PRINCE OF WOLVES By Susan Krinard

The absurdity of her own words shocked her into momentary sanity, but it was too late. Luke lunged at her with one incredibly swift movement and caught her arms so tightly that she cried out with the force of it. Her feet dangled as he lifted her, holding her as helpless as a newborn kitten while his eyes bored into hers.

His breath rasped, and his face was contorted into such an expression of bleak ferocity that Joey almost closed her eyes to block out the sight of it.

“I warn you, Joelle Stop now. Eat your breakfast, go back to town, and forget you ever heard my name.”

The shaking of his voice was that of barely repressed savagery, and Joey knew with the surety of instinct that he was one step away from a total loss of control.

It was not quite enough to defeat her.

“No.”

She winced as his fingers tightened but met his eyes even though part of her screamed to run and keep running.

“I came here for the help you promised me. You have to help me. Damn you, you have to.” She clung to that one goal that had never changed, discarded every personal consideration and every desperate question.

For a moment she thought he might get a grip on himself, calmly set her down, and agree to do as he had promised. He closed his eyes, and the break in his frightening stare was a relief. It lasted for only the briefest of instants.

“You don’t know, Joelle. You don’t know what game you’re playing.” The words were even, deliberate, cold. “If you push me far enough, you’ll regret you ever left San Francisco. And you may never go back.”

Before his chilling words could penetrate, he lifted her against the hard rigidity of his body and forced his mouth on hers. Struggling against him was like trying to stop a forest fire with a garden hose. There was not the smallest trace of gentleness in the kiss, it bruised her mouth as he forced his tongue between her lips with utter violence. She could do nothing against it, and when it ended, he dropped her so suddenly that she staggered.

As she clutched the chair back and straightened he stood over her, unmoving, unrepentant and unrelenting. The bitter tang of blood was in her mouth, her tongue searched and found the place where he had grazed her with his teeth .She backed up, ignoring the hard edge of the chair where it dug into her spine.

Luke was wild. His eyes blazed, and his teeth were bared, Joey kept very still while he struggled visibly to regain his composure. Joey battled for her own, and the first rush of alarm and fear at his attack subsided under the weight of returning anger.

Lip curled in defiance, Joey straightened to regard him with something approaching contempt. “Your threats and boorish behavior aren’t going to work on me, Luke. Don’t concern yourself any longer, I’m not about to impose on you for one more minute.” She whirled on her heel and left Luke standing there, angry strides propelling her into the main room. She jerked at her hair and wound it into a loose knot at the nape of her neck, securing it with a bit of string from her pocket as she made for the door.

Luke was already blocking her exit when she reached it. Skidding to a halt, Joey narrowly avoided a collision, she hid reaction under a mask, of cool hostility. “You wanted me to leave, if you’ll kindly step aside, I’ll be going.”

His eyes were still wild, his posture taut with threat. “Forget you ever met me, Joey. Go back where you came from—give up on this quest and return to your city. Don’t come back.”

“Oh, no.” Joey matched the harshness of his tone with a ferocity equal to anything he could muster. “Not on your life. I came here for a reason, and I’m not going home until I’ve done what I set out to do.”

Tensing in anticipation, she took a step forward until her chest almost touched his. “With or without your help. I’m going to find my parents. If I can’t find a guide, I’ll guide myself. And neither you nor anyone else is going to stop me.”

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