The Wolf King

Camille

The man strides in, his aura radiating from him like a second skin. He looks like a predator stalking its prey.

“I understand my brother was brought here?” He raises a brow, then walks towards the desk where I am sitting, and he takes something out of the black cashmere jacket, giving it to the officer.

His voice is calm, but you can see how his eyes darken that he is pissed.

The officer quickly unfolds the document, and then he goes pale. “I apologize. We found him—sorry, sir. He was…” the man stutters, pushing off the chair, then hurriedly walking over to the cell, opening it.

“I understand,” he replies, not bothering to spare me a glance. Salvatore steps out of the holding cell, his shoulders tense and no longer the smiling person he was when he was on me. Naked.

“I apologize for any inconvenience. Please, if…” the wolf king tries to give me an envelope, but Salvatore is already by my side.

“She doesn’t need anything,” Salvatore cuts in when his brother tries to come closer to me. His hand is clenched around my wrist. I try to pull away from him, but he holds my hand at his side. My knuckles brush his very naked thigh.

“Salvatore.” The wolf king says, his voice is barely audible. “Thanks for bailing me out. But I will take it from here.” Salvatore grabs my hand and then leads me out of the police station. People are staring at us. Everyone knows who the wolf king is. They must be wondering what he is doing here.

“What are you doing…You can’t…” I say through gritted teeth as he drags me towards an SUV that’s waiting outside.

 “Salvatore! We need—”

“We can talk once I’m back at the hotel,” he growls, cutting his brother off, and then drags me to the car. I pull out my hand before he can drag me along with him.

“Let me go! I’m not going anywhere with you; you fucking ruined my plans already. I will not let you do it twice,” I growl, then walk away. I need to get back to the restaurant, but just as I was about to leave, my phone chimes.

I pull it out because it’s the emergency tone I set for Elosie’s number. God no!

“El?”

“Camille… it hurts…” she cries, then a thudding sound comes. “Eloise!” I all but scream through the phone. My heart is thundering, and my hands shake as I try calling her back, but no answer. I rush towards the road standing by the curb. I need to head back home.

I hail a cab when someone grabs my hand.

 “What the hell are you doing? You can’t—”

He all but drags me to the car, shoving me into the passenger seat. “You—”

“You need a lift, right? Let me drop you off,” Salvatore says, then slams the door. My eyes look through the windscreen of the car, and my eyes meet the wolf king’s eyes, who is staring at me with curiosity.

“The address,” Salvatore turns the screen of the tablet to me. My heart is beating fast as I quickly punch in the address to my apartment.

He starts the car, then floors it. “She is part wolf?” He asks me.

“How do you—”

“Your scent. Explains why you smell like that,” he says without looking at me. How do I smell? Do I smell different? I want to ask him, but I focus on the road ahead of us.

“Yes. She is part wolf. Human mum and Wolf father”

 “Has she shifted yet?” he asked.

“No. Not yet.” I say, but he doesn’t say anything, then floors the car. When we arrive in front of the apartment. I open the door before the car stops, and I’m out of it, rushing up the stairs to the apartment. My knees feel so weak, and my heart is pounding so hard.

“El?” I shout immediately when I get into the apartment and I find her small, frail body on the ground, reaching for the phone.

 “El!” I rush to her, scooping her into my arms. Her body is feverish, and her breath is shallow. I need to get her temperature down.

“Let me see her.” Salvatore pushes me aside, checking her temperature. “How long has she been like this?” he asks, kneeling beside me.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I snap, still holding Eloise in my arms.

“How long, Spitfire?” he asks, ignoring me.

 “A day,” I say, my voice breaking as I pull her into my arms. “Give her to me.”

“No.” I shake my head. How could I trust a stranger? Why the hell did he even enter my house? I look up at him.

“I can help her, but you have to give her to me,” he insists.

 He is a wolf, right? He can’t kill his kind. Right? I think as I let go of her, he picks her up.

“What’s her name?”

“Elosie”

He takes her hand, then says something in a language I can’t understand. She shifts, shaking her head.

“What have the doctors said?”

 “They don’t know. They just give her something for the pain every time,” I explain to him, and he nods his head. Speaking to her again in a foreign language.

She shifts, her eyes snapping open; they don’t look like her normal mismatched ones. Instead, they are amber with golden flecks. She growls, then shuts them, her body going numb in his hands.

 “What did you do? What did you do to her?” I growl, pushing him by the shoulder, but he doesn’t respond.

“You! You...How…” I hit his shoulder, trying to pull her in my arms, when he grabs my wrist.

“Look at her.” He orders.

 My heart is pounding so hard, and tears prick my eyes. I drop my gaze to her, and her color is returning.

 “What did you do?” I ask him, taking her in my arms.

“It’s a wolf thing.” He says, shrugging with a smile, cheeks punctuating as he gets up to his feet. 

“Cool place you got here,” he says, looking around the room. “Thank you,” I say, carrying Elosie to the bed.

“You should leave.”

“Is that how you thank me for helping you?” he asks, with a smile.

 “No. That’s your payment for costing me 300 bucks. Now, please leave.” I point to the door.

“I…in the alley…”

“Get out, please. Thank you for helping her, but I don’t want you to scare her or see you again,” I say to him, and he smiles.

“I think we will be seeing each other again,” he says, then puts his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants.

“I doubt that,” I say, because I plan on leaving this place as soon as I get my money tomorrow.

 “Take care of yourself for me, okay?” He turns to me with a smile. My stupid heart thunders so hard, and my stomach twists.