Total pages in book: 45
Estimated words: 44645 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 223(@200wpm)___ 179(@250wpm)___ 149(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44645 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 223(@200wpm)___ 179(@250wpm)___ 149(@300wpm)
“You’ve seen her?” I reach for the ribbon, but he holds it high and out of my reach.
“Ah, ah, ah.” He clucks his tongue. “Now it’s your turn to offer something of value to me.”
I say nothing.
“A long kiss from those pretty lips and a few touches will suffice,” he says. “And then, perhaps, I won’t kill you.”
He steps closer, pushing a few matted strands of hair away from my face. “What do you say?”
“Sure.” I shrug. “Close your eyes first.”
He looks as if he’s about to oblige for a moment, but then he presses his hands against my chest and pushes me. Hard.
The force sends my body flying against the trunk of a tree, and an excruciating pain radiates through my spine.
Undaunted, I stumble to my feet, holding out the dagger once more.
“Foolish, foolish girl.” He moves behind a red stone, laughing.
“Step into the light,” I say. “Come back.”
“You’re about to regret testing me.” His laughter rings out against the night, echoing through the forest, and then it stops.
The only thing I can hear is sap dripping from the branches above and branches moaning under the weight of snowfall.
Slowly walking toward the red stone, I prepare to attack, but a lone wolf steps from behind the rock.
His grey and white fur glistens under the moonlight, complementing his sapphire blue eyes.
I swallow, hoping he’ll walk past me.
I stand as still as ice, not blinking and barely breathing.
Walk away. Please walk away…
My hopes of him forgetting my existence dissolve when three new wolves appear.
No, no, no…
The tiny man’s laughter rises again, this time from a distance, and the alpha wolf licks his lips. His eyes glow greedily as he bares his oversized fangs, but I’m too delusional to surrender.
“Back up,” I say firmly, sucking in a breath as two more wolves appear. “Back the fuck up.”
I step back, making stabbing motions with my blade, but the pack moves forward. Matching me step for step.
They gradually break away, circling me, and my foot catches on a frozen stump.
Screaming, I fall backward onto the snow, dropping my dagger. I try to get up, but I’m far too slow.
The wolves are now within arm’s distance, growling and snarling, so close that I can feel their warm breaths on my skin.
As if he’s entitled to the first bite, the alpha wolf stands over me and opens his mouth wide.
I shut my eyes, giving in to my final fate.
“Get the fuck off of her.” Gabriel’s voice cuts across the air, rendering us all still.
A split-second passes and I peer through my lashes, watching Gabriel push the wolf away from my body with his bare hands.
The pack quickly diverts their attention toward him, seemingly unbothered by the gun he’s slinging around his shoulder.
Swinging it three times, he stabs one wolf in the eye with the barrel before shooting a bullet between its eyes.
Its final whimper and collapse don’t deter the rest of the pack from gathering around Gabriel’s legs.
Their growls are now in sync, the rhythm so ferocious and loud that it sends owls flying from the trees.
I wobble as I stand to my feet, my fingers trembling as I pick up my knife.
Gabriel fires three shots into another wolf’s face and grabs the alpha by the neck, throwing his body against a tree.
The sickening crack of his spine echoes throughout the forest, and they all stand frozen in shock.
He cocks his gun again, immediately sending the remainder of the pack running wild in different directions.
They never glance my way.
Gabriel slings the weapon over his shoulder as he storms toward me, his eyes filled with rage. “What part of, ‘I’ll shoot you in the back, if you run away from me,’ did you not understand?”
He doesn’t allow me enough time to answer.
“Before I tell you how you’ll be severely punished for this, feel free to say thank you for saving my life, Gabriel,” he says. “That would be nice.”
“Thank you.” I swallow. “For saving my life.”
“Good girl.” He looks stunned by my compliance. “Now, say, I belong to you.”
I say nothing.
“It’s not that difficult, Belle.” He closes the gap between us. “Say, Gabriel, I belong to you.”
“I’ll always despise you.”
“I don’t believe that in the slightest.”
“Then you clearly haven’t been paying attention.”
“I honestly think that if circumstances were different, you’d want me.”
“I still owe you a fight, remember?” I refuse to give in. “I’m still holding a dagger in my left hand.”
“I can see that.” He smiles. “I’m not threatened.”
Unable to come up with something sarcastic to say, I stare into his eyes.
“Do you really hate me?” he asks, cupping a hand around my neck.
“That’s what I said.”
“Thoughts of being with me haven’t crossed your mind once?”
“Not at all.”
“So, why were you watching me bathe naked under the cascade?” His voice is low. “Tell me.”
“What?” My cheeks flush red. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”