Page 18 of Bullied Wolf Mate

Before getting my hopes up, I walked over to the door and examined the handle. There was no deadbolt. Tripping the latch on this sort of lock shouldn’t be too difficult. I wasn’t sure if cardboard would be too flimsy, but it was worth a shot.

Walking to the cereal box, I ripped the flap off, tapping it against my palm to test its durability. Not quite as firm as I would like, but it might do.

I returned to the door, slipping the cardboard in the jam and sliding it down toward the bolt. Taking a deep breath and crossing my fingers, I wedged the cardboard further in, trying to shove the bolt back into the door. At first, I worried it wouldn’t work, that the flap was too bendy. Those fears proved unfounded a second later when a soft click echoed, and the door popped open.

Giving a shaky, relieved breath, I paused, tilting my head to hear if Mark was really gone. When I didn’t hear the creak of floorboards, I crept upstairs.

The door at the top of the stairs was also locked, but the same trick worked. I opened the door a crack, waiting for signs that Mark was around. But I couldn’t hear anything. He hadn’t been lying when he said he was going out, then.

Pushing the door open, I looked around at Mark’s house properly for the first time. I hadn’t gotten the chance to yet, considering how quickly he’d dragged me to the basement. I was in a large living room with high ceilings and an open kitchen on one side. Large windows looked out over the mountains. It was large but cozy, the type of place I might have liked if I didn’t have my cottage. I wouldn’t have expected this type of place for someone like Mark, but at the same time, it made sense.

Trying the front door, I was unsurprised when I found it locked. If it weren’t for the iron still neutralizing my magic—it was really starting to annoy me at this point—I could have magically opened it. As it were, I would have to find a different way out.

I wandered the house, looking for any windows that didn’t have a twenty-foot drop. It seemed like his house was on the edge of the mountain, hence the incredible view. It wasn’t until I came to the other side of the house that I found a window I could use. I pushed at it, and my heart leapt when it budged.

I pushed the window open, inhaling the forest air and relishing the sounds of the wind in the trees and the gentle scurrying of animals. Clambering out, I looked around as my feet hit the ground, half-convinced that Mark would come from around the corner and catch me before I had the chance to evenrun. When nothing happened, I hurried away, running into the woods.

As I ran, I kept my ears pricked, waiting to hear the sound of crashing brush behind me that would tell me Mark had found out I had run away. I knew he could track me with ease if he wanted, so the best chance I had was to get as much distance between me and his house as possible.

It wasn’t long, however, until my legs began to protest and a stitch formed in my side. I grimaced, trying to fight through it. On top of that, I was still weak from Inara’s captivity. I’d gotten back some of my strength, but I knew it would be a long road to recovery. A long road that I could take when I was back at my cottage.

Before long, the stitch in my side was becoming unbearable. I came to a halt, doubling over as I panted, squeezing my eyes shut as I tried to get my breath back under control.

A hand grasped my bicep and spun me around. I screamed as my back slammed against a tree, the bark scraping between my shoulder blades. One hand slammed over my mouth, the other pinning both my wrists above my head, immobilizing me before I could even try to put up a fight. I still writhed and squirmed, screaming into the rough and calloused hand clamped around my mouth.

My mind immediately flew to Inara, my stomach clenching in fear. I had no idea how she had found me, but she had.

Then I looked up and saw not Inara but Mark’s furious face. For a brief second, I wondered if Inara would have been the better option.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he snarled. He released his hand from my mouth.

“I think you can figure that out for yourself,” I hissed. “But in case it wasn’t obvious, I’m getting the hell out of here and away from you. I’m sick of being your captive.”

He growled, eyes burning, but he didn’t release his grip on me. “So you think you’re going to just run off into the woods and do what exactly?”

“Find Declan?” I said. “Run back to my cottage? I don’t know, and it’s none of your business.”

“It is when I’m trying to protect you,” he growled.

“I never asked for your protection,” I spat back.

He leaned forward. My heart leapt into my throat as his mouth came within inches of mine. His breath brushed the hair away from my forehead. From here, I could see each individual eyelash.

“Too bad,” he said. “You’ve got it. Now, are you going to come back with me, or will I have to carry you back?”

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” I hissed. “Let me go and leave me alone from now on.”

“Sorry.” His face moved away from mine as he stood to his full height. “That isn’t happening.”

Before I could react, he grabbed me by the waist and slung me over his shoulder, his strong arm holding me in place. I screamed and thrashed, legs kicking and my fists pounding into his back, but to no avail. Nothing I did made any difference as he trudged back through the woods, carrying me with him. That didn’t stop me from continuing to struggle futilely the entire way back to his house.

He ignored me the entire time, not saying a single word until we had reached his house.

When we got back inside, he closed the door and locked it behind us before finally turning toward me. His body was inches from mine. For the briefest moment, I wondered what would happen if I took a step forward and closed that gap. How he would react.

“Are you going to stay put this time?” he asked, still not letting go of me.

I forced the traitorous fantasy out of my mind and glowered at him. “Fuck you.”

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