“I don’t want to know about it.”
“You will,” he insisted. “We’re linked.”
“Then break the link! I want a divorce.”
He paled, and for a moment she felt sorry. As far as he was concerned he had the woman he married. She had a stranger, a man she had never known.
“I can’t break the link.”
“You mean you won’t!”
“Sophia, only death can separate us from now on. You might seek a divorce according to human law, but our bond is stronger. It can’t be broken. Not by me or anyone else. The only way to get rid of the ache we have to be together is for one or the other to die.”
Chapter 2
Sophia followed the scent of coffee to the kitchen and paused in the arch leading into it. Jack stood at the stove frying bacon. She recalled how he had gotten into an argument with Sebastian the night before and how she felt when her husband left. Her heart had gone with him. Even now, she would give just about anything to see him or to hear his voice. That was one thing Sebastian hadn’t lied to her about, and she wished he did.
“Good morning.” Her voice hardly rose above a whisper as she stepped into the kitchen. “Any way you can spare a cup of coffee?”
He glanced over his shoulder at her and smiled. She almost sighed in relief because he didn’t appear to be angry with her or look at her weird for sleeping with and marrying a shifter.
“Of course. I’m making breakfast for all of us.” He pointed with the spatula he held. “The coffee’s ready. Help yourself.”
Still self-conscious, she poured a cup of coffee and sat down at the table. Cream and sugar were already there, and she stirred some into the mug as she thought. “Jack, about last night… No, what I really want to ask is…” She swallowed.
He turned to face her. “You’re wondering about my family history.”
“No! I mean yes. I know you and Sebastian are half brothers.”
“We have different fathers but the same mother. His father was alpha over the pack that Sebastian leads now. His grandfather headed the largest pack on the east coast.”
She stared. “Largest pack? You mean of wolf shifters?”
“Yeah. There are various packs around the world, but their numbers have been dwindling in the last few decades.”
She processed what he was telling her, but it boggled her mind. “Your mother knew?”
He grinned. “Yeah, she knew. You’ve seen them, right? All tall, handsome, irresistible to a woman.”
Sophia heard a note of jealousy in his tone. Jack wasn’t bad to look at himself. He was muscular as well, and handsome, but he wasn’t blessed with height. She guessed he was about five foot nine at the most. Jack and Sebastian didn’t look alike either. Where her husband’s hair was dark, Jack’s hair was chocolate brown just like his eyes. Nevertheless, there was something sexy about him. The scar on his cheek made him appear rugged where just the light in Sebastian’s gaze gave off a feeling of danger. She could understand how Jack would feel inferior to the shifters when it came to looks.
“Why aren’t you afraid of them?”
He narrowed his eyes. “There’s a group of humans who are strong, trained, and devoted to ridding the world of these animals. They’re called hunters, and their one goal is eradication.”
Panic stirred in Sophia’s gut. “K-kill them? My—” She was about to say husband, but the raw sensation inside would have come out in speaking the word. She hated Sebastian for lying to her and tricking her, but she didn’t want him dead.
Yeah, right. You hate him.
She shut her eyes. “Sebastian is your brother.”
“Half. And I didn’t say I sought to kill him.”
“I don’t understand.”
He turned away and began removing the bacon from the pan. He spoke while he beat eggs. She wondered if he was the cook between the couple and if Harper would wake up in time to eat.
“I want to force Sebastian to stop what he’s doing. If I can get the Guard away from him and get him off this throne he’s placed himself on, then we can see change. The shifters in his pack could be killed, and my half brother could be convinced to live a quiet life.”
“What is he…? Never mind that. What is a Guard?” She wasn’t ready this early in the morning to find out what her husband was up to, and she hoped it wasn’t eating humans. That would be too much to take. It might send her over into insanity. Yet, what else could it be?
Jack raised his eyebrows as he looked at her. “You dated him for two years, and you didn’t see the Guard?”
“See them? Who?”
He gestured, appearing frustrated with her ignorance. “Two of them were here last night. Ava isn’t a Guard, but I suspect she would have been assigned to you.”
“Look, this coffee hasn’t woke up my brain yet. Would you please explain what the hell you’re talking about?”
He set down a huge bowl of scrambled eggs on the table, far more than two or even three people could eat. “The alpha is surrounded by what is called The Guard. They are big. They are tough, and if anyone ever wants to get close to Sebastian, they have to go through The Guard. But that’s impossible because they are extremely loyal to him, like slaves. They don’t breathe without his say so, and if he orders it, they will slaughter anyone at the drop of a hat.”
She shivered.
“Now you understand a little of what you’re dealing with. And don’t doubt it, Sophia. Sebastian has given that order before, and he’ll do it again.”
She dipped her head and let the heat from the coffee warm her face. A chill raced through her body and wouldn’t be calmed. “I can’t deal with this.”
“I’m sorry.”
They were silent for some time. She tried not to replay Jack’s words in her head, but they stampeded through anyway. Her husband wasn’t just a shifter. He was a murderer. That was grounds for divorce, right? She almost laughed. No judge would think she was sane if she walked into his courtroom claiming her husband wasn’t human and that he had murdered people. Besides, she had no proof. Even as she thought of Sebastian, she imagined his gentle eyes when he looked at her. From day one, he was so attentive, so perfect. He spoiled her rotten, spending so much money on her, taking her anywhere she wanted to go.
