Free Marked by Aline Hunter Page B

like what happens.”
    Her heart skipped a beat before it started to race. “Are you
threatening me?” A part of her actually hoped he was threatening her, that he
wasn’t all bluff.
    What the hell?
    “Nope, threats are a waste of time.” He glanced at the door,
cursed and returned his attention to her. “Keep quiet. We’ll talk about Chloe
after I take care of business.”
    With that he spun on his heel to exit the room.
    “Wait,” she called out, wondering if he’d ignore the
request.
    He took a deep breath and glanced over his shoulder. “Yes?”
    “You didn’t tell me your name.” She wanted to wince as soon
as she said it, wishing she could take the words back.
    Now you’ve gone and done it, dummy.
    It was a stupid, girly thing to say. And she knew it.
    She should be asking about Chloe or scrambling out of the
chair. Instead she felt an odd tug in her chest, some part of her wanting to
know at least something about the man standing imposingly across from
her.
    The amused grin on his face made her tingly in all the wrong
places. “I didn’t, did I?”
    Even though she was hoping for more, he left her guessing.
    The door closed behind him with a soft snick. She gasped for
air, realizing it was difficult to breathe. This wasn’t the woman she’d trained
herself to be—strong, unbreakable and unwilling to bend to another’s will. The
pride she took in her self-assurance cracked, leaving her shaken.
    No one had ever affected her in this way, and the knowledge
terrified her. For the first time in her life Rachel found herself staring into
empty space without anything to say.
    Coming to The Wolf’s Den was a very bad idea.
     
    Of all the dumb fucking luck.
    Declan Schroder strode down the hall, trying to calm down
and get his throbbing cock under control.
    Talk about a complex female.
    The woman who’d walked into his building was all attitude
with a fuck-with-me-and-regret-it glare, lithe frame and intriguing face. The
little minx had gotten his blood pumping, making his dick harden to the point
of pain. As a male, he couldn’t resist the challenge she’d issued. There was no
give in her, zero softness. Even if she’d been aroused by his flirting, she’d
blown him off good and proper. She’d be a hellion in the sack, giving as good
as she got.
    Stop thinking with the wrong head. Just Rachel has to
wait.
    Another visitor had thrown a wrench into what could have
been a very good time. Fuck if it didn’t piss him off. Just once he’d like to
relax and unwind without having to do the right thing.
    Goddamn Simone.
    It was bad enough dealing with the bothersome bitch the
evening before. Talking to the obtuse female before he’d even settled into his
routine burned like a rash beneath his skin. Not to mention she’d arrived at a
shitty time. She needed to take a hint and find some other dumb schmuck to fuck
around with.
    “Declan,” Simone purred as she turned from the framed tattoo
flash on the wall.
    She’d dressed to impress in a skimpy top and skirt, her long
black hair hanging in bouncy curls down her back. Fortunately werewolves had
higher body temperatures and could handle the cold. Otherwise she’d have to do
the respectable thing and wear modest attire for a change.
    She shifted her feet, her high heels clicking on the floor,
and her full, cherry-red lips dipped into a frown. “You don’t look happy to see
me.”
    I’ll take understatement of the fucking millennium for
five hundred, Alex.
    “I’m never happy to see people who come in without making an
appointment.”
    “Then I’ll make this quick.”
    As she approached he had to force himself not to laugh.
Simone knew he wasn’t interested but she didn’t stop playing her stupid games,
shifting her hips from side to side, making her legs flex with each step. Sure,
the female had a great body—one that was blessed by werewolf genetics—but the
central command center between her ears was no longer in service.
    “I went to see