Page 12 of Snowbound with the Alpha Wolf
Seven sets of forks went down. Seven pairs of eyes stared at her as if she’d slapped theirleader.
Adrian considered. Saying nothing, he stood and plucked her off the chair asone would pick up a sack of sugar. He lifted her in a fireman’s hold. She beat at his back with her hands, but it was like striking solid rock. Darcy saw the pack watching with avid interest, much as a crowd would observe the aftermath of a carwreck.
A car wreck, all right. And the wreck was her life, and what he did toit.
Adrian marched her out the door then over to his house,up the stairs to the bedroom she’d been assigned. He deposited her on the bed, dumping her gently on the mattress. A gleam ignited hisgaze.
“If you will not share dinner with myself and my pack and treat everyone with respect—and especially myself—then suffer theconsequences.”
“Whichare?”
Bracketing her body between his strong arms, he leaned over her. “Dessert. You.Naked.”
She inched away. “Fine. You want me naked? Nothing butskin?”
Magick flowed through her veins as she summoned her powers. Later, she’d pay the price, but right now she needed to display her incredible abilities to outsmart this wolf. She was no meek, malleable female he could take to bed andcommand.
A second later, she transformed into a hissing, writhing snake. There.Let him try to seduce her now.You didn’t specify which skin,Adrian.
No fear showed on his face, only amusement. Well, time to wipe the smirk off his handsome face. Hissing, she reared her head back, the snake’s instinct to strike overwhelming her. She’d chosen this form to intimidate and make a statement, not hurt him. The black racer’s bite was painful but notvenomous.
Adrianchucked her beneath the chin as one would a baby. “Socute.”
Darcy went to sink her fangs into Adrian’s skin, but to her shock, her fangs did not pierce. It felt like biting pure steel. Jaw aching, she reeled back. He did not flinch. Fear and rage clouded her as he seized her midsection and then held her head, staring into her beady yellowgaze.
“You could turn into a cobra, andyou would not harm me, my sweet. Remember your words in the snow? ‘I give of my life so you may live.’ ” He released her, placing her back on thebed.
Darcy inwardly cursed. She’d given him her magick to pull him from the brink of death. The damn wolf was right. No matter what form she assumed, she could not hurt him. Such were the rules of the selfless sacrifice she’dmade.
Allbecause the goddess ordered her into the snow, to organize the rogue pack of Lupines living in the cave and save Adrian’s sorryass.
Even if it was a rather nice, tightass.
She shifted back to her human form, instantly regretting the move. Too weak to conjure clothing, Darcy lay naked on thebed.
Now he had her exactly as he’d planned—nude and helpless. Darcy curled intoa fetal position, fighting the bone-wrenching pain that accompanied such a swift and brutal transformation from warm-blooded mammal to cold-blooded reptile. Damn, she hated shifting into reptiles, but the snake was the first form she could conjure that she’d imagined would strike fear intoAdrian.
As if this proud, strong alpha fearedanything.
Shivering, she cared not if he seducedher or what he did. Fierce hunger gnawed at herstomach.
She had not had adequate sustenance in more than twenty-four hours, and if she didn’t eat soon, she’d risk falling into a deep sleep. Or muchworse.
But Adrian made no move toward her. Instead, he went to the chair near the window, fetched the red velvet throw draped overit.
He covered her with the soft blanket. Warmthpulsed into her veins, relieving the ache. . “I’ll have a tray sent to your room. All the food you enjoy—fried chicken, fresh green vegetables. You may eat in private and not worry about others observingyou.”
Adrian left, closing the door behind him. Such consideration. So different from the proud, arrogantalpha.
Hell, this was the kind of man she might even fall in lovewith.
She stared at the door, wondering what the hell she’d gotten herselfinto.
