rattled the door. I startled, throwing the remote over my shoulder. It banged against the wall and landed with a clatter atop the gilded molding framing the ivory sofa.

“Elyse?” Sebastian’s muffled voice came from the other side of the door. “Is everything alright?”

The absurdity of his question under the circumstances drew my mouth into a furious pucker. I crossed the room in two strides and planted myself in front of the door, ready to accept whatever consequences would come from thoroughly dressing him down once he barged through. But nothing happened for a long moment.

“Elyse?” he finally repeated, jiggling the knock. “Are you—?”

“What do you want?” I snarled.

A heavy pause, and then, in a perfectly polite tone, “To enter?”

“You don’t need permission,” I scoffed. “You’re the one with the damn key.”

The lock clicked, and the door swung inward so fast it nearly sideswiped my face. As it turned out, Sebastian was already dressed down. No more red velvet jacket, just a rumpled white dress shirt with the top two buttons undone, showing off the vulnerable hollow of his throat. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and his thumbs were hooked on the pockets of his black trousers, which were held in place by a pair of black suspenders stretched over his shoulders.

I took a step back, mouth suddenly dry. This asshole really had the audacity to kidnap me and then show up at my door looking like he wanted to take me to a dance party in steerage. He must have misunderstood my reaction because a cocky grin spread across his stubbled cheeks, and he leaned one shoulder on the frame.

“You know, I’ve never met a female with a mouth like yours,” he laughed. “I mean, what you said when you first saw me downstairs—”

My cheeks flamed. “I don’t normally—”

“I don’t mind,” he said. “It’s what I was thinking too.”

“We are not mating,” I said and started to close the door.

“No, that’s not what I—” He caught the door and held it ajar. “Of course we’re not. That would be completely inappropriate before we’ve completed the ceremony.”

“Oh, a gentleman,” I sneered, pushing the door as hard as I could against his hand, but it wouldn’t give an inch.

“I like to think so, yes.” He wedged one foot and shoulder into the space between the frame and the door. “I’m not going to hurt you, Elyse.”

“You already have,” I growled, throwing all my weight into the door. “Go away.”

He winced a little as the knob pressed into his ribs. “I realize that I put you on the spot earlier, but your sister is gone, and there is no further need to spare her feelings. Though I dare say it might have been less hurtful if you’d simply told the truth. We cannot help what we are to each other.”

I pulled back my lips and showed him my fangs. “We are nothing to each other.”

Sebastian’s mouth twitched. Like he thought my canines were cute.

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