Adrienne and Mena ate their meal of cooked venison and fruit Bane had set before them. They didn’t know who had prepared it. They glanced around wondering who prepared the delicious food. Usually the werefemales would do the cooking but there were none seen anywhere. But no doubt if there were males there would sure to be a female. Mena knew there was no amount of willing werefemales competing for the honor of mating and taking care of the Alpha’s needs.
Turning to Mena, Adrienne spoke in a restrained murmur, “Now what? Bane doesn’t seem that bad.”
“You don’t want to anger him, Adrienne.”
“I haven’t done or said anything where he would want to harm me.”
“Not yet. There are so many rules and you being with the Samsas have made you unafraid of werewolves. They aren’t the typical werewolves,” Mena said glancing over at Adrienne and then looking up as a quiet Bane stood in the doorway. No one heard him. It was as if he was sneaking up on a deer before he pounced.
“Your room is next to Adrienne’s,” Bane said in a powerful voice. His tone forceful. “Now go to your room. There’s a hot bath waiting for you. Take the stench of a human from your body.” Mena lowered her head like a little child and cut her eyes at Adrienne. Her eyes showed how concerned she was for her. Mena knew if Adrienne made a mistake and said the wrong thing, or didn’t show deference to Bane, he could or would kill her with one angry swipe of his paw. However, Adrienne wouldn’t test the limits of Bane’s patients. Maybe later.
As Mena passed, she whispered into Adrienne’s ear. “Remember what I said.” Bane glared at Mena as she scurried past him with her head bent.
“What did she say to you?”
“I’m sure you heard her,” Adrienne said.
“You are correct. I can hear things you’re not aware of. Like the spider spinning his web in the corner. Or a bird feeding their young in the pine trees out back. My smelling is equally as acute. I can smell you, and I know why Wilder, Drayton, and that animal Lycell have taken with you. When he mentioned Lycell’s name his eyes sharpened and fixed on her. His voice dripped with hatred and Adrienne knew why.
“When they are dead, and you’re mine,” Band steps closer to Adrienne. “I’ll be free to enjoy your aroma without smelling one of them on you.” Adrienne shuddered and her eyes narrowed. She couldn’t control her emotions. Her face showed anger and disgust.
“Right now you repulse me. Go take a bath.” Bane’s voice is critical. He moved out of the way anticipating that Adrienne would be afraid of him and rush out like Mena.
“I’m not ready to take a bath.” She looked up at him. “I haven’t had my desert yet. Where is it?”
“Remember what Mena said. Are you deliberately trying to provoke me?”
She stood. Then looking him straight in his eyes she frowned at him. “I’m pregnant and I need something sweet,” she demanded. “I don’t imagine that you have ice cream here?” He picked up an apple from the table and dropped it in front of her, then Bane moved closer until Adrienne could smell him. He had the smell of wildness. Like a dog who came in from the rain. He glared at her when she furrowed her brow and raised her nose in disapproval.
“Why wasn’t I told you were pregnant?”
“The subject didn’t come up. You still have time to take me home,” Adrienne said leaning back and staring up at him.
“I see that those Samsas let you do whatever you want. If they hadn’t, you wouldn’t be with me now. You have no fear of werewolves and me, but you will have before I make you mine.”
Bane wrapped his large hand around her wrists. “I expect you to do as I say and shut that pretty mouth of yours, or I will make sure you don’t have those pups you’re carrying.” He placed his large strong hand over her stomach. If he wanted, he could pull them out with one hand. She glance down at his hand and backed away from him. But his arms are long and he still held her stomach.
“If you obey me, then I may let you keep them.” Adrienne pushed his hand from her and moved further back.
“You will have hell to pay if you do anything to me and my pups, I mean my children.” Bane raised his chin and threw his head back and laughed at Adrienne. “If those wolves of yours find you, it will be too late. You will be my bitch.”
“Kill me now because just the use of that word, and the way you treat women will prevent me from ever accepting you even if you manage to kill my mates, which I think you have no chance in hell of doing.” A slight smile crossed Adrienne’s lips and she lifted her head. She thought she was brave for confronting the fierce Bane. But he was like any other man who wanted a woman. And she knew beyond a doubt that he wanted her if not needed her for something.
“Understand one thing. You will not have a choice as to whether you accept me or not. Enough of your human talk. Go to bed.” Bane took her hand, turned her around, and then led her to her room. “This is your room. It’s next to mine.”
He opened the door. “This is will be your permanent room after I destroy the Samsas. After you have your pups, they will be given to the werefemales to raise, and I will then make sure you have several litters of my pups.”
“You have my life planned out for me, but I wouldn’t count on it.”
“You will accept me, or I will hand you over to the beta males, and let them have a go with you. Then after you’re submissive, I will come to you at night when I feel like fucking you and take you from behind. Because you have enraged me with your words, and you are stubborn, I won’t sleep with you.”
“See if I care. But aren’t you getting ahead of yourself. Where will Wilder, Lycell, and Drayton be with all this going on?” Her voice is light and she shoots him a closed smile.
“As I said before, they will be dead.” Adrienne glared into Bane’s eyes. She had to let him know that she wasn’t afraid of him, and if he had killed all the Samsa brothers, then her life wouldn’t be worth living anyway. That was her thoughts. But she had more than herself to think about, she had to think about her children and that’s why she stood quiet for once.
“You will have breakfast with me in the morning. I don’t want any smart talk from you. You will get up early and dress to travel. Afterwards, we’re leaving. Now take a bath and go to bed, I might want to visit you tonight, but I don’t relish smelling those Samsas.” He passed his hands across her cheeks lightly. Adrienne drew back. Not because she felt disdain for Bane, but because there was a connection she felt when he touched her skin.
Not the kind she felt for Wilder, or Drayton, or Lycell, but a different type of connection that coursed through her deepening a feeling of arousal.
Adrienne became frightened, after all, what would she do if he decided to visit her in the middle of the night?
There wasn’t anything she could do but lay there and let him have her. He was as tall as Drayton, and just as handsome with a chest equally as wide, but he wasn’t a gentle man like Drayton, he wasn’t even a self-possessed man like Wilder, or a passionate man like Lycell. Bane was the opposite of all of her werewolves, but he was like them in the way they aroused her desire to be with them.
She knew by that feeling she received from Bane that it was imperative that Wilder find her soon, and take her to the safety of their home.