Madison looked at Dante inquiringly. "You haven't forgotten, have you?""No, Madison." He rolled his eyes. "We are due in a few hours so there is still time." His eyes took in her clothes. "Thank goodness you are already dressed. No last-minute touches to your makeup, I hope? That means we can leave on time," Dante teased. Maddox chuckled, his frame vibrating. My eyes narrowed. Were Dante and Madison going out on a date? It was annoying that they were talking about going somewhere without taking any notice of me. Dante and I were mates after all. Even though I disliked and would not accept him as my mate, wasn't I somehow entitled to a little information about his activities since he knew all about mine? They were talking about it right in front of me after all and it would be courteous to at least give me a hint. Dante pointed at her plate. "Eat up Maddy. You have been talking so much, you have barely touched your food."Maddy, he had called her. Somehow the sound of that name on
"Right," Madison replied, nodding.She took in my clothes, her eyes lingering on my baggy t-shirt. Though she did her best to show it, it was obvious she did not approve of my clothes. Well, I did not have to put up with her any second longer than I had to. It was a stroke of luck that we all were not going in the same car. She was so meddlesome, I didn't trust myself not to lose it if we were at close quarters. I got in as soon as I heard I was going to ride with Dante. I sat at the very edge of the plush car seat- as far away as possible from him. I felt smug, knowing that Madison was no longer going to be in close quarters with Dante. I wondered if the decision to take Maddox along was a prearranged one, or if it was occasioned by my presence. My sense of elation was short-lived. Here I was, sitting in a car, forcing myself to tag along on a journey whose destination was unknown to me. I was wasting hours I could have spent attempting to hack into Dante's security system. With Dan
Dante's POV I watched her leave, a half smile on my face. I loved watching every nuance of her expression- her surprise, irritation, and anger. Right now, anger took center stage as she stomped into the shopping mall. The doorman gave her a look of surprise as she walked- stiff-legged- past him. If I knew anything about her, the staff of the mall were in for more of such surprises. Hell, she had shocked the hell out of me the very first time I saw her. She slammed the glass door so hard I was worried for a moment that it would shatter into a million pieces. Wincing, I braced myself and heard nothing. Then, I remembered. The type of glass most places like this had was tempered glass- strong and durable. I smiled wryly. Strong and durable were words that aptly described Allison. She was like no other woman I had known. Others would kill to shop in a place like this. With the way she dressed, her personality, and her strong dislike of her room decor, I knew she hated shopping. Madison
I had thought that I could endure at least a few hours of this but I was damned wrong. More than anything, I bitterly regretted coming here. This place was like a circus. The shopping mall was massive with all kinds of clothes and accessories cleverly displayed. I wondered why people would dedicate a whole lot of space to resources to create a comically huge shopping mall like the one I was in. As soon as we came in, we were swamped by attendants who offered to show us around. They probably knew Madison and had definitely seen Dante outside. His influence was felt here as they all but fawned over us. He was their Alpha, after all. I literally put my foot down, refusing to move an inch until Madison got rid of the attendants. It was bad enough that I was here. It would be worse if I was followed and fussed over by a bunch of giggling girls. Madison had wisely told them to leave, much to their disappointment. News had likely spread that I was Dante's kidnapped mate. I looked around. T
For a few hours, I was able to shut all my problems out- all thoughts of Dante, Madison, the shopping spree, and my planned escape. It felt good to be free of the burden of responsibility for a while, even though the freedom was short-lived. My wolf reveled in the feeling. I did not come across any big game in the woods. I made a mental note to myself to try again at a later date when I got the opportunity to run in the woods again. If I got the opportunity. There was no way of knowing how Dante would react to all this. Speaking of Dante, it was probably time for me to get back. I was startled to see that the sun was sitting lower in the sky, casting its setting rays over everything. Reluctantly I stopped running, concentrating on finding the way back to Dante's pack. I picked up the scent of a trail, a shortcut leading there. I followed the trail at a run but I went at a much slower pace. I somehow wished I could remain in the words a little longer. In a shorter time than I thought
I was at the gym again. The gleam of the sophisticated equipments, and the eagerness of physical exertion had called to me day after day and I had obeyed. I had woken up this morning at the crack of dawn, restless and full of pent-up energy. I had hastily put on my joggers, shirt, and sneakers. I was not sure how Dante would react to me taking a run in the woods after the last time. With the way the guards outside watched me as soon as I got out of the house, I guessed there would be a repeat of what happened last time. It would defeat the purpose of the run and make me a lot more edgy if Dante's guards babysat me during my run. That was how I made my way to the gym. Unlike the last time, I was not alone. There was a guard there, warming up and doing some push-ups. Seeing me come in, he hastily got to his feet. "Good morning, Luna," he greeted, bowing deeply. Taking a deep breath, I mentally shook off that annoying word- Luna. Today was a new day and I was determined not to let Dan
Fight with him? That was not what I was expecting him to say when he called me back. He had to be kidding but as I glanced at him, I realized he actually looked serious. That meant he had been close enough to hear his guards' offer to spar with me. I could have obliged the guard, but definitely not Dante. The last thing I wanted right now was to be physically close to him in any context whatsoever. Also, how could he act so unconcerned? It was as though he did not remember what had happened between us a few days ago. "Fight with you?" I snorted, my eyes traveling over him. "I will do no such thing. Besides, I am already done with my exercise routine for today."I pushed open the door when Dante's warm hand encircled mine. I shivered involuntarily, my face working. Still facing the door, I struggled to school my expression before turning."Let go," I said grimly.His hand tightening on my wrist, he slowly but inexorably pulled me closer. My grip on the doorknob slackened as one, two
CHAPTER 19Dante's POV The sound of Madison's hearty laughter filled the room. I was grinning myself. In my head, I had played through my last encounter with Alison over and over again. It never failed to bring a smile to my face. Allison was feisty all right. If I had doubted it before, I had no reason to do so now. The scene at that gym had proved it. Madison and I were in the dining room and had just finished breakfast. The used dishes had just been taken away. Madison's question brought me back to the present. "She was training with the guards?" she asked incredulously. "Yeah, I saw them. The guards also confirmed it. She seems to have more strength in that small body of hers than I gave her credit for. They said she used the treadmill and barbell with virtually no signs of fatigue."Madison said reflectively. "She is a feisty one, all right."I nodded in agreement. She had just taken the words right out of my mouth. Madison looked as though she was remembering something. I ha