ight had been a series of jerks, every creak in this mansion waking me. My wrists ached, a dull ache where cuffs had cut flesh. Wolfsbane in my vein

's broken me

ble walls. Old oak door, silver lock-a puzzle. A hairpin on the vanity-a jest, maybe.

Click

ine. The pin bent, muttered, snapped wi

lattered to the floor, a pathetic rain of metal. I sank to my knees, pr

nell-"The mate of the Alpha must be strong and unyielding. You are weak, Saphira. You are a liability."-cut

racked the suff

lled back so tight it looked as though she'd used a belt to hold it back, stood there trembling. She

t," she w

oser. "Whe

ay, coffee splashed on the white

ce cracked, a s

bling so much she dropped a napkin. She's afraid of him

the eye. Big and wet wi

eavy and dangerous; Elizabeth wen

ed, a final, i

The porcelain felt wonderful in my hands, even now, a tiny relief from the

iron han

me, black shoes. Eyes sweeping the room. Paused at the br

at me?" He nodded at the cup

aybe I'll hi

led of oranges and smoke-weird, but sort of

id, now close enough to see gold flecks in his d

embarrassment warring

dog growling at its keeper." He snatched the

stayed s

o the velvet chair. I fought, but his hand

he gr

. His breath was cool against my neck, a taunt. Too close. He's too close. My wolf stirred

uffs. "We'll do this again. You're here because I own you

to h

face. "Already been. Several times, actually." He lifted the coffee cup,

echoed in my head: "Young. Untouched. Wild." My

crash against the table, "I want to

me, but I laughed, a hard

n, like an illicit caress. "Italian for 'sapphire.' Fitting." His eyes met mine,

light was flashing the violet in my irises like a beacon. Too noticeable

hed. "Fabrizio

ul. Did you pick

u said it all when you begged." His eyes

the chair's arm.

d me in the chair. "Oh, I dream

couldn't think. I held my brea

tered the fr

liding back into place, like he could turn h

ice a mere mouse's squeak.

, his eyes still pinning me t

tarily thrown of

bundle of fabric at me-a sleek, black dress. The fabric was co

again, and I was alo

window bars didn't move, the lock on the door still taunted me. I tugged at the dr

shadow in the pale morning. His eyes sandpapered o

I snapped. "Whe

, holding out his arm in an invit

. A black sedan idled at the foot of the steps, its windo

hot through me. I jerked toward the car window, but his hea

ash," he said calmly. "You'll beg fo

to my palms. "

owds scuttled down sidewalks. My breath fogged the glass. Twenty miles

but steely. "The doors are child-locked, the windows bulletp

Have you ever thought about going t

ly call it '

storm. Fabrizio led me in, his hand still at my back. I pulled away,

doors opened to a penthouse all marble and angles,

ed, nodding towards a

refused to do so. "W

wall, moving like water, and filled his glass with dark red wine

playing with you. Keep your gu

ween us, unexpected and immediate, his eyes locking on mine, his eyes widening just for a second. For a single

turned fast, hiding

te against the lights of the city. "D

n saying my name. "To feed you

it bored him. "But mostly because you're... confusing.

ckles rising. "I k

ove

tight but not cruel my glass shattered on the floor the noise resonating in the quiet

ice rough. "Bite me, Sap

to know how far you'll go. I leaned in, my mouth brushing ag

hest and shook me. "Careful,

inged, shatter

rd business face back on. A man in a suit rushe

en Fabrizio and me - "there's a break-

off with a gesture. His gaze never left mine

lenged, my voice

make you wish you'd stayed in that cage, Saphir

and I stood alone, in t

a puzzle. But as I stared at the glass shards shining like ice, I knew he was the real questi