Free Night Play.doc by Unknown

left,
    otherwise she would be in a hotel room tonight. Or worse, her parents'
    house.
    She loved them dearly, but she wasn't in the mood to answer their questions
    or
    see the look of disappointment on her mother's face as she lamented the fact
    that if Bride didn't get married, she'd never have any more grandchildren.
    At least here in her own place she had some comfort.
    Maybe.
    She opened the door and switched on the lights. Luckily, the water and
    electricity for this apartment was turned on since it ran off the same line that
    provided the water and electricity for her store.
    The wolf hesitated as he looked around the three hundred square feet of
    boxes
    and artwork.
    "Oh," she said playfully, "you feeling picky, huh?"
    If she didn't know better, she would swear he shook his head no before he
    came
    in and started nosing around her boxes.
    After locking the door, Bride went to the dusty desk and dropped her keys
    on top
    of it. Then she pulled the cover from the couch and coughed as she
    unearthed a
    dust bunny farm of death.
    "I really hate you, Taylor," she said quietly as she sniffed. "I hope you choke
    on your skinny new girlfriend's thong."
    As if he sensed her sadness, the wolf came over and rubbed against her side.
    Bride sank down to the floor to pull him into a tight hug.
    The wolf didn't complain at all as she let her tears fall into his snowy fur. He
    sat there quietly with his head on her shoulder as pain flooded her.
    How could she have been so stupid as to think for a minute that she loved
    Taylor? Why had she given him so much of her life and time when he'd only
    been
    using her?
    Was she really so desperate for love that she would lie to herself about him?
    "I just wanted someone to love me for me," she whispered to the wolf. "Is
    that
    so wrong?"
    Vane couldn't breathe as Bride held him in a death grip and her words tore
    through him. Worse, he understood exactly what she meant. Rejected by
    everyone
    except his brother and sister, he knew that the only thing that had saved him
    from being the omega wolf in his pack had been his willingness to kill
    anyone
    who tried to make him or Fang a scapegoat.
    Every time they had tried to pick on them, Vane had fought back, and with
    maturity, he'd grown to such a size that no one dared challenge him again.
    Not even his father.
    How could anyone hurt Bride like this? His heart pounded wildly as the wolf
    in
    him craved blood from the man who made her cry.
    He didn't understand what kind of man could voluntarily let her go. Once his
    kind mated, it was eternal. Unbreakable.
    And now that he had confirmation that she was in fact his predestined mate,
    he
    was honor bound to protect her until she either finished their mating ritual
    by
    accepting him or they parted ways.
    The latter wouldn't affect her at all. But as a wolf, he would never be able to
    have sex with another female so long as Bride lived.
    That was completely unacceptable to him. Vane Kattalakis wasn't meant for
    enforced celibacy. The idea of spending the next few decades impotent was
    enough
    to make him do someone damage.
    But how could a human ever accept an animal as her mate?
    Damn the Fates for this. They were evil bitches who lived for no other
    purpose
    than to make others suffer.
    The phone rang. Bride released him and went to answer it while Vane nosed
    around
    the small, cramped room. It was a dismal place.
    "Hey, Tabby." Bride pulled a sheet away from a table and sent a box falling.
    Vane yelped and dodged away from it.
    Bride patted his head, then moved the box. "You didn't have to do that, you
    know?" He could sense she was a bit irritated at her friend, but underneath
    she
    seemed pleased. "Okay, I'm coming to let you in."
    Bride hung up the phone, then grabbed her keys and opened her door. Vane
    followed her outside to the street where she opened the wrought-iron door to
    let
    Tabitha, who stood on the other side with a wheeled cart loaded with bags,
    into
    the courtyard.
    "Good