Page 6 of Betrayed Wolf Mate

“Ah, is this better?” He blinked again, and his eyes were suddenly normal. The irises were still that coal-black, but besides that, they looked like any other human’s. When I nodded, he said, “Good. I want my bride to be comfortable.”

I took a large step back. “Look, you really don’t want me,” I babbled. “I don’t know what Farrow told you about me, but I’m probably the worst person imaginable to be your wife.”

“Oh, he told me plenty about you.” The way he said it, and the lecherous look he gave me made my stomach churn violently. “He told me all about how you thought you fell in love with an outsider, and how he abandoned you. He told me how you’d do anything to make up for it. And he told me just how obedient you are when it comes to the pack.”

I took another step away, and my back slammed into a corner. When had I backed up this far? “I think you’ve got the wrong girl,” I said.

“On the contrary. I’m pretty sure I’ve found the perfect woman.” He closed the distance between us, his body pressing me further into the corner, trapping me in place. Instinctively,I raised my hands to push him away, but he grabbed my wrists and pinned them over my head with one strong hand. “And from now on, your only loyalty will be to me.”

“Let me go,” I said, heart pounding as I tried to wriggle out of his grip. My wolf was snarling, hating being touched by the demon. His grip was stronger than a shifter’s, but there was nothing I could do.

“No.” The grip on my wrists tightened, nearly strong enough to break bones—and I knew if he wanted to, he could. “You belong to me now. I can do whatever I want with you. And the sooner you learn that, the easier time you’ll have. So unless you’re particularly stupid, that shouldn’t be an issue for you.”

That was too much for my wolf. Before he could do anything else, I shifted, transforming into a dark-furred wolf and pushing Akron away. The demon stumbled, surprise flicking across his features for a brief moment before being overshadowed by anger and distaste.

My wolf snarled, fur bristling, looking around for a way out. She didn’t want to be contained. We’d been too compliant for too long, and this demon was a step too far. She bared her fangs, ready to lunge toward the demon’s throat.

Akron scowled, then faster than my wolf could track, he was right in front of us. His hand darted out, grabbing me by the throat and squeezing.

“Not so compliant, after all,” he mused. “Change back now before I crush your windpipe. And don’t think I won’t.”

I had every confidence he would crush us like a bug if we disobeyed him any further. My wolf resisted for a moment longer, then complied. We shifted back, and my hands shot up to his fingers, trying to pry them away from my throat as I choked.

Akron smirked. “Good girl.” He released me, and I collapsed to the ground, coughing, my hand rubbing my throat. He stood over me, regarding me with cold amusement. “So you do have some fire in you after all. I’ll have fun breaking that.” He crouched next to me until his face was directly in front of mine. “You are mine now. You’ll do everything I say, or you’ll be punished. And I meaneverything. Do you understand?”

I wanted to scream. I wanted to claw his eyes out. But all I could do was nod meekly.

“Good.”

He stood and strolled over to the door. The lock clicked, and he pulled the door open. There was a creature that had been waiting on the other side. If I hadn’t known any better, I would have said it was a chubby baby with bat wings and razor-sharp teeth, but there was no way that was what I was seeing because that was just too absurd.

“One of my underlings,” Akron said when he saw me staring. “You’ll get used to them.”

The underling grinned, baring its teeth in a way that made it seem like he wanted to sink his fangs into me.

“Show Stella to her new room,” he said to the underling. “I’d advise you lock the door after her. She’s still having a hard time adjusting.”

The underling nodded and glided over to me. He grabbed my arm and jerked me to my feet, nearly yanking my arm from its socket. For a small creature, he was unnaturally strong. He gave me another of those horrible grins.

“I think you’ll like your room,” Akron said conversationally as if nothing had happened. “I considered moving you into my room initially, but I figured that could waituntil after the wedding. I figure it’s best if you stay here until the wedding so you don’t get any ideas.”

He was afraid of me running. I didn’t say anything but looked away. “When is the wedding?” I asked.

“The sooner, the better, I think,” he said. “I already have the dress picked out for you. I think two days works, don’t you? That way, you can get some of those wedding jitters you’re clearly dealing with out of your system beforehand.”

Before I could respond, I was dragged out of the room. I didn’t even try to fight; I was too numb. I just let the underling drag me like a puppet through the huge mansion and up a marble staircase. After what felt like several hundred halls, he opened a door and pushed me inside. The door closed behind me, and the lock clicked shut.

The room was beautiful. The four-poster bed was massive, with a plush comforter and comfortable-looking pillows. Light streamed in through a large window on the other side. Elegant and clearly expensive drapes hung on either side. The room was large and tastefully decorated. There was a door that led to a private bathroom with a giant tub complete with jets. It would have been gorgeous if it weren’t a prison.

I walked over to the window and glanced out. This room was on the third story, and the ground seemed impossibly far below.

I glanced down. My clothes had been shredded when I had shifted, and I was completely naked. That was at least a problem I could do something about. I looked around and saw a closed door. Maybe there were clothes in there. I opened it and froze.

There were clothes in there, but they were all skimpy and form-fitting. The most conservative of them would show nearlyeverything. I wasn’t a prude by any stretch of the imagination, but these were so obviously meant for every part of my body to be on display. The fact that there were no other options beyond these nearly made me vomit.

But it was either wear these or be naked. I took a deep breath, resigning myself, then began flipping through the options. My hands froze as they gripped a creamy white dress. It was sheer, except for the chest and a small section of the skirt. It would cling to my body as the train ran behind me. It was unmistakably a wedding dress, and an incredibly revealing one at that.

I ran to the bathroom and vomited.

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