da Coo

s, my heart hammering a cha

, he released my hand, stood up, and tossed his napkin

the estate was s

ce of the main house, I scrambled out the door, desperate fo

as he took the stairs two at a time. "Second floor. Private lo

dragged myself up the g

ge embers, casting long, dancing shadows across the leather fur

grotesque, melted flesh on the left side of his face,

ng out a large, calloused hand, perha

ed at me to flee. The sheer biological terror of being touched

ackward, my worn boot catching

backward on my hands and

whimpered, involuntarily slapping hi

k his, the air in the loung

dark, lethal shadow crossing his gray eye. I didn't know it then, but for an Alpha, h

wn at me with pure, glacial contempt. He impatient

e," he stated, his voic

ted to lie, to say I wasn't, but my shivering body betrayed me.

t a short, hu

ur mate, there is no point in this farce,"

d silently from t

ng contract is void. Tell the Cooley Pack their debt is cleared.

Cleared? He was letting me g

gently but firmly pulled me to my feet and esco

h

the frost-covered stone steps. I was free. I began to walk

down, my s

eporters flashed in my mind. He was a monster, yes, but he was a monster who kept h

reezing fists.

knee-deep snow. Every step back toward the

eps came back into view, my visi

t horrific face again screamed in my mind, but I bit my lip and forced myself forward. I reach

ispered, my voice swallo

hit the frozen stone of the porch,