Drenched in terror, I tried to rein in my thoughts as they ran wild.
Where’s my phone? Is the door unlocked? Maybe I can outrun him. What if he shifts? Enrique locked the office, so I can’t hide in there.
While my brain scrambled to recall the layout, all I could fixate on were his blue sneakers. Noah didn’t wear colorful shoes or uniforms, and the absurdity of it made me want to laugh.
Noah walked around a stack of boxes and sat on the large one. When I scooted away, he raised his hand. “Be a good girl and stay right there. I’m gonna win back your heart—I promise, baby. Now, tell me what that three-legged mutt can offer you that I can’t. He doesn’t have a job, so he can’t provide for you like I can. Do you think a man without an arm can protect you? A pack isn’t permanent. If you’re kicked out for some unforeseen reason, where will you go?”
Noah never used hypotheticals; he was the master of veiled threats.
“Nothing’s permanent,” I said, trying to placate him. “But I’m enjoying the bookstore and want to see where it goes.”
“You can do that here.” He gestured to the boxes and towering shelves. “I’ve got access to all this inventory, and if Enrique finds out we’re together, he’ll give you a sweet deal. Come home with me. I was going about it all wrong before. You can turn that spare bedroom into a library if you want. That’ll keep you busy. Sound good?” He wrung his hands, and something in his expression didn’t match his tone. “We can even go to the Council and make it official. It’s about time I made an honest woman out of you.”
Then I noticed the direction of his gaze. I’d worn a brown midi dress with a slit on one side. The turquoise ankle bracelet and matching necklace were ones I’d purchased from Hope since I wanted to make a good impression on Enrique for our meeting.
Noah’s critical gaze was one I recognized; he hated me drawing attention to my body.
“I’m not ready to move,” I informed him while maintaining a rational tone. “We need to be apart. Look at how improved your life is already. You don’t need me anymore.”
His jaw tensed. “You’re a piece of work. Do you really think you have options? Does your crippled wolf know about your heat cycle? Because I bet when he finds out, things’ll change real fast.” Noah leaned forward. “Did you know some men have a heat fetish? The trouble is finding a woman willing because of the pregnancy issue, and nobody wants to deal with illegitimate babies. Condoms are useless.”
I curled my legs close, readying myself.
Noah rubbed his chin, the air lightly accented with his musky cologne. “Lots of men haven’t experienced a woman in heat, and collectors pay good money if she’s infertile. It’s so fucking rare, Cecilia. But you know what the kicker is? Some of these guys like to draw it out so they never fully satisfy the woman, and it causesher a lot of pain. They do it to make the cycle last longer because they’re sadists. I was protecting you from all that. If you think those wolves won’t have a field day with you, you’re living in a fairy tale.” He stood and paced around me. “That’s why I moved you out of Austin. I thought you’d be safe in the country, but I didn’t realize there would be so many fucking wolves sniffing around.”
“And I’d be safer here? In the city?”
“With the right security system in the house, you’ll be as safe as a bird in a cage. You don’t like going out anyhow. We need to get you away from those dangerous wolves. I’ve heard some of those packs like to share their women with the alpha.”
I steered myself in the direction he’d moved and quickly transferred the box cutter to my right hand, which stayed hidden behind me. “They’re not like that.”
“Everyone’s like that, Cecilia. I’ve had you during heat, and I can tell you right now that every fucking man is like that. Once they get a taste of that sweet heat, they’ll never want anything else. Even if those wolves don’t jump on you, they can’t protect you like I can. When word gets out, you won’t be safe. There are lots of perverts who would love to sell you on the black market. Do you have any idea the price you would fetch?”
I lightly gasped.Is this his plan? Please tell me it isn’t.
The thought of him spreading the word to nefarious individuals on where to find me was bad enough, but did he plan on selling me? My mind reeled.
They’re just threats. He’s trying to scare me so I’ll go with him. That’s what he does.
“The best part is, you’re submissive by nature. And not being a predator makes you even more collectible.” Noah crossed his arms. “If you’re not scared, you should be. But you’ll never have to worry about any of that with me.”
When Noah turned on his heel to walk right, I sliced hisAchilles. Before he could scream, I catapulted to my feet and shoved a tower of heavy boxes onto him.
“Goddammit!” he roared.
My feet barely touched the ground as I sprinted to the door. When I tried the knob, it wouldn’t turn.
“You need a security badge!” he yelled out while limping toward me. “That wasn’t very nice, Cecilia. After all I’ve fucking done for you. Your horse threw me off once, you know. I had to teach her a lesson, but maybe I should have taught you one too.” He roared in pain.
I rushed up the yellow stairs that led to the top of the office, the box cutter still in my hand. “Let me out of here and I won’t tell the Council.” I scanned the warehouse in search of another way out.
In the distance, my ringing phone echoed off the concrete floor and tall ceilings.
Noah gripped the railing and slowly ascended the stairs. “You are the most ungrateful bitch I’ve ever met,” he ground out.
“And you have to pay women to have sex with you.”
When his head came into view, his eyes flashed up at me. “You fucking cut me! What the hell is the matter with you? I went through all this trouble to get you a deal, and you fucking cut me with a knife! You’re a psycho bitch.”
