Chapter 4

I must have fainted—whether from the shock of the situation or from sheer exhaustion after hanging upside down for so long—because when I came to, I was being lowered onto a soft, clean-smelling couch.

What was that scent? So masculine…

Wait, where was I?

Everything came rushing back to me in an avalanche: Paul on top of me, his erection pressing against me… and then the blood.

That sarcastic smile. Those threatening, confident eyes.

I opened my eyes just in time to see the man draping a blanket over my skirt, which had ridden up!

Our eyes locked for a few seconds, and my first instinct was to kick him in the face with all my strength. He tumbled backward over the couch, looking genuinely surprised, and I jumped to my feet, grabbing the first thing I saw—a heavy book. I was ready to throw it at him, just like I had done with the stone.

"You despicable pervert! I won’t be your sex slave! If you try to touch me again, you’ll regret it!" I threatened.

The wolf stood up and wiped his nose, which was bleeding. I also noticed he was dressed now, in a pair of worn-out jeans and a dark blue T-shirt, both equally faded.

He looked at me with a cold, silent stare, and a few seconds later he repeated, almost in disbelief:

"Sex slave? Is that what you thought?"

"What else would you have dragged me here for?" I shot back, my voice trembling.

He took a deep breath and looked me up and down, from my feet to the top of my head, with an appraising expression that made me shrink.

"Don’t hold yourself in such high regard, female. You don’t meet the requirements to be my sex slave."

"Ha! And what would those be?" I had no idea why I asked, but at that moment it felt important.

He gave me that same smug, appraising look again, but this time I puffed out my chest—and he seemed to notice, if only for a second.

"The first requirement is to be beautiful," he said, then simply turned his back and walked off into another room.

"What? Did you just call me ugly?" I shouted, and the male stopped, slowly turning around.

"Does it matter?"

"Of course it does! First of all, because you’re wrong! I’m not ugly, and I meet all the requirements to be a sex slave!" By the goddess, what was I even saying?

Marius looked at me, visibly confused, until he asked:

"Why does it sound like you’re applying for the position?" he questioned, and I could see how much it puzzled him.

I swallowed hard. How stupid could I be?

"I’m not! I just meant you shouldn’t go around calling people ugly," I blurted out too quickly.

The male crossed his arms and tilted his head to the side, as if thinking over what I’d said. Then he turned and disappeared into another room.

I quickly looked around. I was in a fairly large cabin, well-kept, with a big dark couch and an area I assumed he used for cooking—though I didn’t see a stove or any sign of electricity. There were candles and a lantern in one corner, wooden cabinets, and the door.

Yes, the door. My way out—I just knew it.

I ran toward it, just as the door Marius had disappeared through seconds earlier swung open.

He realized where I was headed in an instant, but didn’t move.

I grabbed the doorknob and twisted hard, throwing my weight against it to force it open, but it didn’t budge. I let out a frustrated sigh when I realized it was locked.

I turned and looked back, to where Marius was.

He had sat down on the arm of the couch, and when our eyes met, he pulled a cord from around his neck—dangling the damned key.

I clenched my teeth in anger.

"If you’re not going to kill me, and you say I won’t be your sex slave, then why keep me here as your prisoner? Why did you kidnap me?" I burst out.

"How old are you, female?"

"My name is Jane!" I growled.

He crossed his arms.

"Just Jane?"

"I’m an orphan."

He nodded, looking uncomfortable for the first time.

Marius cleared his throat before saying:

"My name is Marius Blaine."

"I know," I blurted out without thinking.

"Of course you do. The mad wolf who slaughtered his own pack in a fit of insanity," he said, his voice bitter—and I could see how much it seemed to trouble him.

"Why did you kidnap me?"

He sighed.

"How old are you?"

"What does that matter? I want to leave! It’s obvious you don’t want to kill me—otherwise you would’ve already done it."

I turned to the door and started kicking and pounding on it, letting my emotions take over.

No way was I going to stay prisoner to a mad wolf like him.

"I want out! Help!" I screamed desperately.

Then I felt hands grab me by the hair, dragging me by force to the couch. I looked into those dark eyes and realized he wasn’t even using a fraction of his strength—holding me by the hair with just one hand, while the other bound both my wrists together like shackles.

"No one’s going to hear you out here. We’re miles away from any road or town, and no one knows this part of the forest. You’re completely alone here with me, Jane."

Marius shoved me onto the couch, forcing me to sit while I struggled against him.

He had released my hair, but his hand was still clamped around my wrists like shackles. I tried to kick him, but he pressed one of his large, heavy legs over mine, pinning me down.

"What are you doing! Let me go!"

"Stop fighting, you crazy female. Don’t you know I could snap your neck without effort? Are you not afraid?" he growled.

I was—but in that moment I was consumed by rage.

"What do you want from me? Why did you kidnap me?" I panted, nearly breathless from fighting his grip.

It was only when I finally gave up that I realized how close we were.

I could feel the heat radiating from Marius, his masculine face and those threatening eyes locked on me.

"When will you turn eighteen?"

"In a year. I just turned seventeen."

Marius let out a deep sigh and loosened his grip on my wrists, though his leg still pinned mine. After a long pause, his enigmatic, piercing eyes still fixed on me, he revealed:

"You’ll stay with me until you receive your wolf."