Page 99 of The Wolf Queen’s Curse

“Not at all.”

Ann follows me in and I lock the door behind her. “It seems you need a bit of help. The first step is to lift your skirts. Otherwise, it makes a terrible mess.”

“I wanted a moment of privacy,” she says. “There’s none to be had in this house. Now, if you would both please leave…?”

I choke on a laugh. “I do commend you for trying, but somehow, I don’t think I’m going to turn around and leave after I caught you naked in my husband’s bed.”

A sly look. “Maybe he invited me.”

“And also told you to sedate me? And then changed his mind and tried to throw you out?”

“He heard you moving about and knew you weren’t asleep.”

“Is this really the direction you wish to travel?”

She lifts her chin. “It’s not my fault that your husband is bored with you already. Men are all alike. They dream of bedding a fine-born lady, but then they get one in the bed and discover a frigid virgin.”

Ann does something I don’t think I’ve ever heard her do before. She bursts out laughing. Then she quickly presses a hand to her mouth to stop it.

“I would bet my life that is not the problem,” she says. “You should have heard the Albion wolves complaining about the noise coming from their bedchamber. And by ‘complaining,’ I mean envying. In a house of werewolves, there’s no disguising a frigid lover.”

“Your cousin has learned to make noise, that is all. She will still know nothing of the games men like to play.”

I lift a hand. “And this isn’t a game I wish to play, where I prove you wrong when we both know you’re only hoping to humiliate me into wondering whether Bishop actually did invite you to his bed. He did not. You drugged me and tried to seduce him, which I must say was a ridiculous plan.”

She bristles. “Ridiculous?”

“Yes. Which is why I don’t think it was your idea. Someone told you to do it.”

“No one tells me to do anything.”

“So this preposterous plan was your own? You actually thought you could seduce a newly mated Alpha? And what? Convince him to leave his wife for you? Even if that was your scheme—which, again, would be ridiculous—you don’t know him well enough for that.”

“Well enough for what?”

“To decide whether he was worth it. He might be an Alpha, but he could also be a monster. You would first want to be sure you actually were trading up.”

Her jaw sets. “You know nothing about me.”

“Are the conditions here so bad that you’d throw in with any man who happened along?”

“Of course not.”

“And if you did wish to do so, would you not choose one of the other two? Handsome wolves who have status but are not mated.”

“I like a challenge.”

“Enough of this,” Ann says. “Call Bishop in and let him do this his way.”

“If there is torture to be done, I will do it myself,” I say. “I don’t need a man for that.”

“You’re a witch.” Hanora sneers. “All you can do is hide and protect yourself.”

I grab her by the throat and shove her against the wall. “Please repeat that. I don’t think I heard you.”

She scowls. “And I don’t think you want me using my powers.”

I laugh softly. “Your power is vision. You’re not even a high-powered vision half-demon, which means all you can do is see really well.” I tighten my grip on her throat and she grabs at my arm, but I cast a binding spell and she goes still.