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as a word.  Prick.  
    He sets the phone down and his silver eyes glance down my body before settling on my gaze again.  His expression implies that he’s contemplating what he should do with me.  Which brings me back to my question.  Why the fuck did he take me?
    “What do you want from us?”  I search his hard eyes for compassion, or sympathy, or something, but he’s emotionless. 
    His jaw ticks.  “I told you I’ll tell you when the time is right.”  My eyes fall and my chest pains at his response.  “Just know that you will be alright.  You’ll be safe and the pack wants nothing more than for you and Lizie to be happy here with us.”  His voice softens some at the end. 
    “If you want us to be happy, let us go home.”  I plead softly to the wooden floor while picking thoughtlessly at my nails.
    “Enough!”  His hard yell makes me jump in the seat.  His voice levels in determination.  “You aren’t going anywhere.  Get used to it.”  I sniffle weakly and feel like a fool for speaking the words.  I haphazardly wipe away the bastard tears falling down my heated cheeks. 
    I flinch as his strong, muscular arms wrap around my small body, picking me up and pulling me into his hard chest, just like one would a child.  What the hell is he doing?   My body stiffens in his embrace.  I stop myself from pushing away from him.  Honestly, it feels good to be held, even if he has no right to handle me like this.  Half of me wants to fall asleep nestled in his chest.  The other half wants to run far away and hide from him.  He carries me as though I weigh nothing and settles me in his lap as he leans back in his chair.  I sit straight up lifting as much of my body as I can off of him, keeping my eyes straight ahead, staring at the wall.  I don’t try to get up though.  His large hands are firmly grasping my hip and thigh.  He has no intention of letting me go.  My breathing picks up and my entire body goes on high alert. 

Chapter 6: Ari
    My head is roughly level with his chest, so he speaks looking down at me.  How apt.   My eyes stare straight ahead at the wall in his office.  The abstract images of wooded lands are actually quite beautiful and they calm me slightly. 
    “I’ll ask you again, please be reasonable and just answer my question Ariana.  What do you know about werewolves?”
    His thumb moves slow circles over my thigh and I find myself relaxing in his embrace.  Something about him soothes me.  Exhaustion overwhelms me as my body eases from his touch.  His hand at my hip releases me and he starts gently stroking up and down the curve of my waist.  I sigh at his soft touches, feeling myself slip deeper into comfort.  Although he could easily maneuver his hand up my shirt so we’d be skin to skin he doesn’t.  I’m grateful for the restraint, but at the same time I crave his body against mine.  For some unknown reason I warm with his consoling touch.  My anxiety seems to vanish and suddenly I can’t remember what I was so concerned about.  Everything just feels right and all I can think about is how good this feels.  As if reading my mind, he gently pulls me into his hard chest and I let my body fall against his.  My hand rests against his powerful body and I place my head next to it, as though my intention is to listen to the steady beat of his heart. 
    “Ariana?”  His voice is soft and gentle.
    “Yes?”  I answer easily, rubbing my cheek against his chest. 
    “What do you know about werewolves?”  He asks again, keeping his voice low and soothing.  I feel so tired and relaxed that I hardly hear his words.  I nuzzle into his neck and have an intense urge to lick his throat and leave open-mouthed kisses all over his chest.
    As quickly as the urges come on, they leave me.  What the fuck!   The realization of what I’d intended to do strikes me with a force that jolts me awake.  I jerk out of his embrace and stand up so quickly I almost fall