This Dark Wolf (Soul Bitten Shifter #1) - Everly Frost Page 0,20
at me in the rearview mirror when I don’t move. I’m not sure why, but his lips harden into a straight line when his focus shifts to Tristan outside of the vehicle. It’s unlikely that he would disagree with Tristan’s plans for me.
When Jace exits the vehicle too and strides around to my door, opening it for me, I force myself to slip from my seat. In the past, I could nurse my wounds in private with only my father to see the aftermath of my pain.
Now, I’m struggling to maintain my emotional walls. I take a deep breath and lift my chin, but I don’t try to remove the curtain of my hair.
In the distance, the woman is having an animated conversation with Tristan. A fierce crease forms across her forehead, her gray eyes widening and narrowing in turns. My sharp hearing should normally allow me to hear what they’re saying, but for some reason, their conversation is blocked from me. I put it down to my exhaustion. I need food, water, and rest, but I count my chances of getting any of those as slim.
“Do I want to know what they’re arguing about?” I ask, leaning against the side of the vehicle to keep myself upright, trying to make it look as if I don’t care.
“No. You don’t.” Jace folds his arms. He doesn’t elaborate, his gaze passing across the curtain of my hair, but I turn my face away before he can focus on the bruises that must be forming now.
A moment later, Tristan breaks away from the woman and strides back to me, his bare feet quiet on the concrete floor. He stops a full three paces away from me.
His cool gaze rakes over me and I’m grateful for my hair since it will hide the pain in my eyes.
“What now?” I ask, trying to take control of the conversation.
“Helen will take care of you,” Tristan says. “Jace will check up on you once a week. When I come back, I expect you to be prepared for whatever I ask.”
Jace unfolds his arms, his lips pressing together even harder and a renewed crease forming in his forehead. But still, he doesn’t say anything.
“When will you come back?” I ask Tristan.
“Whenever the fuck I want,” he snarls. He takes a step toward me, his pupils dilating and this time, the darkness in his eyes doesn’t clear so fast.
Without missing a beat, he inclines his head sharply at Jace, who hesitates. He seems to think better of whatever he was going to say, finally responding to Tristan’s unspoken command by circling the vehicle. This time, Jace slides into the passenger seat, which I guess means Tristan will be in charge of driving them out of here.
Tristan steps toward me so fast that I flinch back against the SUV, hating my reflexes. All I want is to stand my ground in front of him and there I go, twitching like I’m afraid.
His hand darts out, sliding between the strands of my hair, catching them between his thumb and forefinger before he tucks the strands behind my ear. I have no doubt he just exposed the ugliness of the bruise that’s causing the pounding pain in my head. His fingers linger beside my neck, his fist clenching around my crimson locks.
“Don’t forget that you’re mine now, Tessa.”
I bite my lip before I scream at him to get fucked. It did me a fat lot of good screaming at Baxter Griffin earlier. The echo of my threats sounds hollow now. How can I ever hope to take revenge on Baxter for my father’s death?
Releasing my hair, Tristan’s arms suddenly wrap around my torso and waist, tugging me up against his chest and away from the vehicle. Heat spears through my body, making me gasp as I fight the power rolling off him. The sensation is such a mash of man and wolf that I can’t tell whether I’m inhaling Tristan’s scent or his wolf’s. Whichever it is, it makes me stiffen in his arms, my fight reflexes kicking in again.
As if he senses the danger, he acts quickly. Before I can retaliate, he takes a single step backward, pulls me with him, and deposits me back onto the ground.
He spins away from me before my fist can rise.
Striding toward the driver side door, he settles in behind the wheel and slams the door shut.
I stand my ground when Tristan starts the ignition and backs out in a squeal of tires so