The Wolf Prince

Camille

 “Let me go!” I scream, but he grabs me by my waist, then flips onto my back, his hand clamping over my mouth.

My eyes widen as I stare at the man straddling me. His long, raven black curls fall over his face,  dark eyes staring with a question in his eyes. He has a well-defined jawline with perfectly proportionate lips.

“You’re not a wolf,” he says in a monotone voice. I struggle against this hold as he leans in, sucking in a breath.

 I whimper softly, refusing to just give in. If he plans to kill me, he had better be ready to fight me off. I bring up my knee, then kick in his groin. He grunts and then loosens his grip on me, and I let out a glass-shattering scream.

“Will you keep quiet? I’ll—” He is about to say, but police cars approach us, sirens wailing.

“Why did you do that?” He asks me, his voice calm and eyes boring into me. “Get off me!” I shout, but he leans in when the screeching sound of tires comes.

“I guess we will be spending more time together.” He says, then he gets off me. Flashing me with his very naked body, his entire body is covered in tattoos, his torso so hard like he spends his entire time in the gym, my eyes trail down to the one place I’m curious about. I stiffen. No, I can’t look there, no matter how curious I am.

“Officers...” He beams with a smile. I’m lying on the cold asphalt road, between his legs. My eyes were fixed on his face.

“Hands up!”

 “Oh, yes.” He is still smiling. “I forget how you humans are so dependent on weapons.” He turns to me, smiling vividly. I hold his gaze. Does he find this amusing?

“Like what you see, spitfire?” He asks with amusement in his voice. “I can hear your heartbeat,” he whispers to me. “Get them to back off, and I might let you touch,” he freaking smiles at me, then winks. People are taking pictures of him, but he doesn’t seem bothered by it.

I roll off the ground, then stare at the officers. I back away from him, trying to keep calm.

“Is he bothering you, Miss?” The female officer asks, her gun pointing at the wolf. I swallow hard. I have never been in such a situation.

I know wolves are not allowed in our territory. I have heard what happens to wolves who dare to enter the town without the right documentation. I don’t want to be the reason he goes through that.

I glance up at him, and he doesn’t look like he could hurt me. “Umm…” I stutter. “No. He wasn’t... He...” What the heck is wrong with me? I do not stutter when I speak.

“He wasn’t. If that’s all,” I turn on my heel, ready to head to the restaurant so I can head back home. To Eloise.

“I’m sorry, Miss. But you are going to have to come with us.”

 “What?” I stop in my tracks as the officer comes to bar my way.

“No. You don’t understand. I’m not pressing any charges. I just—”

“The law, sweetheart. We need your statement at the station,” the woman says. I look up at the wolf, who is being handcuffed.

 No, this can’t be happening. Eloise will be home alone.

 “No. Wait. I have a sick child at home. I can’t go with you,” I say, but the officer insists, gesturing towards the police SUV.

I glanced at the restaurant, then back at the car. “We had better be going. The sooner we go, the sooner you can leave,” she insists.

 I scoff, shaking my head. Fucking laws. I despise this place with every fiber of my being. The very thought of knowing I live in it fills me with an overwhelming sense of frustration and sadness.

I head back to the car and get into the SUV. The man has been shoved into the sedan ahead of us. “It won’t take long.” The lady says, and I nod.

I watch as the streetlights fade, being driven away from home. It will take me an hour just to get to the restaurant. I curse whatever god we pray to.

When we arrive at the police station, they take him straight down to the holding cells with silver iron bars.

 “What’s going on? I thought—”

“You’re not pressing charges. I understand that, but he needs documentation to be in this part of the city,” she says to me, leading me to a desk.

“I will find someone to take your statement,” she says, then walks away as I scoff. She can’t be serious right now. There are only five officers at this place.

“I need to make a call,” the wolf says, his eyes locked on me. He hadn’t stopped staring at me since the moment he walked into this room.

I shift uncomfortably, looking away from him.

“Can you tell us what happened?” The officer asks, sitting down in the chair in front of me. I take in his pale skin and bored eyes. He probably doesn’t want to be here.

“Nothing. Like I said to the lady, I’m not pressing charges. He just jumped on me and—” I pause, looking at him. He’s a wolf. Could he know what’s wrong with Elosie? I inwardly ask myself. I shake my head. I can’t risk it.

“Listen, I don’t have all night. Did or did he not harass you?”

“He didn’t. Now, can I go?”

“No. We still need to take both statements,” he says lazily.

“Listen. I have a sick eight-year-old waiting for me at home. I can’t stay here the entire night,” I retort.

“I don’t care. You—”

“What did you just say?” I ask him, and he sighs heavily, sitting back. “Listen, young lady. I’m just doing my job. I will take both your statements then—”

 “There will be no need for statements.” A deep husky voice comes from behind me, and I turn my head towards him.

He is dressed in a black suit, and his dark curls are combed back. His jaw tightens as I narrow my eyebrows. Leonardo Pavard. The wolf king?

“Leonardo Pavard. To what do we owe this—”

If this is the wolf king, then that’s…my eyes drift over to the man who is the reason I'm here. Holy shit. Prince Salvatore.