Page 26 of His Runaway Mate

“Would you like to schedule a meeting with Mr. Regent?”

“Tell him Nicky Love said to let my people go.”

The line clicks.

The next voice I hear belongs to Rex. My heart skips a beat and my stomach drops and does a barrel roll. I hate that such limited contact from him has such a profound effect on me.

“Very biblical of you, Miss Love,” the voice on the phone drawls. “But I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Of course you do. You’re kidnapping our pack members and stashing them away somewhere because I haven’t agreed to be your perfect little mate. This won’t work. I can’t be blackmailed.”

“Sweetheart, I’m sure you can’t, but I’m not kidnapping your little pack. Each and every one of them is more trouble than the last, and frankly we don’t have enough cages.”

I’m not alone on the call. I have Laura and a few of the guys in with me. I didn’t want to talk to him alone. I’m afraid, if I’m to be honest, that he will somehow talk me into going back to him. There’s a magnetism in him that I can feel even now at a distance.

I try to cover the mic while I relay his words. I don’t know why. He’s on speakerphone and I have a mute button. But in the stress of the moment, I forget how to use it.

“He’s being an asshole, but I don’t think he’s been taking people.”

“It is possible that you’ve annoyed someone besides me, darling,” he drawls. “Why don’t you come to dinner and we’ll discuss it.”

“I’m not coming back to you.”

There’s a brief pause, and I find myself holding my breath because I know he’s not done with me.

“Come to me,” he says.

He knows better than to say that to me. Come is a derogatory order to wolf shifters. Sounds far too much like the way people call dogs. We are not dogs.

“No,” I growl.

“You don’t have to like me, but you do have to spread those…”

I mash the phone button so fast I basically smash my fist into the phone. I’m surprised it still works as I put it to my ear. I wave everyone out of the room at the same time, blushing and furious. They’re grinning as they go, and I know I am probably never going to hear the end of this.

“… cute cheeks for me and let me punish that ass,” he says. “And you know it.”

“Or what?”

“Or maybe I will take the idea you’ve just given me. Maybe I will have your little friends scooped up one by one, charged with a whole host of crimes that will ensure they’re convicted, and sent to prisons all around the country. They’ll suffer behind bars for decades, all because you refused to do what you know you should.”

“This isn’t fair. You’re blackmailing me.”

“I am,” he says. “This is how I perform a great deal of business. That is the nature of power. You wanted to test me, you wanted to compete with me, you wanted to make yourself my problem. Congratulations. You have everything you’ve ever wanted. You have my attention. And soon, you’ll have my baby.”

“I hate you.”

“You might hate me,” he agrees. “But you’re dying for me to fuck you. Your pussy is wet and craving my knot. You want to be pinned beneath me, feeling yourself stretched wide. You want to know what it feels like to finally take your wolf form.”

“I don’t want to take my wolf form.”

“I’d love to know how you became the leader of that group without ever having shifted,” he says. “All those males, all vying for control, but you had it the whole time. How?”

“I’m not going to tell you anything that will put them at risk,” I argue. “And I’m not going to talk to you unless you help me.”

I end the call before he can keep talking. Hearing his voice saying those filthy words has put me into a state I do not want to be in. This kind of wanton arousal is dangerous for us all. I need a cold shower right fucking now.

CHAPTER 8