Page 97 of Wolf It Down, Knot Me Up

I’m fucking furious at their scheme. They terrify Lucy so Eve has no choice but to sell her lodge? What kind of deranged shit is that?

Others at the bar are staring at us now. Ethan’s dragging himself to his feet, whining.

But Wolf pushes forward fast, his hand wrapping around Ethan’s throat, and slams him against the wall. “You fucking asshole! You betrayed them.”

Ethan gags, then his face turns green, his cheeks puffing out.

“Oh, fuck,” I call out. “He’s going to vomit.”

Wolf releases him, jumping back, the rest of us doing the same, as Ethan doubles over by the wall and is viciously sick all over the floor. The people nearby are all shoving away from him.

“Christ!” Grayson groans, and everyone’s watching Ethan now. What a mess.

Ethan wipes his mouth with his sleeve, and I gag in my throat. He straightens and stares right at me. God, is he going to be sick again?

“They’re doing it tonight,” he murmurs. “The guy’s going to scare her really bad until she calls Eve and tells her she’s leaving and to sell the property. And the mayor will be at the hospital waiting with the papers after the phone call.” He’s heaving for air, holding his stomach. “Hurts so bad.” He dry heaves and lifts his head. “I told them I can’t do this anymore, so the mayor’s going to take both the lodge and the land for himself.” He’s swaying on his feet. “I’m going to be sick.”

“Well, that’s our cue, then,” Wolf snaps just as two bouncers shove through the crowd, charging for Ethan. I’m livid on the inside, terrified for Lucy. “We’ve got to get to Lucy.”

The men drag Ethan outside and dump him on the sidewalk.

Grayson’s already marching after them, and we follow. It’s dark outside, locals wandering around, while Ethan’s near a tree, spewing his guts out. Wonderful.

“I don’t give a shit about this prick,” I state. “Lucy needs us now!”

“I’m with Roman,” Wolf adds. “She’s alone. Fuck me, I’m going to kill someone.”

“Shut the fuck up,” Grayson growls as people stare in our direction.

Then he goes over to Ethan’s side and, moments later, returns carrying car keys and a phone. “Okay, we have wheels. You two grab him. He’s coming with us.”

“The fuck he is,” Wolf snarls.

“Listen,” Grayson mutters, closing in. “We’ll need him to repeat everything he just told us when this shit blows up, so he’s staying with us before the mayor gets to him. Now move.” And he marches toward the parking area behind the motel, while Wolf and I collect Ethan.

Wolf hauls him to his feet with such aggression that I almost lose my balance. “Hey,” Ethan groans.

“Yeah,” I say. “I don’t need this asshole throwing up all over me.”

“Don’t worry,” Wolf says. “He’s going straight into the trunk.”

25

LUCY

“You’re absolutely fine. Everything’s going to be fine,” I murmur to my reflection in the mirror, unsure whether I’m buying my own lies.

I’d spent the last twenty minutes tearing apart the bathroom and all my belongings for my emergency suppressants. Thank God I found them at the bottom of my travel bag with my lip gloss. And I chased them down with a Dr. Pepper. Finally, those sharp aches deep in my belly are softening. But the heat is still there, simmering just below the surface, waiting to burn through me. It promises several hours of semi-control if I’m lucky, which is enough to shower and then head down to the heat clinic in town.

By the time I’m clean and dressed in leggings, a T-shirt, and sneakers, I remember that the car keys are downstairs. Part of me is excited to spend the night at the clinic instead of being alone here.

I grab my phone, which had fallen on the floor by the bed. It’s flashing a missed call from a number I don’t recognize. It might be one of the Alphas. There is no message, so I call it back and it rings out. I shake my head and push my phone into my back pocket. I’m waltzing out of my bedroom and into the hallway of the private wing. When I reach for the light switch, a loud crash explodes downstairs.

My body ices over as my heart hits the back of my throat. I listen to every sound, and for a second, I’m hoping I’ve imagined it all, or that a branch struck the window.

But then the noise of thundering footsteps of someone climbing the stairs reaches me.

Someone’s in the house!