He pinned one of my forearms under each of his knees. His weight making his bone press into the soft tissues of my arm.

Ouch!

“You’re not tying me up, Jaecar!” I screamed louder this time. A panicked note touching my voice as I tried to buck my hips enough to free myself.

“The Hell I’m not.” He muttered. Balancing as he straddled my waist. Untwisting the rope, he pulled his dagger from the tie at my waist. Cutting the rope into four chunks, he laid them out next to us, ominously. Before staring at me as he purposefully shoving it back in his hip scabbard.

Angry I’d stolen it to begin with. I didn’t feel bad since I’d stolen it in order to save myself. No remorse to be had there!

“Jaecar!” I pleaded. “This is me we’re talking about. You and I have been friends forever!”

Have you lost your mind?

“Yes. And now we’re going to be more. Much more.” He asserted.

***

“You don’t want to mate with me!” I cried. “This is insanity.”

Why is he pushing this now?

What’s happened?

He paused with cutting the last bit of rope to stare at me with wide eyes. “Can you really be that oblivious?”

Oblivious?

“What?” My face scrunched in annoyed confusion.

Nothing he’s saying is making sense.

“One of the most powerful wolves in this pack has been sitting and reading with you, going over your sketches, debating your theories and going for walks with you nearly every day for six years and you’ve not caught on?” He said it nearly chidingly. His voice dropping as he gave me a dark look. Dropping to lean on his fists next to my biceps, so he could level the intensity of his stare on me.

“What are you saying?” I eyed him askance.

“Why would I waste time doing that with a female I didn’t want to breed?” His voice rose slightly in irritation.

“Because we were friends!” I stared at him. Apparently, my wounding was visible on my face.

“No, it’s not the only reason I befriended you. Quit it! There is nothing wrong with an able-bodied male desiring his female of choice. Especially not when she is his mate.” He straightened and teetered to one side to free my arm into his grip. Then the other way for the other. Catching them one by one and pinning them over my head. Both my wrists in his large fist. To bind them in expert knots.

***

I was already writhing and twisting my wrists in an effort to free them. Making my breasts lift and bob with every jerk I gave my arms. His eyes drifted down to watch them. He palmed one and his face dropped to give warm kisses along the side of my neck as he massaged the weight of my softness.

I tossed my head away, trying to squirm from beneath him.

He brushed his nose along the tender skin just behind my ear and down to my shoulder. Immediately making my skin goosebump and my heart race.

He lifted his head. “I know you can feel that. The spark radiating between us that makes those tiny bumps form.”

He trailed one callused finger along the same path his lips had just softly traced.

I shivered involuntarily at the stimulating touch. “I feel nothing but disgust.”

“Do you?” He lifted a black brow and his gaze trailed back down to my breasts concealed beneath my dress.

Following his gaze, I was horrified to see that the nipple of the breast he’d been touching had turned into a hard nub which jutted against the fabric as if begging for more of his fondling.

My eyes flashed back to his face in horror. Hoping he somehow hadn’t noticed.

That wasn’t what he was looking at! I tried to tell myself.

But when I met his study, I watched the slow smirk turn his lips and knew that was exactly what he’d been eying.

Dammit! I chewed my lip as I tried to find an appropriate denial.

“Tell me again that your body doesn’t want to feel mine.” He rumbled.

***

Being a Border Guard, he’d taken prisoners before.

And he knows how to secure one.

He’s securing me like one. I watched what he was doing to me in disbelief.

He tied my elbows together across my stomach to limit my struggling.

My legs were next. At my ankles and just above my knees.

Then he lifted me and took me to the hollowed out tree and slid me down into it.

It should've dawned on me he'd find me in that tree. I used to hide from him in it when we played.

I should've known better.

It was narrow enough I slipped inside and landed on my bound feet. I was struggling and elbowing both sides of the tree but could hardly move.

He lifted a piece of wood which perfectly matched the tree. Eyeholes carved from knotholes were precisely level with my eyes so I could peer out, once he’d set it in the opening.

But Jaecar was nothing if not notoriously precise.

Effectively blocking me from view and latching it in place with something on the outside.

My gut sank as I realized the complete and utter darkness. And what this meant for me. I’d not be in the safety of my hut as the moon rose tonight. I’ll be vulnerable and exposed.

Every element, the wind and rain would carry my female scent to the ravenous males.

And they’ll all be looking for one such as me.

A ‘breedable’...