Chapter 37

Adrian.

Watching Poppy lick lips and drag her teeth against her bottom lip tempts me to want to kiss her. But I stop myself before going through with it.

I move my head over to her ear and whisper, “Tell me what happened earlier with Lola.”

When I pull back, I see frustration in Poppy’s eyes, and it is written all over her face.

Why is she so frustrated? Did she want me to kiss her?

Poppy lets out a huff as she tries to fight against me to let her go.

“Just tell me what happened,” I growl at her.

I’m beginning to lose my patience with this girl. Why is she making this so difficult?

“Fine! Lola came into my shop upset because she wanted a fragrance to help seduce you to sleep with her. She was angry when it didn’t work and threatened to tear me to shreds. I’m tired of being seen as a defenseless girl, and so I used my magic on her. I started by breaking her bones like she was transitioning for the first time. Lola laughed at me and told me that all that pain was nothing. So I threw her through the glass window. Alright, there, now you know everything.”

I look into Poppy’s silver eyes and see tears of frustration brimming on the edge, ready to fall down her cheeks, but she fights them back.

“Why did you come out here when you knew I had forbidden it?”

Poppy closes her eyes as she releases a sigh of frustration. “I needed to get away, go somewhere so that I could feel safe and not have to think about everything that’s happening right now. Home has nothing but memories with my grandmother. Lola ruined my Zen at the shop when she stormed into it, threatening me. Where else do I have to go? Nature has always been a calming coping mechanism for me. I didn’t think about anything else. Now, will you please let go of me?”

I release her hands and take a step back from her so she can get some air. There are still so many questions she has yet to answer.

“Who is the man you were seen with tonight?”

Poppy freezes when she hears the question this time. I can see the wheels in her head moving as she tries to figure out how to answer my question without giving too much away.

Poppy shrugs. “I don’t know, he’s some wolf who helped me get away from the men you ran into. He saved me,” she admits.

My eyes roam up and down the length of her body, and I notice she’s wearing nothing more than a sheet around her body.

What has she been doing out here to be only wearing a sheet?

My wolf lets out a possessive growl when I ask, “Why are you only wearing a sheet over yourself? Did something happen with those men tonight? Did they hurt you?”

Poppy shakes her head.

“Where are your clothes then?”

Poppy’s eyes widen, and she begins to chew on her lower lip. A knowing tell I’m starting to see more often when she doesn’t want to tell me the truth.

As I stare at her, a naughty thought floats through my head that involves me showing her what I can do to that lip of hers and her body. I push the idea out of my head before it has a chance to plant its seed in my head entirely.

Poppy is still very young and has no experience in the bedroom department. She could never fulfill my sexual needs.

No female wolf that you’ve been with has yet. My wolf voices out in my head.

Fair point, well made.

But Poppy’s a lot smaller than me, and with her petite frame, I could break her without even trying.

Poppy gives a vague answer to my question. “It’s a hot night tonight, and I’m trying to cool myself down before going to sleep.”

I look at her with a pointed brow and ask, “Were you planning to stay out here all night?”

Poppy vaguely shrugs before nodding her head.

I start to pace back and forth as I cover my face with both of my hands. I’m trying to keep my temper under control, but this girl is pushing me to the limit.

“Poppy, I know you have been through a lot, and today has been one of the worst days of your life. But that doesn’t mean you should risk your life and break all the rules because you want to. It’s one thing if you had your wolf to protect you, but since you don’t, you have a higher risk of getting hurt or killed than the other pack members. Can’t you see that I’m trying to protect you?”

Poppy’s narrow at me. She opens her mouth to try and dispute what I said to her but closes her mouth shut before standing there in a pout.

“Come on, I’ll take you back home,” I tell her as I wrap my hand around her arm and start to pull her behind me.

Poppy refuses to move and yanks her arm out of my hand.

“Haven’t you been listening to anything I’ve said? I can’t go back to my house, not yet. The pain is still too fresh,” she yells at me.

I pinch the bridge of my nose as I try to think of a solution to her problem.

“Then you can come stay at the pack house,” I offer.

Poppy shakes her head vigorously as she moves farther away from me. “No way am I staying there. Why can’t I stay out here in the woods?”

“Because it isn’t safe out here for you,” I yell.

“Nowhere is safe for me right now!” she exclaims.

I close my eyes as I take deep breaths to rein in my temper, which is at the point of exploding. I open my eyes and look over at the stubborn girl who refuses to listen to reason.

I release a sigh of defeat.

So much for a night of fun with some girl in my bed.