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Two days passed much more rapidly than Jess could have predicted. She expected Rafe to let her wander and leave her alone except for when he wanted to question her. But the questions didn’t come. His attention did. It seemed that he was by her side every moment that he could spare.
Those moments were not as numerous as part of her would have liked. That was the part of her that kept forgetting she was a prisoner in his house.
After showing her his hideaway, he left. But later that day he found her exploring the library and pulled her into the castle’s garden to show her the centerpiece of it all: a natural spring that looked like it should have had fairies flitting about. At the very least there should have been some sort of wish granting mechanism.
He hadn’t kissed her again. Which was a good thing. And if she kept repeating that thought she might start to believe it.
When she returned from one of her walks around the castle on the day of the party, a magnificent dress was waiting for her, hanging in plastic off the closet door. The emerald green gown hung all the way down to the floor and would go over just one of her shoulders, there was silver beading that covered the waist, meant to emphasize her curves. She crossed the room and grabbed the gown off the door. The beading wasn’t made of sequins or plastic, it was made of actual crystals.
She’d never worn something so expensive. And now she knew why Rafe hadn’t let her see the dress beforehand. She’d asked about it, but he just smiled and changed the subject. His own evasiveness had led her to believe he’d give her some packmate’s castoff.
Not something like this.
A large box sat on the table by the couch. A card was propped up with her name on it. Still holding the dress, Jess sat on the couch and picked up the card.
I’ve wanted to see you in this dress for days. The color was made for you. I hope you’ll wear the complete outfit.
-R
It was deliberately not a command, Jess understood. But what he was truly asking, she did not know.
She opened up the box and smiled when she saw the black panties. Of course, the man would want to choose her very own underwear. The perv. But her eyes were drawn to something else. Two shiny, platinum bracelets, each two inches wide. They would play off the light and match the crystal banding perfectly. More crystals traced the edges of the bracelets, outlining them in shining studs.
This wasn’t the kind of jewelry a man had just lying around. He’d purchased this, and the dress, specifically for her.
It took Jess’s breath away. Wearing it would mean something to him, to her. Something about them. And if she did that, there was no going back. Something about the night would change and she would no longer be just his hostage. Except she knew she was already more than that.
And it terrified her.
She couldn’t fall for anyone - especially a man like Rafe - in three days. The thought was anathema. And yet, if she let herself believe it, she was scared that she already had. Rafe Blackwood wasn’t some brute, not to her. To her he was kind, courteous, funny, and damned sexy.
They hadn’t kissed since their first day together, but somehow that made it even worse. If the pull between them were merely physical, she could have dismissed it. But they talked, for hours sometimes, and about the most mundane and excellent things. He’d told her about his rise to power, his favorite movies, and where he wanted to go on his next vacation.
And it all seemed so natural. While she hadn’t given him what he wanted about her sister, she’d revealed more than she’d ever anticipated. He knew she had wanted a seal for a pet when she was six, and that her mom had abandoned both her and Rebecca in the city when Jess was seventeen. He knew that she wanted to design clothes.
In three days she’d become closer to Rafe than she had anyone else since she was sixteen years old.
Was it because he held her captive? Stockholm Syndrome or something like it? Jess didn’t think so. She still had her own will, her resistance to giving up her family. She wasn’t hopelessly devoted to his pack. She just liked him. Despite the captivity and the whole issue of him wanting to capture her sister.
A knock at the door startled Jess from her thoughts.
“Come in!” She called and then wondered if she even had the authority to tell someone to stay out of Rafe’s room.
She knew before turning that it wasn’t Rafe. The man’s scent was all wrong. It was the gruff Scotsman. Mac. Rafe’s second in command. They hadn’t spoken beyond pleasantries, but she could tell that Mac didn’t like her. Or maybe he just didn’t like that she was staying in Rafe’s room rather than in the dungeons.
“The alpha asked me to escort you downstairs.” He gave no inflection.
“Give me ten minutes.” She rushed into the bathroom and fixed her hair. Her purse had the basics for makeup and nothing she would have worn to a fancy party, but she did the best she could. With a few minutes to spare, she put on the jewelry and tried to shimmy into the dress only to discover it laced up in the back.
It would be impossible to get it to stay on by herself. With an internal groan, she marched toward the door and flung it open. “I need your help.”
Mac followed her into the room. “I’m not sure I should be touching you, Miss Patrick.”
“I’m sure it’ll be fine.” And as a member of Rafe’s security team, it wasn’t like he didn’t have the authority to do whatever he wanted to her. The only man with higher rank was Rafe himself.
Without further resistance, Mac got to work, gently tightening the silk and working his way down to the end of the bodice. “I’m sure you’ve thought of how this event will be the perfect time to escape.”
There was no use denying it. “The thought had crossed my mind.” The New Moon party was when a pack let itself go. Food, drinks, fun, it was like the full moon, but on a night they chose.
“Security is doubled around the perimeter. If you’re very lucky, my guards won’t kill you.” He gave a final pull and stood back. “It’s done.”
“Thank you.”
Mac stepped around to face her. “You may have fooled the alpha, but I’m not going to be tricked by you. Now let’s go.”
“I’m not trying to trick anyone,” she said, slipping on her shoes. “And I never chose to be here.”
Mac had no response.
