o P

stood there, the glass of water now empty in m

only by the crackle of the fire. He was studying me, his gold

and begging. He was a Lycan prince, a creature of power a

know how to

a step

ramrod straight, a primal, instinctive response to a predator's approach

his gaze, my expression a care

noticed. A flicker of some

was a low rumble, like distant t

"I thought. "But

My voice was flat, devoid of emotion. It was the voice of so

er move he d

the room in two strides, tearing my dress from my body, an

did something

dragged it across the floor. The sound of its legs scraping against the wood w

ent from the path of my memory, that my heart skipped a

ir look small. "Bradford Cote," he said, his voice laced

let the bare, ugly truth of it hang in the air bet

t was a snort of pure derision. He wasn't l

lked over to a large wardrobe, pulled open the doors, and retrieve

ds were harsh, an order from a superior

ound my shoulders, grateful for the barrier it created.

arming his wolf, allowing the man to think. My

a wild moment, I thought he was just going

f was pr

nd on the handle, and looked

o Br

bles silently before speaking it aloud. "Clio.

ulling the heavy do

cking into place. A moment later, the soft tread o

been moved from an invisib

g windows. I pushed aside the heavy velvet curtain. Outside, a dense, moonlit fore

de, leaving a hollow ache in its place. I sank to the floor, my back against the cold wall, and le

The tears had run

t with my body and my dignity intact. I had piqued the in

needed to get back to Blackwood, back to Bradford. I needed to see his

my past life, I had refused all food, a pointless act of protest tha

cked softly. There was no an

ds were under ord

l, sliding panel at the bottom of the

a piece of bread, and a glass of wa

s order.

I ate, I stared out into the dark woods. This man, this

ut a patient one. He wa

ave to be jus