Dead After Dark (Companion #6.5)(17)

Fury’s ears perked up at that. “What did Bride make?”

“Leftover turkey and ham.”

“Mashed potatoes?”

“Of course. She knows how much you love them.”

That made his stomach rumble greedily. Fury debated on whether he should eat or see Angelia.

He was really hungry . . .

But . . .

“Save me some.”

Vane inclined his head to him. “Wouldn’t think otherwise. Oh, and Fang has been dying to know if Aimee got his note.”

He pulled on his pants. “I gave it to Sasha to hand to her. So I assume she has it by now unless Dare happened to eat Sasha before he could complete his mission.”

“Doubtful. Z would have been a lot surlier had that happened. I’ll let him know.” Vane exited the room.

Fury finished dressing, then left to see Angelia. He knocked on the door before he pushed it open to find her sitting in the rocker with her back against the wall. She jerked up as if she’d been napping.

Damn, she was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen. Especially the way her lips were swollen from sleep.

She almost smiled until her face froze as if she remembered that she wasn’t supposed to be nice to him. “What do you want?”

“I wanted to make sure you were all right.”

She tightened her grip on the chair’s arms. “No, I’m not all right. I’m stuck here with animals whom we both know I hate. How can I be all right with that?”

He gave her a droll stare. “Yeah, well, no one’s beating on you. From where I stand that looks pretty damn good.”

Angelia looked away from that gimlet stare of his and tried not to focus on how handsome he was. On how beautiful those turquoise eyes could be . . .

But the longer he stood there, the harder it was to remember he was nothing but an animal just like the ones who’d threatened her downstairs.

He stepped into the room.

She shot to her feet to keep distance between them. “Stay away.”

“I’m not going to hurt . . .” His voice trailed off as his eyes dilated dangerously.

Angelia swallowed as she recognized her worst fear had manifested.

He’d caught her scent. Terrified, she backed into the wall and prepared to fight him until one of them was dead.

Fury couldn’t move as raw lust burned through him. His body instantly hard, it was all he could do not to attack her. No wonder she’d blockaded herself in this room. “You’re in heat.”

She picked up Trace’s brass piggy bank as if she was about to throw it at him. “Stay away from me.”

That was a lot easier said than done since every male particle of him was attuned to her in a way that was virtually irresistible. The wolf in him salivated at the scent of her and it wanted nothing more than to throw her down and mount her.

Lucky for her, he wasn’t the animal she thought him to be.

He approached her slowly. “I’m not going to touch you.”

She threw the bank at his head.

He caught it in one hand before he returned it to its spot on the dresser.

“I’m not kidding, Fury,” she growled at him.

“And neither am I. I told you I wouldn’t hurt you and I have no intention of going back on my word.”

Her gaze dropped down to the bulge in his pants. “I won’t mate with you willingly. Ever.”

Those words cut him more than they should have. “Trust me, baby, you wouldn’t be worth the scratches. Unlike the Arcadian bastards you’re used to, I don’t have to force a woman into my bed. Sit up here and rot for all I care.” He walked out and slammed the door behind him.

Angelia didn’t move for several fearful heartbeats as she waited for his return.

He was gone and she was safe again . . . she hoped.

Over and over, she heard the stories in her head about how the Katagaria treated their females when they were in heat. If unmated, the woman was handed off to the unmated males of the pack, who passed her around until they’d had their fill of her. The female had no say whatsoever.

“You’re all animals,” she snarled, cursing the fact that it was her fertile time of the month and she was trapped here with them. “Where are you, Dare?”

As if in answer, a flash startled her.

She tensed as she realized it wasn’t Dare coming to her rescue.

It was Fury. His eyes brittle with anger, he stalked toward her. A true predator bent on the gods only knew what.

“Don’t touch me!” She struck out at him.

He caught her hand in his and held it. “You know what? I’m going to teach you a valuable lesson.”

Before she could ask him what it was, he teleported them out of the nursery and into a dining room.

Angelia panicked as she realized the room was filled with eight male wolves in human form. By their scents, she knew they were as unmated as Fury was.

Her heart hammering, she tried to run, but Fury wouldn’t let her. Blocking her escape, he quickly pulled his clothes on.

“You will sit and you will eat,” he growled low in his throat. “Like a civil human,” he spat the word as if it were the lowest thing imaginable.

How she wished she had her powers to blast him and make him pay for this. No doubt she’d be the first course and he’d probably hold her down while the others raped her.