Bitter Vows (Crimson Falls 1)

The threat is clear. I can’t escape, not now. I’m not sure which is worse, being murdered by some crazy person in the forest, or being imprisoned for the evening in a beautiful home with a wolf who seems as lethal as he is beautiful.

When we reach a door on the second floor of the house, Lycan pushes it open and steps aside to allow me to enter the room. It’s furnished with a dark wood four-poster bed, an elegantly carved vanity, and two enormous doors that I’m guessing lead to a bathroom and closet.

Spinning on my heel, I take in Lycan as he leans against the doorframe. His shoulders relaxed, arms folded, as he focuses on me. Those deep, luminous, green depths expose my fear as he stares at me from top to bottom and up again.

I ask once more, “Why am I here?”

10

Lycan

Her gaze is burning as she regards me, perusing every inch of me. Those full lips purse into a pout, frustrated at not knowing what’s happening. It’s evident that she’s angry, and I smile.

“What the fuck is going on?” Her arms cross over her chest, causing her tits to perk up as she storms toward me. I expect her to touch me, punch me, or slap me, but she doesn’t. And I find that I want her to put her hands on me.

She’s close—inches from where I’m leaning against the doorframe to her bedroom. The scent of her perfume invades my nostrils, and it takes over my senses as she pins her glare on mine. Her lips purse as her nose scrunches.

“If you don’t tell me—”

Tipping my head to the side, I narrow my gaze on hers. “What? You’ll what?” The challenge in my tone is clear. I quirk my lips at the corner, a smile ready to dance along my mouth as I focus on her.

“I don’t know,” she backs down. “I just need to know why I’m here, what you want with me, and who that man was chasing me. You clearly know him since you were there to save me.”

“That’s a lot of information for a little girl to take in. Isn’t it?” My brow lifts at her in question, and the blaze of her stare sizzles as she narrows her eyes.

“I’m not a little girl. I’m a woman. And I need to know what’s going on. Or I’ll walk home.” In her attempt to walk past me, my hand shoots out, gripping her wrist, tugging it closer to me. “Let me go, Lycan.”

I want nothing more than to pin her down and spank her ass until she’s begging for mercy, I will not show. Keeping my voice calm, I command, “You’ll stay here, Scarlett.”

“No. I don’t want to.” She sounds like a petulant teenager, but I can’t deny her voice is like an aphrodisiac to me.

Chuckling, I push off the doorframe and grip both her shoulders, lifting her off her feet. I walk toward the bed dumping her on the mattress, causing her to bounce on the softness of the bed. “Stay.” When I turn, I expect her next move as she tries to make her escape, but I’m fast, much faster than her.

My arms wrap around her, bringing her back to the bed and pushing her onto her back. Her legs and arms attempt to attack me, but she’s not strong enough, and seconds later, I have her wrists bound to the wooden poles of the headboard and her ankles tied to the foot end.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Her rage bounces off the walls. The poison she shoots at me from her gaze should hurt, but I closed myself off to emotions a long time ago. There are instances in my life I allow myself to feel, and that’s when I’m dominating a woman in a scene.

Other than that, I’m cold, heartless, and unfeeling.

“Let me go!”

“Your screaming won’t earn you your freedom,” I tell her, keeping my tone calm, neutral, which only has her tugging at the restraints that will never let her loose. I’ve bound her too tight, and the sight of her lying there, ready for me, has an effect I knew to expect.

Her vulnerability in this moment has my cock throbbing against my zipper.

I’d love nothing more than to strip her bare and feast on her, but I have things to do. I have a brother to kill.

“Please,” she pleads, her voice turning soft, but the heat in her eyes still dances with a threat of death if she were to wield a weapon. Thankfully, it doesn’t faze me. If I were stupid, if I were years younger, I would’ve wilted for her, but I’m no longer weak.

“You’ll stay. Once I’m done with my business, I’ll return for you.” I make my way to the door. Twisting the handle, I tug it open and step out into the hallway to her screams. Once I shut her inside, her voice gets muffled by the thick wood.