So now I’m thinking of staying with a monster for material gain? Jeez!
She could live alone without him even if he refused to give her a divorce. The weight of the idea pressed down on her, making her stomach turn and a pain start in her head. Just the prospect of a life without him seemed too much to bear. Maybe it would get better with time, or this was just the stress of everything she had learned about her new husband. No one could blame her for the turmoil she felt.
“Jack, is it true? He said I’m bonded to him and that I can’t resist him.”
He looked at her and hesitated. “I’m not familiar with every detail of—”
“Jack, please.”
“Whether you’re bonded to him or not you can decide not to be with him. You have a desire for him, but it’s not a command to your body. Do you understand?”
She groaned. “Do these hips look like I regularly ignore my physical desires?”
He grinned. “You seem like a strong woman to me.”
They sat down to eat after Harper wandered into the kitchen looking like she hadn’t slept a wink. Sophia didn’t blame her what with all the activity the night before, including Sebastian ordering her out of her own house. Their conversation hadn’t lasted long, but it must be traumatizing. All of it was Sophia’s fault for falling for a sexy man with money. Everyone knew that crap was a red flag.
“I was thinking you could go back,” Jack said.
Her fork clattered to her plate, and she snatched it up quickly. Harper gazed at her boyfriend, but Sophia couldn’t read her expression. Sophia took a minute before responding because both panic and hope rose inside her. She was ashamed of the thrill that surfaced at the suggestion.
The l
ast thing Sebastian said last night as he held her face between gentle but firm hands was, “I love you, Sophia. I married you because I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I can’t insist that you trust me, but I want it more than anything. I want you more than anything.” After he left, she ran into the bathroom and sobbed into her hand. All she had wanted to do was chase after him. It took Herculean effort not to run behind his car like a lovesick fool.
I’m one of those stupid women. No! It’s the shifter poison or whatever it’s called.
“You’re not serious.” There. That sounded outraged enough without showing her confusion.
“Here me out.” He set his own fork down and folded his fingers together. “You can get us information and report back to me. Maybe you could even get Sebastian away from The Guard.”
“Never mind about my life, I guess.”
Harper came alert enough to speak. “He would never hurt his mate, and he would never let anyone else hurt you. That’s how wolf shifters are.”
“How can you be sure?”
Harper started to answer, but Jack held up his hand. She fell silent. “Sophia, a shifter’s mate is like the other half of him. You’ve heard the human stories like that. ‘My better half’ and so on. Humans joke, but it’s serious with shifters. It’s literally true.”
She smirked. “Not literally.”
He frowned. “You know what I mean.”
This was no time to make fun of him. Especially since she was actually considering what he said. Maybe today she could see Sebastian. No, she couldn’t. She’d be tempted. Sleeping with him after finding out the truth of what he was seemed wrong.
Even as she thought of it, memories of their night together washed over her. Before she noticed him changing, his touch had lit her body on fire. She’d been putty in his hands. All he had to do was stroke her skin, and she whimpered with need. Then he’d grown claws that ripped the sheets, and he’d made love to her so aggressively.
Damn, she was wet. No shame whatsoever. Talk about depraved. “Uh, I don’t see how I can be of any help. You said The Guard never leaves him, although I don’t remember seeing anyone around.”
He stroked his chin. “To keep you from finding out the truth he probably kept one or two close by while you dated. Since you didn’t see anyone, they may have been ordered to keep their distance. That works out for us. If you go back, you can say they scare you and you want to be alone with him more as you go out. You’ll use your feminine wiles and flatter him. Tell him he’s plenty strong all by himself to protect you and himself.”
She squirmed in her chair. “I don’t feel right about tricking him like that.”
“So it was right for him to lie to you for two years and then trap you into bonding with him?”
She clenched her hands into fists. “No, it wasn’t right!”
He nodded.
“All you’re looking for is to get the others alone, right? You don’t want to hurt Sebastian?”
“He’s blood although I hate to admit it. The shifters can’t make new shifters like the folklore teaches. Once it’s down to Sebastian, he won’t have anything to do other than to live a quiet life. We’ll rid humanity of them forever, and you can feel good that you helped turn the tides in the struggle, Sophia.”
She set her fork down because her appetite was gone. “Trust me. I don’t feel good about any of this. I’m scared to go back, but something inside me longs to. I hate it.”
But I love Sebastian.
“Will you go?”
She steeled her resolve. “Yes, I’ll go.”
Chapter 3
“Sophia.” Sebastian climbed out of his burnt orange BMW wearing a pair of black jeans and a white oxford shirt. This was as casual as she had ever seen him. He looked amazing with the top buttons undone, giving her a peek at his muscular chest. Her heart skipped a few beats as he approached. Already she could pick up his yummy scent.
I could be a wolf.
She froze, half panicking. This was not the time to think like that. “Hello, Sebastian.”
