A Wolf's Duty by Jennifer T. Alli

is. God if there’s more than two of them I
might not be able to escape.
    She shook her head,
immediately seeing the similarities between the newcomer and her
saviour. Although the newcomer’s hair was slightly shorter, that
was where the differences between the two ended, though she
suspected they would look even more similar if her wolf friend
chose to smile as widely as the newcomer.
    “You probably guessed but
I’m Sebastian and the grouch in the corner is my brother Ryan,” he
chuckled.
    She opened her mouth to
respond but found that her voice had deserted her, coughing she
attempted to force it to return. “I’d like to go home now,” she
croaked.
    The smile on Sebastian’s
face disappeared immediately and she tightened her grip on the
sheets surrounding her tightened in response. “We can’t let you do
that.”
    “Why not, I’d like to go
so just let me go.”
    He sighed, turning to Ryan
for advice. “Look Alex,” Ryan quickly began, his harsh tone
reflecting the anxious look on his face. “You nearly got killed the
last time you went home if I remember correctly, so excuse us if
we’re not going to just let you wander off again. You’re staying
here and that’s that.”
    “Ryan!” Sebastian
chastised, “Don’t you think that’s a bit harsh?”
    “It’s the truth, there’s
no need to sugar coat it. She’s a big girl, I’m sure she wouldn’t
want us to lie to her just so she feels better,” he replied,
clearly unrepentant at his actions.
    “But you’re just scaring
her more.” Ryan sighed his frustration rising. “I’m sorry about him
Alex, he’s normally a really nice guy, but what happened to you has
put us all on edge.” Sebastian’s eyes wandered now her face to the
angry red line across her throat. “Look we’re not going to hurt
you, so just relax.”
    “Give me one good reason
why I should believe that? I don’t know either of you and you just
up and take me from my home. You do realise that some people would
consider that kidnapping?”
    “I saved your life,” Ryan
snarled, stalking closer to the bed.
    Refusing to back down
while courage was still flooding her, she stared directly at him.
“Yeah, I know that and I’m grateful, I really am but that still
doesn’t change the fact that I don’t know you. You could have saved
me just to do something worse.”
    “We’d never do that,”
Sebastian inserted, trying to be the voice of reason as tempers
began to rise. “Tobias would have our arses if we did.”
    “Tobias” she whispered,
hope springing from within her. “My Tobias?”
    Sebastian smiled warmly at
the look of relief that had graced her features. “Tall, dark curly
hair, grey eyes?”
    She nodded eagerly before
reality hit hard. “That’s could be anybody.”
    “Well it’s not anybody,”
Ryan inserted. “It’s Tobias. We’re his cousins and this is his
suite.”
    Raising the sheets to her
nose she smiled as Tobias’ warmth began to surround her, enveloping
her senses. “This still doesn’t prove anything. Tell me something
personal about him, like I don’t know, his favourite
colour.”
    “You’re kidding me right?”
Ryan snapped, moving closer to the bed, his every step radiating
anger. “How the hell would I know something like that? What do I
look like, his bloody mother?”
    “Ryan, maybe you should
just go, you’re not helping matters and Tobias won’t be happy if he
finds out about this.”
    His movements instantly
stilled at the suggestion and he turned on his brother. “Are you
going to tell him?”
    “No, but I still think you
should go, you’re scaring her.”
    “Fine, I’m leaving. You
deal with her by yourself then.” He turned on his heel and stormed
out of the room, slamming the door loudly as he left to punctuate
his departure.
    Sighing, Sebastian eased
towards the bed, finally sitting on the edge and staring intently
at Alex. “His favourite colour is green.” He smiled, watching her
slowly relax in response.