The Wolf and His Wife (Wolf 2)

Why would I want someone else when I could have this?

When I could have my wife?

9

Arwen

With legs made of lead and a rapid heartbeat that wouldn’t slow down, I rounded the corner to the rehab center and found Caspian sitting in one of the booths. A hot cup of coffee sat in front of him, the rising steam visible this far away. An obscure painting was on the wall, and most of the dining area was empty with the exception of a few guests.

There he was…my father-in-law.

His hands were joined together in his lap, and he stared straight ahead, his shoulders wide and his eyes unblinking. He had dark hair like his son, though there were sprinkles of gray within the locks. But his eyes were exactly the same, pools of espresso. His facial structure was similar to his son’s, innately masculine. Maverick must have inherited his softer features from his mother, making him so handsome.

There was still time to turn around and call the whole thing off.

But seeing him there gave me some hope. Lily had called and asked him to come…and he did.

He wasn’t completely heartless after all.

I entered the dining room and caught his attention. His eyes flicked to me, and with a predatory gaze, he watched me approach his table. Just like Maverick, he never gave the impression he was surprised or caught off guard. Like he’d been expecting me the entire time, he was calm.

I approached the table, my heart beating like a drum. I slid into the booth and sat across from him, his bold eyes boring into mine as if they could cut right through me. His wrath was palpable, his desire for murder practically audible. Maverick was nowhere nearby. He was probably at the office at the house, nowhere close enough to help me. I suddenly felt like an unguarded sheep, not nearly as secure as I was when my wolf was keeping his eyes on the perimeter. I was really on my own…and I felt it.

Caspian stared at me with unblinking eyes. He took in my features with a coldness that felt like ice. He slowly moved his hands to the surface of the table, showing me that he didn’t have a weapon in hand. He leaned forward slightly, trying to intimidate me with his glare.

I got the attention of the waitress. “May I get a coffee?”

Caspian’s glare deepened at the way I’d brushed him off.

The hot mug was placed in front of me.

Just to be obnoxious, I took a drink.

Caspian didn’t move.

I set the mug down and regarded him again, coldly but still playful.

“You’re a stupid girl. My son is doing everything he can to protect you, and you’re sneaking around behind his back. He should kill you for that kind of disobedience.”

“Disobedience?” I cocked an eyebrow. “I’m a woman—not a dog.”

“You’re a bitch if you ask me.”

Just when I thought this man couldn’t get worse, he raised the bar. “I didn’t arrange this meeting so you could insult me. I didn’t arrange it so I could insult you either—even though I should.”

“Then what do you want? Other than a death wish?”

I wanted him to be a good person, but that didn’t seem possible. “First of all, I wanted to say I’m so sorry about your wife…”

The apology tugged at his iciness very slightly. He couldn’t hide the surprise from spreading across his face—not this time. He was tense and prepared for an attack or an insult. Instead, he got sympathy.

“Maverick tells me she was a wonderful person and mother… I’m sorry that all of you had to lose her. She didn’t deserve what happened to her, and I’m glad Ramon died a terrible death.”

Now his face was stoic. “If you really meant that, you wouldn’t have interfered.”

“I do mean it. But I don’t think his wife and daughter deserved the same fate.”

“We can argue about this all day, but I won’t change my mind. He raped and killed my wife. I should have done the same to his.”

“Torturing and killing him was sufficient.”

“Not to the man who was married to her,” he said coldly. “Not to the man who raised a family with her, who planned to grow old with her and die with her. How dare you tell me what kind of justice I deserve! You’re a stupid girl who doesn’t know a damn thing.” His hands shook slightly as he fought the fury from taking over his body. His mind was so deeply enmeshed in his sick need for violence that he couldn’t think clearly at all.

“My father did some shady things I had nothing to do with. Now some very bad men want to punish me for his crimes. I know how it feels to be the innocent person who’s guilty by association. I know how it feels to be scared because of something you didn’t even do. I know how those women felt…because I am those women.”