Even in human form, his presence was as commanding as that of his wolf. His gaze burned into mine, a mix of relief and frustration swirling in his amber eyes.
“We need to move,” his touch sent a jolt through me.
We sprinted away from the rogue’s lifeless body, his grip firm but not painful. As we ran, memories of the past flooded my mind, unbidden but vivid.
I remember us running through the forests of the Redwolf pack, our wolves chasing each other, rolling in the grass, and stealing kisses under the canopy of trees.
We’d dreamt of a future together. When my father arranged my marriage to someone else, Harry begged me to run away with him and to cross into another pack’s territory. I wanted to but the fear of my father’s influence held me back. I rejected him. Then he came to my wedding to ask me to live with humans, but I said no for the second time.
*He’s here again for the third time* my wolf said excitedly.
When we were finally far enough from the rogue’s scent, Harry slowed, his breath coming in short bursts.
I leaned against a wall, trying to steady my racing heart. Then it hit me.
“The bakery!” I panic. “ Oh no! No!”
“Seriously? You were nearly killed, and you’re worried about your damn job?” Harry said, annoyed.
I stared at him as if he was crazy. “Of course, I am! I live in the human world now, Harry. They don’t care about rogues or werewolves. All they’ll see is a destroyed storefront and blame me. And who’s going to pay for it?”
His jaw clenched. “You’re unbelievable.” He stepped closer, and continued, “You’ve been hiding here, pretending to be one of them, and now you’re more concerned about a paycheck than the fact that a rogue almost tore you apart.”
I bristled at his tone. “I’ve built a life here, Harry. You don’t get to judge me for surviving the only way I know how.”
“Why are you living in the human world, Princess?” he asked again, emphasizing the last word.
The way he said the title laced with sarcasm, sent a surge of anger through me.
I hated that word. Without thinking, I tried to smack him across the face but Harry didn’t flinch and held my fist. His gaze darkened into mine.
I turned to run, to put distance between us, but I should have known better.
In seconds, he was on me, his speed and strength overwhelming. He caught my wrist, spinning me around and pinning me against the brick wall of a narrow alley.
His body was too close, and the heat radiating off him was suffocating. His hands were firm on my wrist above my head, holding me in place without hurting me.
“Let me go,” I growled.
“I have limited patience,” he said, his voice a low rumble that sent shivers down my spine. “And right now, your scent is sending my wolf insane.”
I shoved Harry with both hands, to have enough space between us and clear my head.
My wolf, however, wasn’t cooperating. Her tail wagged due to the excitement of being close to Harry.
I took a deep breath and straightened my posture. “I’m in the human world because I needed to get away from pack life. I needed peace, Harry.” I stopped short of mentioning the twins. They had to stay hidden, even from him.
He studied me. “I get it. You’ve been through a lot today. Come with me. I have other matters to attend to.”
I shook my head firmly. “I can’t. I need to report what happened at the bakery. If I don’t, my boss will assume I have something to do with the attack.”
Harry’s expression darkened. “You are coming with me.”
With that, Harry grabbed my body and threw me over his shoulders like I didn’t weight anything.
“Harry! Put me down!” I yelled, pounding my fists against his back.
He ignored me completely, striding down the empty street toward a sleek black car parked at the curb. He dumped me into the passenger seat and slammed the door shut. Defeated, I crossed my arms and glared at him as he climbed into the driver’s seat.
The ride was tense, neither of us speaking. When we pulled up to a massive wrought-iron gate, intricately designed with twisting vines, my breath caught seeing a sprawling vintage mansion.
“Is this your house?” I blurted out, unable to hide my surprise. “I knew you were rich, but this? It’s as big as the pack house.”
“How did you know I'm rich?” He wondered.
