few times as a child, and snorted. The furniture screamed money, but none of it was original. She didn’t know how she knew it was expensive, but an inherit knowledge said it was.
Lifting her shoulders she stood behind a tall chair. “I will not submit to you. I have a mate.”
“Your mate is dead,” he growled.
To her right, the fireplace she’d always imagined hanging a stocking stood. To her left the large picture window, with its garish coverings. Her only exit. A painful one if she was to launch herself out it.
Stay and fight banged at her skull from her wolf.
The giant of a man stepped closer, bulging muscles, with the teeth of a wolf and the eyes of a beast gone mad.
LeeLee decided she’d try to reason with him. “Truly, I’m no good as a plaything. I fight back and bite.” She snapped her teeth together. Her human canines not nearly as impressive.
Just before he could reach for her, she sidestepped, his massive arms missing her by inches. She used her smaller size to outrun him. Goddess, if he got his hands on her she’d be in trouble.
“Ah, I see you are still too slow to catch your prey.” Bianca sauntered in.
Bar growled, crossing his arms over his chest. “You said I could play with her.”
Nodding, Bianca crossed to him. “After I take her to mother, you shall have what is left of her.”
That so didn’t sound promising. Well, she had news for them, she was not going to roll over and show them her belly. Bianca reached out to snag her arm, but LeeLee jerked away. “I will come willingly,” she snarled, a little of her wolf coming to the surface.
“Interesting.”
“ Stay calm, love. I am coming for you.” Slater’s deep rumble soothed her like nothing else could.
“Fine, let’s go, and make no mistake.” She glared down at LeeLee. “I’ll gladly knock you out and have Bar carry you up. Imagine all the things he will gladly do to your sleeping form.”
Do not let her see you tremble.
They climbed the stairs, the same ones she’d once tiptoed down as a child. Her throat clogged with emotion. On the third level, the one where her parent’s room had been, they stopped. She worked to pretend the place didn’t affect her. “This place is huge. Like seriously, out in Cali it would cost you a mint.” She looked left and right, pretending to be enthralled.
“She will know if you are a close relative or not.”
Who this mysterious woman was, she had no clue, but the closer they got to the master bedroom, doom settled deeper in her gut.
The door was the same as when her parent’s lived. The large curved wood would be too thick for them to hear her screams from the floor above, if they cared. The ornate door handle turned, the quiet snick overly loud to her ears.
Inside, her gaze went to the bed, then drifted around the room, taking in the changes. Her mother had kept the family’s dark heavy furniture that had been handed down through the centuries. Now, the feminine pieces looked too small for the big room. Insubstantial, except for the woman propped up in the bed. It took all her will to keep from gasping at the crone, the old woman who’d made her life a living hell. Only she didn’t look quite as old as she remembered. But her scent. LeeLee would never forget the way the woman smelled. To this day she hated oranges, the very scent of them made her gag.
“Bring her closer, Bianca dear.” The woman motioned with her hand, the hand not quite as wrinkled as she remembered either.
“You look just like RozLee,” she gasped. “What is your name,” she demanded.
Licking her suddenly dry lips she opened her mouth, then closed it. “LeeLee O’Neil.” She used Slater’s last name. As his mate, it seemed fitting.
A hand snaked out, grabbing the front of her shirt, bringing her closer to her face. “Who are your parents?”
“My father is Rasmund Masters.” He was the man who raised her, cared for her and made sure she had a place to belong for the last twenty
Lifting her shoulders she stood behind a tall chair. “I will not submit to you. I have a mate.”
“Your mate is dead,” he growled.
To her right, the fireplace she’d always imagined hanging a stocking stood. To her left the large picture window, with its garish coverings. Her only exit. A painful one if she was to launch herself out it.
Stay and fight banged at her skull from her wolf.
The giant of a man stepped closer, bulging muscles, with the teeth of a wolf and the eyes of a beast gone mad.
LeeLee decided she’d try to reason with him. “Truly, I’m no good as a plaything. I fight back and bite.” She snapped her teeth together. Her human canines not nearly as impressive.
Just before he could reach for her, she sidestepped, his massive arms missing her by inches. She used her smaller size to outrun him. Goddess, if he got his hands on her she’d be in trouble.
“Ah, I see you are still too slow to catch your prey.” Bianca sauntered in.
Bar growled, crossing his arms over his chest. “You said I could play with her.”
Nodding, Bianca crossed to him. “After I take her to mother, you shall have what is left of her.”
That so didn’t sound promising. Well, she had news for them, she was not going to roll over and show them her belly. Bianca reached out to snag her arm, but LeeLee jerked away. “I will come willingly,” she snarled, a little of her wolf coming to the surface.
“Interesting.”
“ Stay calm, love. I am coming for you.” Slater’s deep rumble soothed her like nothing else could.
“Fine, let’s go, and make no mistake.” She glared down at LeeLee. “I’ll gladly knock you out and have Bar carry you up. Imagine all the things he will gladly do to your sleeping form.”
Do not let her see you tremble.
They climbed the stairs, the same ones she’d once tiptoed down as a child. Her throat clogged with emotion. On the third level, the one where her parent’s room had been, they stopped. She worked to pretend the place didn’t affect her. “This place is huge. Like seriously, out in Cali it would cost you a mint.” She looked left and right, pretending to be enthralled.
“She will know if you are a close relative or not.”
Who this mysterious woman was, she had no clue, but the closer they got to the master bedroom, doom settled deeper in her gut.
The door was the same as when her parent’s lived. The large curved wood would be too thick for them to hear her screams from the floor above, if they cared. The ornate door handle turned, the quiet snick overly loud to her ears.
Inside, her gaze went to the bed, then drifted around the room, taking in the changes. Her mother had kept the family’s dark heavy furniture that had been handed down through the centuries. Now, the feminine pieces looked too small for the big room. Insubstantial, except for the woman propped up in the bed. It took all her will to keep from gasping at the crone, the old woman who’d made her life a living hell. Only she didn’t look quite as old as she remembered. But her scent. LeeLee would never forget the way the woman smelled. To this day she hated oranges, the very scent of them made her gag.
“Bring her closer, Bianca dear.” The woman motioned with her hand, the hand not quite as wrinkled as she remembered either.
“You look just like RozLee,” she gasped. “What is your name,” she demanded.
Licking her suddenly dry lips she opened her mouth, then closed it. “LeeLee O’Neil.” She used Slater’s last name. As his mate, it seemed fitting.
A hand snaked out, grabbing the front of her shirt, bringing her closer to her face. “Who are your parents?”
“My father is Rasmund Masters.” He was the man who raised her, cared for her and made sure she had a place to belong for the last twenty
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