“Baby.” He almost moaned the words as his hands came up to stroke her arms. Chills of delight rocked her system. “I was so glad to get your call. You made the right decision. Trust me, we will be happy together.”
She raised her chin. “Look, slow it down, okay? I’m still not sure. I told you on the phone that I wanted to learn more about y’all. I’m not ready to act all lovey-dovey. I want my own room, and I don’t want you trying to seduce me.”
His beautiful eyes narrowed. “You’re my wife.”
“Temporarily.”
“Permanently.” A low rumble started in his throat but as quickly as it surfaced, he snuffed it out. She stared at him in shock. He had always been a little more dominant than she liked, but this was even beyond what she had seen in him before. “Sophia, you must understand what it means to be my mate. For that matter what it means to be the alpha’s mate.”
“No, you need to understand who you married. I’m not like you, and I’m not comfortable with all this.” She gestured to him and to his men, standing alert near his car. Three big ones this time without the woman, and all of them rode in his car. She saw her privacy flying out the window big time.
He tensed even more and took her arm to lead her several feet away from the men. The way he glanced back at them something told her he still wasn’t happy with the amount of space. She recalled that canines had a good sense of hearing. While she dressed Sebastian down, telling him what she wouldn’t accept, his men must have heard every word. Even with them several steps away, she bet they could still hear, and it annoyed Sebastian.
“Sophia, I will be patient with you,” he promised. “We can take our time, and I will teach you everything you need to know about myself and about my people.” He captured her chin and tilted it upward to touch his lips to hers. A zing of pleasure shot through her entire body, and her knees almost gave out.
He invaded her mouth, dancing his tongue along hers, tasting and tantalizing until she was breathless. His arm came around her waist, and he hauled her closer. She bunched her fingers into his shirtfront and held on for dear life.
Push him away, Sophia.
He took his time kissing her, almost as if he sought to prove to her and to the men watching who she belonged to. Thinking that way brought her anger to the surface, and she wrenched from his hold and dragged a hand across her mouth.
Her husband appeared unrepentant as he straightened his shirt. “You’re my wife. As I said, I’ll be patient as long as you need me to be, but you won’t tell me I can’t hold you or touch you—”
“Sebastian.”
“—because that is more than I can bear.”
She clicked her teeth together as warmth stole over her.
No, don’t fall for it. He used those sweet words on you from the beginning, and you fell for it.
That’s how she got into this mess. She licked her lips and put a hand up to her hair. Although everything inside her wanted to run, she stiffened her back. She had made the decision to help Jack, and that’s what she was going to do. Never mind that she still loved Sebastian. Jack assured her he wouldn’t kill his brother.
Sebastian led the way to the car and nodded to one of the men. The man jumped into action to open the door for them, and Sebastian helped her into the vehicle. He slid in after her, and one of the other men took the opposite side. The driver slipped behind the wheel.
Sophia squirmed, trying not to look scared as she listened to the third man loading her suitcases into the back. She wondered when they retrieved her things. Her car had broken down on the road the night she ran away, and she had left them in the trunk. Sebastian probably sent someone to find them and transfer them to his car.
The third man climbed into the front passenger seat, and they were off. Sebastian gestured to him. “Baby, this is Alex, my right hand man. The driver is Michael, and beside you is Tom.”
She hugged herself. “I met them
at the wedding. You told me they work for you.”
He nodded. “They do, but more importantly they are my Guard. The Guard are the closest shifters to me. They are always at my side.”
She didn’t bother telling him that Jack had already informed her. “There were a few people at our wedding, and you led me to believe they were just employees. You said you don’t have any family except Jack. Is that true, or did you lie about that as well?”
Alex twisted around to glare at her. “You’ve disrespected Sebastian enough for one day.”
His eyes glittered with anger, and she shrank against the seat. Sebastian wrapped an arm about her shoulders and glared at Alex. “You have disrespected me by speaking to her that way. Don’t do it again, or you’ll pay for it.”
Alex growled. “I apologize, Sebastian, but she needs to know her place. No one talks to you like—”
“Quiet!”
Sophia’s eyes grew. Alex’s head went down so fast he bumped his forehead on the seat back. It almost looked like Sebastian’s order forced Alex to bow his head, but that couldn’t be right.
“Sophia is my mate,” Sebastian announced, “and as such she’s to be respected in the same way you respect me. Got it?”
“Yes, sir,” the three men echoed together.
She gulped and peeked over at her husband. This was no time to get all cowardly. She made the decision to come back, and she was going to hang in there. Besides, no man was going to tell her she needed to know her place, wolf or no wolf. He didn’t know who he was talking to.
Sebastian took her from her thoughts when he leaned over and pressed his lips close to her ear. “Easy, my love. We can smell your fear, and it…does something to us.”
She jerked away and blinked at him. “Does something?”
He shrugged but didn’t explain, and she recalled the night he came after her. When she kept moving away from him, he followed. It seemed then that he got a kick out of chasing after her. Maybe it gave him a thrill that she was afraid? No, that wasn’t right. She studied his face and then dared to peek at the others. Except for Sebastian, the men all seemed tenser than when they arrived to pick her up. Her fear agitated them.
Married to the Wolf Page 2