Page 45 of Wolf Cursed
For some reason, his calm, steady demeanor pissed me off. I spoke through clenched teeth. “A fucking wolf.”
“That’s ridiculous,” said a familiar voice from the doorway. “I don’t fuck anyone when I’m in wolf form.”
Kai’s sarcasm, or maybe it was him showing up here at all, only spiked my temper more. Not to mention the hurt. Which I refused to acknowledge. Why in the hell Kai’s secrets were hurting my feelings was not baggage I wanted to unpack. I hardly knew the guy. He sure as shit didn’t know me. Why did it matter?
“What the hell do you want?” I demanded.
Instead of answering me, he looked over at Oscar, their eyes meeting across the space and conveying much more than I could understand. “I can take it from here.”
“You sure?” Oscar asked.
Something like worry flashed in Oscar’s eyes. Worry for Kai. It would have made me laugh if I wasn’t such a mess. Hadn’t Oscar just saved mefromKai? And now he wanted to save Kai from me?
“Yeah, I think we need to get some things out in the open,” Kai said, his gaze hard and glittering as he stared at me. “For her own good.”
“If I hear that phrase one more time—” I said, my fists clenching as I pictured how satisfying it would be to knock Kai for a loop Idrissa-style.
Oscar nodded slowly. “All right. I’ll be upstairs if you need me.”
I had no idea if he meant me or Kai. Maybe both. He gave me a concerned look as he left.
When we were alone, I stood up and walked over to the counter, leaning against it. Something about that stool, and being lower than Kai, didn’t feel right.
He smirked knowingly, which only made it worse.
I glared at him, enough anger left in me to keep me from giving in to the nerves that trickled down my spine now that we were alone. And underneath it all was that same visceral lure that always seemed to pull me toward him. Why did I always want what wasn’t good for me?
“You okay?” he asked.
His words almost surprised me into being nice, but this was Kai. I knew better.
“Yes, no thanks to you.”
“You have no idea what kind of thanks you owe me.”
“What the hell is that even supposed to mean?” I demanded. “You want me to thank you for scaring the hell out of me and almost eating me?”
He blinked slowly as my words registered.
My cheeks heated at the innuendo I’d just accidentally made. The air between us seemed to thicken with tension, and I wondered if he was seeing the same mental images as me. Isaac hadn’t been wrong about the deliciousness that was Kai. Just the idea of him eating…
Ugh. Stop it, Ash!
“I was never a threat to you,” he said, forcing me to refocus.
I crossed my arms. Mostly to hide the fact that my nipples were hard now.
“Then why did Oscar have to tackle me and get me out of there? I saw you growl at me. Seems like you were the threat in that scenario.”
“I would never hurt you, Ash.”
His expression, the way he said it—I had no doubt in my mind he meant it. And more, I’d never felt threatened by Kai’s wolf. Only surprise. And awe. He was huge. And beautiful, although, I didn’t plan on telling him so.
“I growled in response to the others picking up your presence. And what I knew they would do if they got to you. I told Oscar to grab you, and I stayed behind to make sure you weren’t followed.”
It was incredibly terrifying to think he was telling the truth. I’d nearly been torn to shreds back there, and my brain couldn’t let me go there. If I did, I’d lose my mind. Or maybe my bladder. Covering my fear with sarcasm was so much easier.
“So, you what? Fought an entire pack of wolves for me? Right.”
