Page 69 of Alpha Wolf's Nanny
But Felix didn’t answer. He was already moving, the bond between him and his pack thrumming with fury and focus.
He didn’t care whether it was Red Teeth or someone else. Someone had broken into his home. Someone had threatenedhisfamily. Perhaps the world had gotten far too used to Felix, gentle giant of the shifter world, reasonable golden boy of politics.
They had forgotten his teeth.
And he would make them regret it.
Chapter 21 - Cassie
Cassie came to with a gasp, her head snapping forward, temples pounding like someone had driven nails into her skull. The air was thick with rot and rust. Metal, oil, and something far more sinister. Her wrists ached, and when she tried to move, a sharp bite of pain told her she wasn’t going anywhere.
Her arms were bound tightly to the arms of a wooden chair, iron cuffs digging into her skin. Her ankles were shackled to the legs below. The chains rattled when she shifted, the sound far too loud in the cavernous warehouse around her.
She squinted against the sickly fluorescent lights flickering overhead. Cold concrete beneath. A line of industrial shelving behind her. Crates stacked in shadows. And to her side…movement.
A low, guttural growl vibrated through the air, sending terror shooting down her spine.
Cassie’s heart slammed against her ribs as she turned her head toward the noise.
Rick.
He was in wolf form, fully shifted. His massive frame paced restlessly behind thick bars of reinforced iron, the kind used for exotic animal enclosures, the door held closed with multiple padlocks as thick as her arm. His fur was matted with dirt and sweat, his eyes wild. No trace of his usual icy calculation. No clever arrogance.
Only raw, snarling rage.
“Rick?” she called out softly.
He lunged at the bars with a howl that made her flinch.
His teeth snapped inches from the metal. Saliva dripped from his muzzle.
He didn’t seem to see her. Or, if he did, it didn’t register.
Cassie’s breath caught. He was too far gone. The drug, maybe? Or just the fear? She wasn’t sure. But whatever veneer of control Rick usually held, it was gone. And without that, she was on her own.
Footsteps echoed from somewhere behind her, slow and deliberate. Her blood turned to ice.
“I see you’re awake, sweetheart,” a voice drawled.
The man stepped into view, a cruel grin stretched across his pockmarked face. She didn’t recognize him, but she knew who he was all the same. They had found her. After so many years, they had finally tracked her down.
“I gotta say,” he went on, arms spreading wide like they were catching up over drinks, “you’re a tough one to track. Crossed the damn country. Buried yourself in a town so backwoods it’s practically off-grid. I’m almost impressed.”
A flashing glint in his hand caught her eye, and she saw the serrated blade in his hand, wickedly sharp and poised to attack. The man saw her eyes tracking the knife, and laughed, low and wicked. “See something you like, sweetheart? Don’t you worry, you’re gonna get very well acquainted with this thing before the sun’s up.”
“How did you find me?” she choked, wrestling against her restraints, panic clawing her throat.
The man grinned. “See, we’ve got this thing called motivation. Caught wind of you a few weeks ago, been tracking you ever since. Clever idea to surround yourself with mangywolves, there was a moment there I thought we wouldn’t get close enough to you without alerting your precious guard dog.”
“Weeks?” Cassie repeated, her heart dropping to her stomach.
“Oh yeah, sweetheart. We caught a lucky break, though. From the sounds of things, Red Teeth is a nasty piece of work. I’ll have to send him a bottle of wine for getting your protector out of town.”
“You’re working with Red Teeth?” Cassie spat, narrowing her eyes.
The man scoffed, “Hardly. I’m just opportunistic, love.”
Cassie swallowed hard. “What do you want?”
