Anderson, who had been standing by as a silent observer, caught the look in Catherine’s eyes.
His body convulsed, and he dropped to his knees with a heavy thud.
“I would never dream of deceiving you, Miss!” York had just witnessed Anderson’s complete collapse from a single glance.
His heart plummeted into an icy abyss.
This wolf named Catherine was far more dangerous than he’d ever imagined.
‘Getting out of here alive might be harder than I thought.’ Wasn’t this city supposed to be a haven of peace and friendship?
Since arriving, he’d been robbed, threatened, and now he was at the mercy of murderous gangsters.
Where was the so-called harmony?!
“If my subordinate isn’t lying, then that means…” Catherine reached up and gently traced York’s cheek with her finger.
“…you’re the one who’s lying~” Her voice was soft as silk, but her words sent ice water racing through York’s veins.
“People who lie…
have their tongues cut out.” York’s breathing turned ragged.
In this moment, Catherine’s beautiful face looked less like that of a woman and more like a demon in wolf skin.
‘Screw it!
What’s the point of being afraid?
I’m dead either way, sooner or later doesn’t matter.
At least I’ll take a chunk out of her before I go!’ Steeling himself, York clenched his jaw and bit down with all his might on Catherine’s finger.
Silence.
The room went deathly still.
No scream.
No furious curse.
Nothing.
If it weren’t for the soft sensation in his mouth, York might have thought he’d bitten empty air.
The sweet, metallic tang of blood flooded his tongue.
The slick, warm texture made him involuntarily lap at it.
“You’re very brave.” Catherine’s voice had lost all its earlier playfulness and composure.
It was cold enough to freeze fire.
“I was going to give you a quick death.
But now…” She paused, her eyes narrowing to dangerous slits.
“Anderson!
Fetch my instruments.” She tried to pull her finger free, but York’s jaw was locked tight.
She had to grip his cheeks with force to pry his mouth open.
“I’ll cut off your fingers one by one.
Then I’ll flay the skin from your body and tear that insolent mouth of yours apart.” Anderson scrambled out of the room to carry out her orders.
Now, only York and Catherine remained.
A subtle smile, barely perceptible, flickered across York’s lips.
‘This is my chance.’ He released her finger.
Catherine yanked her hand back instantly, a long, crimson thread of blood-mingled saliva stretching between them.
They say the fingers are connected to the heart, but even with her finger savaged, Catherine didn’t so much as flinch.
She produced a silk handkerchief and dabbed at the wound with elegant precision.
“Perhaps you don’t realize who you’ve crossed.
I don’t blame you for acting so foolishly in my presence, ignorance is, after all, a form of mercy.” She tossed the bloodied handkerchief onto York’s face.
Her voice dropped to a venomous whisper.
“Now, I’ll make sure you understand exactly what it means to offend me.” The handkerchief slid off his face.
York licked the lingering trace of blood from his lips.
“How about we have a civilized conversation?” “A conversation?” Catherine’s lips curled into a mocking sneer.
“We have nothing to discuss.
Frankly, the only reason your neck is still intact is because I’ve cultivated some patience over the years.
Consider yourself fortunate.” “Don’t be so cold.
I was impulsive, I apologize.” York’s expression was earnest, his voice dripping with deliberate contrition.
But beneath the surface, he was coiling his muscles like a spring, biding his time, waiting for the perfect moment to overpower this wretched woman.
“Apologize?” Catherine laughed as if he’d told the most absurd joke in the world.
“Silly dog, if apologies worked, the hundreds of souls I’ve sent to their graves would still be breathing.” The instant her gaze shifted away from him York struck.
He wrenched his arms apart, and the ropes fell away like dead snakes.
Without an ounce of hesitation, he launched himself at Catherine!
She hadn’t expected him to break free.
Caught completely off guard, she was slammed backward by the sheer force of his charge.
With a resounding crash, she struck the concrete wall, rattling the stack of wooden crates beside her.
“Stay still if you want to live!” York’s face was inches from hers, his expression twisted with savage desperation.
His sharp claws pressed firmly against the delicate skin of her throat.
Catherine could feel the cold edge of his talons biting into her flesh.
She didn’t struggle.
She didn’t resist.
She simply stared at him with cold, unyielding eyes.
The commotion brought the wolf guards bursting through the door.
The moment they took in the scene, cold sweat soaked through their uniforms.
They raised their weapons, aiming at York.
“You bastard!
Let the Miss go!” “One more step, and I’ll slit her throat!” York shoved Catherine in front of him, using her as both shield and hostage.
His eyes blazed with reckless resolve.
Catherine, utterly unbothered, smoothed the wrinkles on her sleeves, as if the claws at her neck were nothing more than an inconvenience.
“I’m starting to find you interesting.
What’s your next move?” “Let me leave, and I’ll release you.” “Fine,” Catherine agreed far too quickly.
She shot the guards a look.
“Didn’t you hear him?
Step aside.
My life is worth more than all of yours combined.” “But.” The guards exchanged uneasy glances.
Reluctantly, they stepped back, clearing a path.
York advanced cautiously, never taking his eyes off the wolves around him.
Every guard and servant they passed froze in shock at the sight of their Miss being held hostage.
But with Catherine’s orders hanging over them, no one dared intervene.
They watched helplessly as York dragged her out of the mansion.
After crossing a sprawling garden, York spotted the front gates of the estate.
The closer he got to freedom, the more uneasy he felt.
Catherine was too calm.
Too composed.
As if this whole situation was nothing more than an amusing game, and she held the cheat codes to respawn at will.
More and more wolves were gathering.
Anderson rushed over, and the moment he saw his Miss in chains, his face went white as bone.
Surrounded by a sea of hostile eyes, York reached the gate and bellowed his demand: “Get me a vehicle!
Let me drive out of here, and I’ll release your Miss!” He’d already made up his mind.
Once he escaped, he was going straight home.
Forget “seeing the world.” The outside world was a nightmare.
The wolves exchanged nervous glances.
None of them moved.
Until Catherine spoke.
“Do as he says.” The estate sprang into motion.
Within five minutes, a military-grade jeep roared up in front of York.
“The car is yours!
Now let the Miss go!” York glanced at the hundreds of heavily armed wolves surrounding him.
He knew better than to trust them.
“Everyone back off!” The moment he released Catherine, these enraged wolves would tear him apart without a second thought.
He needed distance.
Anderson hesitated.
“NOW!
Do you want her dead?!” York’s roar echoed across the courtyard.
Still, no one moved.
Catherine nodded calmly.
“Do as he says.” At her command, the wolves finally began to retreat, slowly, reluctantly, but they moved.