MasukCatherine’s POV“Where were you!?” Simon’s voice hit me before I even saw him.I turned to my left and found him standing near the end of the hallway, shoulders squared, eyes burning. He looked like he was one breath away from snapping my neck in front of everyone.“You’re late,” he hissed as he closed the distance in long, angry strides.His hand shot out and clamped around my arm, fingers digging into the soft flesh just above my elbow. He yanked me toward him hard enough that my heel scraped against the floor. Pain flared under his grip. “Where the hell were you!?”In the past, I would have kept my head down and let him drag me wherever he wanted, telling myself he was just stressed, just under pressure, just being the Alpha.Not this time.“You are hurting me,” I said, my voice louder than his, clear enough to bounce off the walls.Several heads turned. Almost immediately, some conversations paused. A few council members near the door glanced over, eyes flicking from my face to hi
Catherine’s POVI was crumpled against the car, my legs trembling and breath coming in shallow gasps. I had just exploded in his hands, a wave of ecstasy crashing over me that left me utterly breathless!The realization sent a wave of embarrassment and desire crashing through me. I didn’t want to turn around, didn’t want to face him. My body was still trembling with the aftershocks of my orgasm, my pussy throbbing with a need that I couldn’t deny, no matter how much I wanted to.His breath was hot on my neck, his body still pressing against mine. “Turn around, Katarina,” he commanded, his voice a low growl. I hesitated, my cheeks flushing with shame and arousal. He gripped my hips, his fingers digging into my flesh as he spun me around to face him.I kept my eyes downcast, unable to meet his gaze. He tilted my chin up, forcing me to look at him. His eyes were dark, filled with a hunger that made my stomach flutter. “You came so beautifully, Katarina,” he murmured, his thumb brushing a
Catherine’s POV- R18My mouth went dry. I swallowed again, the lump in my throat tight and painful. I didn't have to ask what kind of payment he was demanding. The memory of his lips, his hands, and the utter consumption of the night before made the answer sickeningly clear.“Can you just take me to council house and forget about this?” I whispered, the plea sounding weak and desperate even to my own ears. Almost immediately, I wanted to curse myself. Why do I sound as if… as if… He let out a short, sharp snort of disbelief. Then his hands were on my shoulders, spinning me around with an abrupt force that stole my breath.Before I could process the movement, he was pinning me against the cool metal of the luxury car parked directly in front of me, his hard body pressed close to my back. My purse fell forgotten to the concrete floor. His scent, wood smoke, leather, and something uniquely him, enveloped me entirely.“Let me go!” I gasped, it sounded like a ragged protest that was immed
Catherine’s POV“What the hell are you doing here?” I snapped the second he slid into the driver’s seat. He looked smug, of course he did.“Am I not here to fetch you?” he said as he leaned in, way too close.I jerked back on instinct. “I’m warning you. You’re in Emberfang. You—”I cut myself off when he suddenly reached across me. His hand brushed my arm as he grabbed the seatbelt, pulling it over me like I was incapable of doing it myself. Heat crawled up my neck, and I wished the ground would open up and bury me.He clicked the buckle in place, then stayed right there, close enough for me to see the amusement in his eyes. What in the Goddes's name is he doing?He suddenly leaned even closer.The space between us shrank until I could feel his breath against my cheek.“What were you thinking?” he asked again, his gaze locked on mine.My eyes widened before I could stop them. Heat flared in my face, crawling from my neck to the tips of my ears. For a split second, my mind went blank, w
Catherine’s POV“What the hell was that?”What in the actual hell did I just do?I paced from the foot of the bed to the door and back again, bare feet dragging over the rug, my hands buried in my hair. Every time I tried to slow my breathing, another fragment of last night shoved itself into my head and my lungs forgot how to work.Ethan’s mouth.His hands.“Fuck!” I squeezed my eyes shut. That only made it worse.At some point, the storm outside had faded to a dull roar, like white noise. At some point the lamp had burned low. At some point my lungs had stopped shaking and I had fallen asleep.In his bed.The memory of waking up made my stomach twist. The sheets were tangled around my legs, muscles aching in ways that told me exactly what we had done.Ethan lay beside me, one arm over his head, the other on his stomach, my marks on his skin and his on mine. That realization scared me more than anything.Before I could think, panic took over. I slipped out of bed, ignored the soreness
Catherine’s POVI did not have time to understand what Ethan was doing.The knock had barely faded when he pulled away from me, his body leaving my own in a rush of lost warmth. My legs almost buckled, but his hand closed around my wrist again and he dragged me across the cabin before I could catch my breath. Suddenly my back met solid wood. The impact pushed the breath out of my lungs as he pressed me flush against the cabin door. One of his hands stayed wrapped around my wrist, pinning it beside my head, while the other flattened against my hip, holding me in place. His body caged mine there, heat and weight and the faint scrape of his shirt against my front.On the other side, Simon’s voice came again, closer, irritated. “Ethan. I know you are in there. Open the door.”"What do you need... brother?" Ethan asked, his gaze fixed on mine."Just open the fucking door!"My eyes went wide. If he had not been holding me against the door, I was sure my knees would have given out. What in







