Page 18 of Claimed By the Werewolf Boss
Quietly, and sending out a prayer to every deity I know, I slide the silken scarf down until it covers my throat.
My eyes flutter as they adjust to the light.
We are in some sort of warehouse office.
There are a few empty desks, a large window looking out into the open – based on the glow of the morning sunlight warming the room – and two men sitting on computer chairs watching a video recording of a podcast.
“And let’s not forget our sponsor for today’s show, SupraNutrients.
Let me tell you, this shit’s amazing. I put a scoop of their MaxMan protein powder in my morning protein shake before I hit the gym every day.
My hair is thicker, my dick game is better if that’s even possible, and I swear on my life, guys, it brings the high-quality ladies right to my door.
The testosterone coursing through me is at 110%.
This absolutely works and will make you the alpha male you want to be. ”
I think I’m going to throw up.
There is enough space for me to sit up in the cage.
This is more like a kennel for one of those massive security-type dogs.
That poor pup is hopefully on duty if I’m taking up their house.
I think that might break me more than anything if I found out they hurt a dog.
Hurting an innocent pet should put you in one of those horrible bottom rings of Dante’s Inferno .
“What’s taking him so long, Luca? I thought you said he actually gave two shits about the fattie. We’ve been here for hours,” the man on the right complains.
Hours? Hours! Do I have a concussion? After a strangulation, victims usually wake up in a few seconds to a couple of minutes.
It’s long enough to be tied up, but not much else.
I rack my brain for what could have happened.
I don’t feel woozy or nauseous, my throat fucking hurts, and I imagine my face looks a bit roughed up. Did I hallucinate the werewolf?
“Tino won’t rush in, even if he can find us,” Luca says. He looks back at me, and I recognise him as the creep from my first morning at the villa. Our eyes meet, his flicker red and I swear his light blond hair turns lighter. “He’s got to think of his mate first.”
I’ve been around the block when it comes to romance genres.
There isn’t too much I shy away from. I recognise the way he uses mate from a science-fiction novel I read a few years ago.
It was a totally wild book, but hot as fuck.
The author threw around the word mate about every other page.
And these guys aren’t British or Australian, based on their accents. They don’t mean friend.
“Did you drug me?” I croak.
“Just a little to keep you out.” He pinches his fingers together to demonstrate, as if that makes me feel any better. “You’re a hard nut to crack, ya know that, Walker?”
“What’s to crack? I teach science to middle schoolers,” I deadpan.
“And you write some really fucked up porn,” the other guy snarls like a dog. “You ruined my relationship.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to demand how they figured that out.
I’ve always kept Remi Roman out of my personal life.
My life as an author has never touched my life as a teacher in the ten years I’ve been doing both.
The few podcasts I’ve done have been audio only, and my profile pictures are anonymous illustrations I’ve commissioned.
All the world knows about Remi is that she’s white and lives on the East Coast.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I’ve got some connections, a few people back in Tolson who were happy to dig a little deeper into your finances,” Luca explains.
“The dots connected themselves. And poor Nicky here has been devastated since his woman started debasing herself with books like yours. She’s an addict, thinks she’s better than him. ”
“Okay, for one, reading adult romances doesn’t debase her or whatever fucking shit that is.
If I had to guess based on his language and the absolute trash you’ve been listening to, Nicky here is being a fucking dickhead piece of shit to a lovely person, and she dumped his ass because she knew she could find a better person who respects her. ”
I realise too late I should have kept my mouth shut.
I’m not sure what’s got into me, really.
This brazen attitude is completely out of character for me, but I can’t fucking stand when people hate on romance.
It’s changed my life in a million different ways, and all of them for the better.
The number of readers who have sent me emails and messages about relating to my characters or finally feeling seen in books is unbelievable.
These guys don’t get to dictate the narrative.
But they have kidnapped me and are holding me hostage in a dog crate.
Nicky slowly stands up from his chair and starts to strip.
I scramble back against the bars. If he touches me, I’m going to rip his dick off.
I will fight and claw and kick until my last breath.
My fingers curl into fists when he takes his pants down.
I look at Luca, his nonchalant pose in the chair unmoved.
Have they done this before? Do they take women and assault them for fun?
Why would Valentino be friends with someone like this?
There’s a glint in his eyes when Nicky crouches down in front of me. The hairs on my arms stand up as something cracks. His body jerks frantically as hair bursts from his skin. Bile rises in my throat when his body grows and creaks like a leather handbag. I’m going to be sick.
His teeth turn sharp, a muzzle where his mouth should be. My lips tremble as terror fills me. Finally, the swishing of a tail is the only sound I hear before my vision starts to fade on the pale grey fucking werewolf in front of me.
I know if I pass out it will be for a few seconds, but maybe I’ll hit my head and get some sense knocked into me.