I keep my eyes on him, even when it becomes a little difficult to swallow from the dryness in my throat.

"Can I help you?"

Blue eyes snap open and land on me instantly. It almost feels like a physical punch to the gut and has my eyes fluttering in a grimace. Hoisting the pack on his back more securely, he stalks up to the counter, hovering over both it and me.

My heart beats hard as I keep my gaze at his nose level, not wanting to potentially challenge him in any way.

"I'm looking for someone. His scent is in here, but it's old. Where's Nightsbane?"

I can feel my heart skip a beat then continue its raging thumping. Faust? What does he want... Wait... During the full moon, at the water pool, Faust had been in a fight. Is it possible it was with this man?

"I'm sorry, who?"

I made a promise I wouldn't give away who he was. If I'm going to make a pledge to something like that, I'm sure as hell not going to feed him to this wolf... No matter how annoying he is.

Shocking blue eyes stare down at me with a heavy weight to them all their own. His low growl raises the hair at the back of my neck and sends adrenaline coursing through my body. I owe nothing to Faust, nor this man, so I'm sure as hell not going to stand here and take crap from a Loner who doesn't know the right side of a bath.

Feeling my anger rise, my gaze rises fully to his. The man curls his lip.

"You can growl all you want, sir, it won't change the answer. If that was all you came in here looking for, then you've wasted your time."

White teeth flash as he snaps his teeth at me, but I stand firm. Everything that I've gone through the past few days, if nothing else, has shown me that nothing is going to change unless I change it myself. If I can stand up to my sister and her thugs, I sure as hell can stand up to this man while here in the store.

His cerulean eyes burn with suppressed fury, but his body doesn't show it, appearing relaxed and calm.

"Don't play dumb with me, kid, just tell me what I want to know."

My brows furrow and my lips purse before I move papers around on the counter.

"I'm sorry I can't be of more help to you sir. Would this person be looking for you as well? Do you have a name you can leave me to give them if they happen by?"

Alright, so my sleuthing skills aren't the greatest, but it managed to create enough of a distraction that caught Bettie's attention. As soon as she moves to come towards us, his attention swings towards her, eyes narrowed as if expecting the woman to come at his back. I can see her spine go rigid, but she doesn't stop her approach, instead working her way around and behind the counter next to me.

"Is there something I can help you with, sir?"

The werewolf lifts his lip in disgust at the older human, then turns back to me. His eyes have darkened in his anger as he takes me in from head to toe, nose flaring. A stab of fear rockets through my very being. His memorizing my scent like that, so blatantly, has my eyes widening.

Now he grins slowly, teeth showing as almost sharp with his threat. My heart thunders, its beat tripling when he leans his tall frame over the glass counter towards me. The stranger levels his face next to mine, voice next to my ear.

"Your defiance amuses but gets you nowhere. Did you know your fear scent can spark arousal? You smell quite delicious, and so small too. Dominating you would hardly be a challenge. You will pass a message along for me, you tell Nightsbane that we're coming for him. Hiding behind the other Packs will not save his royal ass."

Feeling a wet tongue swipe against my cheek, I fairly leap backwards, only getting as far as the wall a couple of feet away. My heart feels as if it's in my throat as I see the back of the werewolf leaving out the door, breath coming so fast I should be hyperventilating by now. Bettie touches my arm and I flinch, ducking down before my legs give out all together.

A lifetime of submission. It can't be gotten over by just a few words of an Alpha and a couple of friends. Not in such a short span of time. Standing up to a Loner like that in public is one thing; surrounded by others to prevent injury, but if I'm caught alone...

I'll be wishing it was my sibling and her whole pack of bullies. 

🌖🌗🌘🌑🌒🌓🌔

✰ \(‾▿‾\) 𝔇𝔬𝔫'𝔱 𝔣𝔬𝔯𝔤𝔢𝔱 𝔱𝔬 𝔳𝔬𝔱𝔢 (/‾▿‾)/ ✰