Page 64 of The Wolf's Kidnapped Mate

A guttural growl clicked slowly out of his throat. In a few seconds, his midnight fur changed into pasty peach sun-spotted skin. Gray streaked through the black hair on his head—or what was left of it, seeing as he was balding. Beady black eyes ensnared me, taking me right back to that truck in Tehran.

“Hello, gorgeous,” Bernadetti said through a sinister smile. “Aren’t you missing my tongue already?”

Oh. Sweet.Goddess.

Disgust mingled with utter terror as I stared at the man who had caused this entire mess. The betrayer. The defector. The man who’d blown up our vehicle and traumatized the entire team. He stood with his arms outstretched as though he werea deity offering his services to the people of Earth. The three wolves circled him, dark fur guarding his most vulnerable parts.

Every so often, one of them snarled. But they remained mostly quiet. Because they were badly injured.

Except for Bernadetti.

Don’t shift, Fred warned.

But I was already halfway there. I wanted to know why this man was chasing me. I wanted to know why he had betrayed us—and how in the world he had managed to change his wolf form.

Those beady eyes grew wide upon seeing my nude form. I ignored the obscene way he licked his lips as his eyes trailed my body. I remained still, trying to keep him from seeing my reaction to his invasive observation.

“I don’t understand,” I said carefully. “How is it you? How has it been you?”

“You would be amazed what they sell in the black market overseas.”

I frowned. “Is that why you did it?”

He stroked his chin, his eyes never once leaving my chest. “Did what?”

“Betrayed us.”

Shadows cast over the meadow. Clouds were crowding the moon, taking our spotlight for our wicked reunion. My heart skipped a beat as I noticed his eyes became reflective. Normal for cats. Unusual for wolves.

“They paid more,” he said simply. “They had better perks.”

“What could be better than defending your friends?”

He laughed bitterly. “You mean your brother and his ghastly best friend? No, thanks.” He waved off my question like it was some kind of inside joke we shared. “But you, dear Kylie. I never lost sight ofyou.”

My throat locked up. Every muscle in my body seized, sending me into freeze mode instead of letting me fight or flee. I couldn’t communicate with the boys because I was in human form. I was on my own.

But maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing.

I forcefully loosened my shoulders, shaking out my hair and rustling it with my fingers. I took a hesitant step forward while biting my lip, urging my body to do as I instructed despite the danger present.

“Well, that’s good to hear,” I lied in a low, raspy voice. “I was wondering why that lick you gave me made me feel…things.”

Bernadetti cocked his head. “Did you miss me?”

“How could I not? You always gave me so much attention.”

I advanced a few feet, minding the way his wolves eyed me. Yet regardless of their warning snarls, he pushed their heads away and stepped forward. “I knew you felt something for me.”

“I’ve always felt something for you.”

Anxiety crawled at the back of my neck. I watched the boys drop low in the grass, giving them an edge as Bernadetti kept his focus on me.

A gun cocked on the porch behind me. “Not one more step, Berns.” That was Cora.

I held up a hand to keep her from shooting. “No, I need to speak to him. I need to tell him how I feel.”

Bernadetti drew closer, stopping within a few feet of me.

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