Brenna
Adan stormed in, never taking his eyes from mine. “Sit down.”
“No.” I folded my arms across my chest. I was going to be treated as his equal, even if it killed me.
He clenched his jaw. “Please.”
I stared at him for a moment and then sat at the kitchen table in the same place where I had sat before.
He tried to close the door, but it hung sideways on its hinges.
I rolled my eyes. One thing I hated about this world was having to deal with Neanderthals.
“I’ll have someone come later to fix it.” He sat across from me and folded his hands on the table. “Breakfast will be up in a bit.”
I nodded once, sitting back in my chair. “What did you want to speak with me about?”
He tilted his head sideways, obviously considering. “I was thinking about something last night and wanted to run it by you. See what you think.”
“Oh-kay.” I sighed, relenting. “Would you like some coffee? I could make some.”
He nodded. “In a minute. First, I want to talk.”
I folded my arms across my chest, waiting for him to continue.
He nodded. “I was thinking that maybe compromise is the answer.”
“Okay. I’m listening.” I folded my hands on top of the table, leaning forward.
“I understand that you’re strong and bullheaded—”
“And where is this going?”
“Just let me finish. This is hard for me.” He clenched his hands; I would assume to keep from strangling me. But I could have been wrong.
I nodded. “Continue. Please.”
“You’re strong and bullheaded, and so am I. If we don’t find some common ground, we could end up destroying each other, or it may destroy this Pack, which is something I just can’t allow.” He let out a deep breath. “So, I will allow you to work with the young warriors on one condition.”
I sat up straighter, trying not to show my surprise. “Which is?”
“That you never engage in active combat unless it’s absolutely necessary.”
“But—”
He held up his hand. “Let me finish.”
I stared at him for a moment and then nodded. “In the event of an attack, you’ll hide with your young warriors or stay inside and protect the interior of the castle. But I do not want you nor the young warriors in active combat. Understand?”
I knew he was trying to extend an olive branch, so it was up to me to bend. Small wins. That was what it was going to take.
“Deal.” I tilted my head to the side. “But what about grabbing my hair? That’s going to have to stop, or I’m shaving my head.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Try me.”
He nodded. “Okay. I won’t grab your hair if you always respect me, especially in public.”
I shrugged. “As I said last night, respect has to be earned.”
“And that goes both ways.” He stared daggers at me.
I nodded. “Okay. You treat me as an equal, and I’ll treat you as one.”
He thought about it for a moment and then nodded. “Okay.” He bit his lower lip, leaning in. “Brenna, from here on out, if you have a problem with me, we’ll discuss it privately. I refuse to have you air our dirty laundry in front of others. Am I clear?”
I shrugged. “And I refuse to be treated as your property.”
He smirked. “Well, I did pay—”
“Do not finish that sentence,” I cut him off. “I’ll pay you back, if that’s what it takes to earn my freedom, and then I’ll leave. But do not ever bring that up to me again. You didn’t have to buy me.”
He lifted one shoulder, giving me a sly smile. “Lucky for you, I did.”
I jumped to my feet so fast his eyes widened. “Get out!”
“What?” He slowly rose to his feet. “You can’t throw me out of—”
“Watch me,” I said, cutting him off. “Get. Out.”
He rose to his feet, holding up his hands. “Okay. I won’t bring it up again, but you’re not going anywhere.”
“You will not order me around.” I stared into his eyes. “You can’t hold someone captive.”
He chuckled. “Oh, no?” He rose from his seat and disappeared through the door. He came back a moment later, holding two pairs of handcuffs.
“Oh, no you don’t!” I ran for the door, but he grabbed me around my waist and threw me onto the bed. I scratched his face, but it didn’t faze him. He chuckled as he grabbed one of my wrists, snapped on one of the sets of handcuffs, and then attached it to one of the bed posts. “You wouldn’t dare!”
He chuckled, a devilish grin spreading across his face. “What is it you say? Watch me?” Then he snapped the other set of handcuffs around my wrist and attached it to the other bedpost, leaving me lying on the bed with my arms out.
“Let me go, you brute!” I raised my knee up hard toward his groin, but he dodged quickly out of the way.
“Okay! If that’s the way you want to play it! I’ll be right back.” Then he disappeared back into his room.
“Adan! Let me go!” I screamed, bouncing on the bed, trying to figure out a way out of these handcuffs. “Adan, get back in here this minute and let me go!”
He chuckled as he walked back in with leather shackles. “Oh, I’m not finished yet.”
“Don’t you dare!” I yelled, trying my best to scoot away from him.
He grabbed one of my ankles, but I clobbered him on the back of the head with my other foot. But he grabbed it and bit my ankle. “You. Are. Mine. Don’t you ever forget it.” Then he attached the leather strap around my ankle and clamped it to one of the bedposts at the foot of the bed.
“Let me go, you brute!” I screamed. “Help! Somebody, help!”
He made short work of attaching the other leather shackle to my right ankle and tied it to the bedpost, leaving me spread eagle on the bed.
“Oh, no one is going to come for you,” he cooed, his eyes flaring as he crawled toward me across the bed.
“Help! Someone, help—”
His lips crushed down onto mine, cutting off my screams, leaving me completely at his mercy.