Only anger.
“So that’s the whole plan?” she said, hands on her hips, wild curls damn near crackling with the sudden force of her emotion. “Storm the castle, bleed and burn the bad guys, save the wolf?”
“Clear and concise. Less room for error that way.”
“Less room for success too.”
“Itwillwork, Jacinda. It has to.”
“You’ve left out a few crucial steps, Prince.”
“Such as?”
“How are you going to capture Duchanes and save Cole?”
“I’m not going to capture Duchanes. I’m going to eviscerate him. Wait, no—bleed and burn him. That’s what I said. Even better.”
“We need him alive, Gabriel. He’s our only shot at breaking the curse.”
“The curse is the least of my worries tonight.”
“Not mine.”
“Jacinda, we don’t have time to argue about this. I need to—”
“How are we supposed to get past the security guys, anyway? Cole said the warehouse is—”
“We’renot getting past anyone.” Gabriel shoved his feet into his boots and grabbed his jacket, wishing like hell he could trade it all for the comforter instead, spend the rest of the night before the fireplace in a storm of hot, sweaty limbs and feverish kisses and…
No. He needed to lock Jacinda inside, secure the cabin, and make for Newark. The sooner he could reach Duchanes, the sooner he could end this nightmare.
The sooner he could get back to his woman.
“This is a solo mission, Jace,” he said firmly. “And if I’ve got any hope of saving the wolf, I need to leave now.”
“Has anyone ever told you you’resuperadorable when you’re full of shit?” She shot him a condescending smile, then dropped it, her face turning stone-cold serious. “Go shovel the driveway so we can get the car out of here. I’ll put on the coffee.”
“Jacinda, I told you. You’re staying in this cabin until—”
“If you so much asthinkabout leaving without me, I’m never talking to you again. Or kissing you. Or doing that thing with my tongue and the—”
In a flash he had her pinned against the wall, hands fisting her hair, mouth close to her ear. “Donotdisobey me on this, little moonflower. Your protests, however valiant, are pointless. You’re staying here. End of discussion. Understood?”
“Fuck off, Prince.” She shoved against his chest, glaring up at him with new fire in her eyes. “I’m coming whether you like it or not. Your only choice is whether I ride shotgun with you or strap on a pair of snowshoes and make for the highway. Maybe some trucker will take pity and offer me a lift.”
Gabriel tightened his fist in her hair, trying to fight off the urge to kiss her. How the fuck could he be so enraged and so turned on at the same time?
“You wouldn’t dare,” he warned.
“Try me, dickhead.”
Heat rose between them, a whiff of hellfire scenting the air. A low, possessive growl rumbled through Gabriel’s chest, but Jacinda refused to back down.
“What’s it going to be, vampire?” she asked. “Am I riding with you, or taking my chances with that trucker?”
“You’re bloodyimpossible, witch.”
“Nope. Just determined.”
