Page 52 of Sold Wolf Slave

“We need to figure out what to do about Morgan.”

“Could you be a bit less vague?” Nolan asked, with one eyebrow raised. “As much as I love trying to read your mind, I haven’t quite gotten the knack of it just yet.”

“I want to save her,” I said. “But we’ve already compromised the mission with that failed attempt. We got lucky with the memory spell, but I doubt we’ll have that chance again.”

“So, are we going for the mission or for Morgan?” Chris asked.

“Both. But we need to be stealthier about it,” I said. “Tomorrow morning, we need to go out and do some recon. If we can get more information about the security here, then maybe we can find a way to get Morgan out at the same time we go after Cain, instead of waiting until after.”

“Easy enough,” Chris grunted. “I’ve got a couple of ideas on places we can look.” Nolan nodded his agreement.

“Great. But not a word to Kendra,” I said.

“You think she’s going to do something impulsive?” Chris asked.

I shook my head. “I don’t want to get her hopes up. She’s been through enough already.”

It wasn’t because I worried she would impact the mission, I realized. The reason I didn’t want Kendra to know yet was that I didn’t want to give her hope until I knew more about the situation. She’d already been through enough and was worried enough as it was. If I added to that by dashing her hopes if this attempt failed… I didn’t think I could do that.

I blinked, taken by surprise. I had never felt like that before. It didn’t make sense.

Was I falling for her?

I thought about the way I couldn’t get her out of my mind, how I desperately wanted to keep her safe while also helping her with her sister. I thought about the way she drove my wolf wild, and how I had to control myself whenever she was around, both because I was wildly attracted to her and because she muddied every thought I had about the job I was here to do.

I pushed the thought from my head. I couldn’t dwell on that or give it any kind of consideration. The mission came first. Before my emotions, before everything.

Except, if it came to rescuing Morgan or completing the mission… if it boiled down to that choice, I didn’t know if I would be able to make it anymore.

Chapter 19 - Kendra

I paced back and forth, waiting for Will to come back, forcing myself not to run even as part of me screamed to do just that. Because if I didn’t run, that meant going through the portal. And despite the logic, despite understanding exactly where Will was coming from and his point, that didn’t stop my base desire to stay here.

Leaving and abandoning Morgan went against everything I had told myself over the last several years. I knew Will was right, that this was the best course of action, especially after my fuck-up the other night. That didn’t stop that base urge to stay, that urge I had been fighting and arguing with ever since I promised Will I would go.

If I had to be honest with myself, Morgan wasn’t the only reason I was reluctant to go to the portal, even though I knew it was the right thing to do. Even if I struggled to admit it to myself, I didn’t want to leave Will. I liked being around him. He helped calm some of those rash impulses. And he made me feel safe in a way I hadn’t felt in a long time.

I made a noise of disgust. What the hell was I doing? This was the man I had sworn to hate. The man who bought me because it would have jeopardized the mission had he refused. I didn’t care what he said or how noble his intentions were. He had still bought and married me.

So why the hell could I not stop thinking about him?

Part of me wanted to tell him, to just get it off my chest. If he felt the same way, we could figure out what to do once we got out. Maybe all of this could have a happy ending after all.

I closed my eyes, leaning my head against the wall. Even if I did tell him, it wouldn’t matter. He’d just put the mission first,the way he had this entire time. And I’d only end up hurt. It was better to just keep my feelings to myself and hope they passed by the time this was all over.

In a little bit, it would all be over. I’d be through the portal, probably with Nolan or Chris, until they got me to wherever they judged safe. Then all of this would be out of my hands. All I would be able to do was wait and see what happened.

Just the thought made me bristle with rage. I hated the idea of not being able to help. Except I knew it was what I had to do. It went against every inch of my nature, but it was the only way to keep Morgan safe.

Will, too, that annoying voice added.

No. I couldn’t fall for him. Despite the fact that he treated me like a person, despite the fact that he was the first person I trusted in years, despite the way my wolf felt whenever he was around, despite the fact that I admired his tenacity and could see the compassion that lurked behind it. I couldn’t fall for him. It would complicate everything. And none of that changed the fact that he owned me.

A loud knock echoed through the house, snapping me out of my thoughts. My head shot up, and my eyes narrowed as I turned to look down the hall toward the door. After a pause, the banging resumed.

Unease prickled up my spine. Will and the other Gold Wolves wouldn’t need to knock. And no one else would have a need to swing by.

The last time there had been an unsolicited knock, it had been Pierce, demanding a rematch with Will. Not exactly a pleasant visit. Now, my instincts screamed at me to run the other way, to hide. My wolf growled, her tail thrashing in irritation andpent-up nervousness. She sensed the same danger that I could feel crawling up me.

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