Chapter 8
The she-wolf was moving fast, but Anders followed her with relative ease. Even while jogging, she was beautiful, and the view of her backside was definitely one he could appreciate.
Not that he should. She wouldn’t care for him to be ogling her, and his family would kill him for having touched her as he had.
He’d recognized her the moment she walked into the bar. From spying on her earlier that day, he knew she frequented there, and he had been so pleased when she returned to it. His father had made his terms very clear. Kill Misti Wolventon. He hadn’t been sent to fuck her, just destroy her.
And he had intended to do just that. Until he saw her. Yes, it was stupid, and he had been thinking with the wrong head, but when he saw how beautiful she was, he opted to seduce her.
First, he had still planned on killing her. He had no choice. He’d been banished by his pack almost ten years ago, and the only way his family would allow him back in as the next heir was for him to do this one simple duty.
But they didn’t have a long leash. He only had twenty-four hours to strike her down before they would send someone else.
Once he realized her destination—her father’s manor—he gritted his teeth. He couldn’t afford to be so close to their territory.
But then she darted off, away from her pack. A strange feeling blossomed within his chest, and he dashed forward. “Misti,” he called, his voice low.
She stilled, stiffening, and he readied himself to shift if she showed any signs of aggression.
Slowly, she turned to face him, her eyes amber but the rest of her human. For now, at least.
“Misti, you have to listen to me.” Desperation crept into his tone, and he didn’t care if he sounded hopeless. “You’re in danger?—”
“Danger?”
Her bitter laugh cut into him deeply. Not that he should care, and why was he warning her? He should be striking her down right now. After all, they were alone, and he was stronger, bigger. It would be no contest, really.
But he couldn’t bring himself to.
“From who? You? Your pack? There’s been danger facing me every day for my entire life.” Her gaze shifted toward the direction of her father’s manor. “Sorry if I don’t buy what a Shadowed Star has to sell.” She turned and started on her way again.
He rushed to join her side. “Where are you going?”
“Why? So you can go and run off and tell your pack?”
“No.” He kept his silence.
She broke it only a moment later. “I’m going on a self-imposed exile.”
Her words felt like a blow to his stomach. She was turning her back on her people because of him, because of what they’d shared. As amazing as it had felt, she couldn’t possibly think it worth giving up all of that.
“Exile is the worst thing for a werewolf.”
“I know that,” she snapped.
“I’ve been there,” he said quietly.
She halted and stared at him before hurrying along again.
“I was exiled for almost a decade. My pack abandoned me.”
“Why?” Misti wouldn’t look at him, but he watched her as they walked. Moonlight haloed around her, giving her an ethereal air. She was breathtaking, and the raw edginess just below the surface made her even more of a sight to see.
“Why doesn’t matter.”
She made a scoffing sound.
“Fine.” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I disobeyed my father.”
Misti’s body jerked slightly.
“He wanted me to?—”
“I don’t need to know the details.”
He touched her shoulder. She whirled on him. The sight of tears in her eyes had him wanting to protect her. Anders cupped her cheek and gently kissed her. She responded after a long moment, and he stepped back so she wouldn’t feel how hard he was already.
Gently, he brushed her soft hair from her shoulder and kissed her neck. His fingers trickled by his lips on her skin, and he converted his hand into his wolf’s paw.
“No.” She forcefully shoved him back, her eyes wild and wicked and furious. “You mean to claim me?” Her teeth changed into fangs. “You said I was in danger. You were sent first, weren’t you? You’re supposed to kill me!” Her words were slightly hard to understand, and he wished she’d howled instead.
“Claiming you is the only way to keep you safe,” he countered.
“I don’t even know your name.”
“It’s Anders?—”
“And I certainly don’t need your protection.”
Her growl was all the warning he had. In an instant, the beautiful, sexy woman was transformed into a snarling wolf that launched straight for him.