Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 79692 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79692 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
That stunned me even more. “Y-you will?” He couldn’t even be bothered to defend his own pack’s reputation, but he was willing to give me his allegiance? It didn’t make sense, and I found myself blurting out, “Don’t you care that I’m...”
He raised a brow. “That you’re what?”
“That I’m...” That I’m a human monster, I wanted to say but couldn’t.
Understanding dawned in his gaze. “Do you mean when you transitioned from kitty to hellcat?”
I choked. Never had I imagined my abilities described in such a way.
“Am I right then?”
I nodded.
“If you want me to be honest...I find it a fucking turn on.”
My eyes widened.
He shrugged. “I told you, little kitty. You’re the kind of girl after my cock. You intrigue me.”
“A-and that’s it?” I asked incredulously even as I did my best not to blush at his words. How easy it was for him to say such things. “You’ll be my Cavaliere because of that—-”
He said coolly, “I will not be for free, little kitty.”
Oh. He wanted money. I told myself I wasn’t disappointed. “You want payment.” I hadn’t heard any rumors about the Morettis being poor, but maybe he had been disinherited recently for his wrongdoings.
“Yes. I want payment. Every time I help you, I get to do whatever I want with your body.”
My jaw dropped. I waited for him to say it was a joke, but when he only continued to stare at me with those hooded green eyes, I shook my head in bemusement and whispered disbelievingly, “You’re crazy.” And good at turning me on. God, he was good! His words alone had desire rising inside me once more, but I fought hard against it.
His lips curved in a slight smile as he said agreeably, “Crazy for you, little hellcat.” He added lightly, “So you must count yourself lucky for that.”
Before I could answer, he had stolen my hand. I tried to tug it away instinctively, but he held on fast as he murmured, “You must take good care of yourself, my princess.”
There was something in his eyes that made my heart twinge. It was as if...as if I had suddenly become his anchor, and only I could keep him from going adrift.
He started stroking the back of my hand, caressing my knuckles in a way that made my toes curl even more. “Your beautiful skin has become precious to me in so short a time, little kitty. I will kill anyone who leaves a single mark on it. That is the kind of Cavaliere I will be. The only kind I can be. Do you understand?”
I couldn’t answer. He had turned my hand over and was licking my palm, the action completely taking my voice away. By the time I managed to open my eyes, Alejandro Moretti was gone.
Chapter Five
“Smile, cub.” The command was issued with a smile of his own by my father, Venetto Adelardi.
My lips quickly stretched into a smile. There were many reasons to smile, really, but all I wanted was to mope. The drive home last night had been completely spent just thinking about Alejandro Moretti, and it was the same when I got home. I had tossed and turned in my bed, wondering why I should care so much about a man who clearly didn’t take his duties to his pack seriously. He had everything – everything – needed to be a superhero, and yet he had turned his back on his responsibilities.
It was a glorious day, the sky a clear blue, and the surrounding pine trees lent a fragrant scent to the air. But for once in my life, I failed to take pleasure from the land I loved and had been raised to protect.
I looked up absently, but the bright morning sun had me silently groaning and looking away again. My head hurt. It was as if thinking so hard about the werewolf had given me a hangover. I hated how obsessed I was about him. So he kissed beautifully and made my body hum with such pleasure it was as if I had been born to moan his name. It didn’t mean no other man could do it, right?
So he looked at me like no other man had ever looked. As if I was desirable and not the human monster that everyone feared. It didn’t mean no other man could like me the way I was...right?
In fact, that was what this morning’s auction was all about. My pack possessed genetic ties to the near extinct species of Florida panthers. Adelardi shifters could command them by will, and they could transfer the command to another person – even a human. For the first time in history, my pack was auctioning some of our baby panthers. It was bait, pure and simple, to get the most eligible shifters to come into our territory.