Crimson Moon

Four

Lou rested her head back against the door. She'd been locked in here for hours. She had already tested to see if her captor had neglected to secure the door, but it wasn't opening. Stupid male. She looked around the room once again, trying to figure out if it really was Cain's bedroom or not. It smelled strongly of him, as did all of the clothes in the closet. Yes, she'd gone through his closet. She was bored and curious. He liked dark, plain, neutral colors. Black long sleeves seemed to be his favorite.

Even though the room smelled like him, an enticing woodsy scent that her wolf wasn't entirely opposed to, there was no other evidence that it was bedroom. It was a man's room if she'd ever seen one. All shades of gray: charcoal gray bedspread, light gray sheets, curtains that matched the bedspread. The beautiful hardwood floor was the only color in the room, and even that was covered in gray rugs. There was nothing cozy or comforting about it, and certainly nothing personal. No photos, no momentos, not even a trinket. Though one could argue that because of that she knew no more about him than when she'd arrived, she'd beg to differ. She knew loads more about him.

He was a lone wolf. Despite being the Alpha of a pack, he preferred to distance himself from them. He didn't spend a lot of time in this room; if he did, it would look more lived in. He probably slept, made the bed, and then didn't return until he needed to sleep again. His family was out of the picture, dead or just estranged, she was unsure.

The real question though, was about the human woman, Kristen. She obviously lived here with the pack, which meant she was someone's mate. Not Cain's, she scented that he was unmated, and this room had not one feminine touch to it, but someone else within the pack. Cain had trusted her enough to be Lou's first contact with the pack, so the human Kristen obviously had his respect. That spoke more about what kind of Alpha he was than anything she would find in this room.

Her stomach growled loudly and she placed a hand over it. God, she was starving. She hadn't eaten since before the blizzard, so it had been at least a day. She had no idea what day it was or how long she had been unconscious.

She reached up to itch at her hair. She desperately needed to shower, and had even considered it. There was a beautiful, huge, attached bathroom that looked like she should put it to use, but she had resisted. She didn't want to risk that Cain come back while she was in a vulnerable position like that. She'd fight him naked, she'd just lose a lot of dignity in the process. On the other hand, that might distract him long enough for her to escape. Maybe if he heard the shower running he would come check on her to see what she was doing... and she could pounce. He'd never expect it.

She was truly pondering her shower schemed when footsteps approached from the other side of the door. "I can't believe he tied the door shut," a muffled female voice tsked.

"Well, he did say she was a flight risk," a deep, masculine voice replied. "And he was also likely a little spiteful after she scratched him."

Cain was spiteful? He'd started it! Lou growled to herself. What sort of lies was this male telling his pack about her? Oh, she'd give him a piece of her mind when she got her hands on him again, but right now she had bigger problems. At least it wasn't two males on the other side of the door that kept her cornered. She'd been in that position before and would rather not repeat it. Only her brother had kept the worst from happening, but he wasn't here now.

She rose and took on a defensive position, warily watching the door as it swung open slowly. The first figure to be revealed was an older woman, probably in her early fifties. Her graying blonde hair was pulled back in a functional bun, and her face was full of smile lines that suited her rather well. When she saw Lou, her face broke out into a huge grin that squinched up her kind brown eyes.