Page 90 of The Reaper's Vow
He laughs, the sound sharp and unpleasant. “So you’ve decided to ditch the pup for someone with more power.” He takes another step toward me, his cologne making my nose itch. “Smart little wolf. He isn’t deserving of a female of your worth.”
“And let me guess you are?” I roll my eyes intentionally. “Sending your goons to kidnap me isn’t exactly how a female of worth, as you called me, should be treated.”
Lockhart’s smile stretches thin, a flicker of irritation breaking through his arrogance before he reins it back in. “A necessary misunderstanding,” he says smoothly. “Soon, you’ll understand why I did it. A female like you deserves an alpha who can give her everything she’s been denied.”
Inside me, my wolf snarls, pacing behind my ribs. She hates this act, hates letting him think he’s in control. Through the bond, Damien’s presence presses against my awareness like a hand at my back, steadying me.You’re doing fine. He’s showing his hand. Just a little longer.
I angle my body slightly, shifting so the harness cuts a sharper line across my skin. His eyes flick down before he can stop himself, and the bastard’s tongue flicks over his lips before he catches it.
“I don’t know what story you’ve told yourself, but you’re not impressing me.”
He steps closer, closing the space between us until his scent brushes the edge of my nose. My wolf thrashes, claws against my skin, but I stay still. Slowly, deliberately, I drag my palms over the tops of my thighs, up my stomach, across the bare strip of skin above the harness, rubbing warmth into my skin as if trying to comfort myself. In reality, I’m pushing the scent of my heat into the air, letting it bloom around me.
Lockhart inhales sharply, pupils dilating. His smile twists into something darker. “Moon above… you smell incredible,” he murmurs. “Do you have any idea what you’re doing to me, little wolf?”
I tilt my head, feigning confusion, though my heart is hammering so hard I can feel it in my teeth. “Do tell.”
His nostrils flare again as he leans in, voice dropping low and hungry. “Your heat is calling to me. Begging my wolf to breed you. Every breath you take is a promise.” His eyes glint like a predator’s. “And you think I’m the one not impressing you?”
Lockhart’s hand twitches at his side, his wolf pushing to the surface, drawn by the scent. He’s seconds away from doing exactly what we need him to do.
“Tell me something, Karina. Did you let him fuck you?”
“Why is that any of your business?” I challenge him.
“Because purging an unwanted pup from your womb will delay my timeline,” he snarls. “Did. You. Fuck. Him?”
I shake my head to prevent myself from retching at the thought. “My future mate will not have to worry about an unwanted pregnancy.”
“Good. I didn't take you for the type to whore yourself for protection, but one can never be too careful.”
The insult burns through me like acid, but I force a calm smile, channeling every ounce of false bravado I have left.
“Your actions drove me to seek protection, So if I fucked Damien, or Elias, or anyone else willing to stand between me and you, that’s onyou, not me. You left me with no other choice.”
His face flashes with fury, and I know I’ve hit the nerve I was aiming for. Good. He leans closer, his breath hot against my face. “It was you who chose the path we find ourselves on now. You ran from me.”
“You tried to kidnap me…twice,” I remind him again. “Despite your best efforts to convince me otherwise that particular fact will never change, Thomas.”
Lockhart’s expression freezes, just for a second, before twisting into something uglier. His nostrils flare, his composure slipping as offense flares like a struck match.
“Careful,” he says quietly, the word edged with a growl. “You’re treading close to disrespect.”
I arch a brow, keeping my tone deliberately light. “I thought we’d already crossed that line.”
His hand slams down on the table between us, the sound cracking through the room. Gabriel takes a step forward, but I lift my palm to stop him. “You think this is a game? That you can mock me and walk away unscathed?”
My pulse spikes, but I don’t flinch. I let my voice go flat, cutting. “I think you’re proving my point, Thomas. You don’t understand the wordno. You don’t even understand choice. You think if you hound me long enough, if you flex hard enough, you can force me into your bed and call it a bond.”
I shift closer to the edge of the couch, leaning forward so every word lands like a strike. “Let me be very fucking clear, Thomas.” My eyes lock on his, unblinking, unafraid. “You will never be my mate. Not in this life. Not in any life. I would rather let my bloodline die with me than ever let you try to benefit from it.”
For a heartbeat, he just stares and then something inside him shatters.
His face contorts, all pretense of control gone. “You ungrateful little—” He lunges, faster than I can breathe, his hand shooting out to catch my throat. The impact sends me sprawling back against the couch, his grip hard enough to bruise.
My wolf surges upward, claws raking just beneath my skin.
Lockhart leans in, his voice a snarl. “I’ll make you remember your place?—”
