His inner wolf stirred restlessly, fixated on their destination … or rather on who awaited them there.Gage tightened his control, keeping the beast leashed.For now.
Otto halted before an ornate wooden door.Gage noted the intricate rune carvings spelling out magical wards.Interesting.The Snake King was taking precautions to keep his new prize contained.
With a light touch, Otto unlocked the door.Gage tilted his head, filing away this new information that the little lizard could manipulate the magical barriers.As the door swung open, a feminine voice met his ears.
“You and I both know that with your stumpy, little reptilian legs, you can’t reach the damn knob.”
Gage’s lips twitched.The she-wolf had spirit.He liked that.
Her next words died as she spotted him filling the doorway.Unique, smoky-gray eyes widened.Gage’s chest rumbled with a barely audible growl.Gods, she was exquisite.
Her delicate features were etched with intelligence.That wicked mouth that had been tossing witty barbs was now parted slightly in surprise.His gaze traced over her ivory skin, honing in on the wolf tattoo on her arm, the one identical to his own, marking her ashismate.
Mine.The force of his wolf’s claim nearly staggered Gage.He reached out to grip the door frame tightly, too tightly.The trim on the frame cracked.
The she-wolf’s gaze bounced from his white-knuckled grip to his face.“Did you just pulverize solid wood with your bare hands?”
Gage forced a casual shrug, ignoring the way his heart thundered at her nearness.“It was old.Dry rot.”
She cocked a brow, her gray eyes flashing silver.“Uh-huh.Sure it was.”
Her skepticism made his wolf rumble happily.A worthy mate who wouldn’t cower or simper.One who could match him verbally blow for blow.Oh yes, she was made for him.NO.You can just knock that shit off right now,he told himself, while at the same time, his mind was trying to figure out how to whisk her away without Azure realizing he was the one who had taken her.Yep, he was screwed.
When silence descended, her delicate shoulders tensed.She shifted under the heat of his gaze, her breath coming faster.Gage struggled not to reach for her, to envelope her in his scent.He wanted to mark her so that every Damarian that came near her would know she was taken.She belonged to him, the mate of a dire wolf.
Finally, she blurted out, “So are you my new warden or something?Here to add another lock to my cage?”
Her attempt at humor fell flat, constrained by the wariness in her eyes.Gage allowed a hint of a true smile.“Nothing so formal, Princess.I’m just passing through.”
Eyes sparking fire, she snapped, “Don’t call me that.I don’t belong to anyone here.”
Before he could stop himself, Gage rasped, “No?That mark on your arm tells a different story.”The tank top she wore left both arms bare and molded nicely to her feminine form—a little too nicely considering all the other males roaming around this mansion.That washiswolf on her arm, but no one would know it.The dire wolves never revealed their tattoos.They were marked in a private ceremony, and those marks were only made visible when Visata deemed them so.A Damarian only saw a dire wolf’s tattoo if they were about to die.
Her hand flew to the tattoo defensively.Gage nearly vibrated with the need to replace it with his own hand, to touch her flesh and know how silky it felt.Then the urge to mark her in another way hit him like a two-ton truck.He wanted to sink his claiming bite into the tender flesh at her neck, sealing her to him forever.The unique bond of a dire wolf to his mate, one blessed by their Creator.Two souls become one.
Sucking in a ragged breath, Gage turned abruptly to Otto.He needed to get away from her as badly as he needed to stay by her side.It was a toss-up which desire would win out.“I’ve seen what I need to.Take me back.”
The little lizard gaped between them anxiously.“But Master Azure, he say you to meet her.And take a picture.”
“Take a what?”Katy practically screeched, hurting his sensitive wolf hearing.“There will be no damn picture taking of any kind.I don’t care if you’re hotter than the hottest level of hell.”
Gage ignored his female and skewered Otto with glacial eyes.“I don’t care what that snake ordered.I’m done here.”
Being so close to his mate, the instinct to claim her riding him so hard, was a special kind of torture.It was a new kind of punishment that he’d have to figure out how to implement on his enemies should he ever need to get information out of them.Gage had a feeling it would be quite effective.He needed to put distance between them before he lost all semblance of control.
From the corner of his eye, he noticed the she-wolf studying their exchange with interest.There was no fear, only sharp curiosity.Gods, he liked this female.
“Otto,” Gage growled again, his voice so low it was nearly subvocal at this point.Then he dared to allow himself to look at Katy again.“Stay out of trouble, Little Wolf.The games have just begun.”Gage forced himself out the door, away from the female who set his blood aflame.For now, he cautioned his eager wolf.Soon, we will have her.There was no point in denying it.He could only delay it.But based on his reaction to her, nothing short of his Creator would keep Gage from making Katy his.
Otto scrambled to keep up with Gage’s long strides.“King Azure be mad.He said take damn picture.I heards him.”
Gage didn’t break his pace.His jaw clenched.“Remember when I told you I had zero F’s to give?This is one of those times.”
“He will blame me,” Otto whined.“Say I did wrong.”
Pausing, Gage speared the little lizard with icy eyes.“Cowardice does not become you, Otto.Grow a spine and stand up to that snake.”Just before Otto could scurry away, Gage stopped him.“You have a phone, correct?”
The lizard pulled it out.
