hands slid
down her arms and he gathered her against his naked body. He smelled of the
cool evening air and pure man. No trace of the wolf was present, making her
wonder if she'd hallucinated the entire event.
No. It had been as real as him standing before her now.
She shuddered. "He--he was an old friend."
Mace bowed his head and stared into her eyes, as if
searching for something. "Do you love him?"
"No, of course not. Why would you ask me that? What's going
on, Mace?" She brought her trembling fingers to his neck to check for any sign
of injury. "Did you try to take your life? Answer me now."
He shook his head and peeled her hand from his neck. "I told
you Fenton was lying to you." He changed the subject. "Did you kiss that man?
When he escorted you outside? What did you do with him out there?"
"Nothing. We walked around the garden and chatted about
nonsense. What does that have to do with anything?" Her temper boiled.
Obviously she was being deceived, but why? Something was amiss and she needed
to know what. "Damn it, Mace, what is going on here?"
"Did he hold your hand? Did he make you laugh?"
"I asked you a question and I need to hear your answer. I
was told you tried to take your own life and you clearly did not." Thank God.
Instead, he was standing before her, passion in his
expression, interrogating her about another man. How strange that she'd been
thinking about him the entire evening? Even as she was dancing with Stephen,
she imagined being in Mace's arms, warm and secure. Free from the worry of what
anyone thought of her, what her country needed from her. She didn't have to
think about any of that when she was with Mace. With just one touch, he made
her feel like the center of the universe.
None of that changed the fact that she was lied to, made to
believe Mace was dying, when really he was transforming into a beast. What was
Fenton's game? And why was Mace playing along?
"Did you want him, Nayla?" he growled. "Too bad if you do.
You won't be seeing that man again."
"Your jealousy is illogical and unwarranted." Though she
couldn't help but want to calm his worries. She met his piercing gaze and
continued. "Not that I should have to explain myself to you but Stephen hasn't
meant anything to me for years."
"Don't lie to me, Nayla. I saw how you looked at him, how he
made you smile." He grabbed her wrists. "I feel like an idiot for thinking
you'd ever see me as anything other than a monster."
"I've been nothing but good to you, Mace. How dare you try
to make me feel guilty for enjoying an innocent dance." Her pulse pounded at
her temples as his grip on her wrists tightened.
He didn't relent. "Admit you're afraid of me."
"Is that what you want? Do you want to frighten me away? Is
that why you tricked Fenton to believe you were hurt, so I would come up here
and see you like... like that?" She couldn't even say the word.
His jaw twitched as he stared down at her with what could
only be described as resentment. "Let me show you something." He took hold of
her arm and guided her toward the open door.
"Wait!" God, was he going to change again?
"Relax, Nayla," he said through gritted teeth. "I'll stay in
my human form for your benefit. I don't want to alarm the precious Queen." He
picked her up by the waist like a ragdoll, took three long strides and set her
on the terrace overlooking the castle grounds. "Look closely. What do you see?"
The terrace wall pressed against her waist as his large
solid body fit firmly against her backside. At that moment, she didn't know
what Mace was capable of. They were two stories above the hard ground and he
was obviously furious. Her heartbeat sped as the uncertainty clashed with her
need to trust him. Was it naivete or instinct assuring her he wouldn't hurt
her? But there was always that chance... He was a werewolf after all.
She took in a breath. "This is ridiculous. What am I looking
for?" The half moon lit the tops of the surrounding forest trees but
down her arms and he gathered her against his naked body. He smelled of the
cool evening air and pure man. No trace of the wolf was present, making her
wonder if she'd hallucinated the entire event.
No. It had been as real as him standing before her now.
She shuddered. "He--he was an old friend."
Mace bowed his head and stared into her eyes, as if
searching for something. "Do you love him?"
"No, of course not. Why would you ask me that? What's going
on, Mace?" She brought her trembling fingers to his neck to check for any sign
of injury. "Did you try to take your life? Answer me now."
He shook his head and peeled her hand from his neck. "I told
you Fenton was lying to you." He changed the subject. "Did you kiss that man?
When he escorted you outside? What did you do with him out there?"
"Nothing. We walked around the garden and chatted about
nonsense. What does that have to do with anything?" Her temper boiled.
Obviously she was being deceived, but why? Something was amiss and she needed
to know what. "Damn it, Mace, what is going on here?"
"Did he hold your hand? Did he make you laugh?"
"I asked you a question and I need to hear your answer. I
was told you tried to take your own life and you clearly did not." Thank God.
Instead, he was standing before her, passion in his
expression, interrogating her about another man. How strange that she'd been
thinking about him the entire evening? Even as she was dancing with Stephen,
she imagined being in Mace's arms, warm and secure. Free from the worry of what
anyone thought of her, what her country needed from her. She didn't have to
think about any of that when she was with Mace. With just one touch, he made
her feel like the center of the universe.
None of that changed the fact that she was lied to, made to
believe Mace was dying, when really he was transforming into a beast. What was
Fenton's game? And why was Mace playing along?
"Did you want him, Nayla?" he growled. "Too bad if you do.
You won't be seeing that man again."
"Your jealousy is illogical and unwarranted." Though she
couldn't help but want to calm his worries. She met his piercing gaze and
continued. "Not that I should have to explain myself to you but Stephen hasn't
meant anything to me for years."
"Don't lie to me, Nayla. I saw how you looked at him, how he
made you smile." He grabbed her wrists. "I feel like an idiot for thinking
you'd ever see me as anything other than a monster."
"I've been nothing but good to you, Mace. How dare you try
to make me feel guilty for enjoying an innocent dance." Her pulse pounded at
her temples as his grip on her wrists tightened.
He didn't relent. "Admit you're afraid of me."
"Is that what you want? Do you want to frighten me away? Is
that why you tricked Fenton to believe you were hurt, so I would come up here
and see you like... like that?" She couldn't even say the word.
His jaw twitched as he stared down at her with what could
only be described as resentment. "Let me show you something." He took hold of
her arm and guided her toward the open door.
"Wait!" God, was he going to change again?
"Relax, Nayla," he said through gritted teeth. "I'll stay in
my human form for your benefit. I don't want to alarm the precious Queen." He
picked her up by the waist like a ragdoll, took three long strides and set her
on the terrace overlooking the castle grounds. "Look closely. What do you see?"
The terrace wall pressed against her waist as his large
solid body fit firmly against her backside. At that moment, she didn't know
what Mace was capable of. They were two stories above the hard ground and he
was obviously furious. Her heartbeat sped as the uncertainty clashed with her
need to trust him. Was it naivete or instinct assuring her he wouldn't hurt
her? But there was always that chance... He was a werewolf after all.
She took in a breath. "This is ridiculous. What am I looking
for?" The half moon lit the tops of the surrounding forest trees but
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