Zap of Electricity

Ryder’s erection was growing painfully. “Stop shaking for god’s sake,” he grated. 

Lyle could feel his muscles tightening around her, as his breath fanned her cheek. Unfortunately, she was unable to focus on staying still. The more she shook, the more her body rubbed against him and the more his erection moved. He closed his eyes and just stayed like that for a moment and then in a low dangerous voice said, “Move ahead, else others are going to gain, and we will lose the competition even before we have tried.” 

But Lyle closed her eyes, whined a little and then sagged against his chest. She willed herself to stop shaking. Her mouth had become dry and she needed water. “You should have taken the lead,” she said. “And how do I know there aren’t more snakes there?” 

Ryder controlled his shallow breaths. When his chest stopped heaving, he let go of her. “There is a possibility that there are more, but most of these are non-poisonous, so even if they slither over you, don’t provoke them. Stay still and they will go away.” That was a lie. Those reptiles were green, thin, slimy creatures and very poisonous. 

“Slither over me?” she started shaking again. “Also, shouldn't you be happy with my condition?” 

He caught her again in his embrace and her misty scent mixed with vanilla and amber hit him… again. He bit a grunt. “Look, if you get affected by those, it is going to jeopardize our mission. So get moving.” Even though he said that, he didn’t leave her. Only when she settled, he removed his arms from around her. “Also I don’t care about your condition, pup! Your problem only slows me down and I am in a great hurry. My woman awaits me.” 

Lyle bit her lip and rubbed her arms when he left her, missing his warmth already. “Yes, yes, I know!” she grated unpleasantly. “Your lover is waiting to become an immortal. Who cares if someone is sacrificed on the way?”

“You are damn right! There are too many snakes here. Perhaps I should just let them bite you!” 

“They are non-poisonous,” she replied with a shrug. Maybe she is going to pick one up and throw it on him. She shivered at the thought of touching them. 

His eyes narrowed and she flinched. Masking her fear once again, she bent down to move in front of him to crawl in the tunnel. 

“How did you get that scar on your thigh?” he asked, tracing her left thigh with his fingers right from the backside of her knee to where it disappeared inside her shorts. She cringed. It must have looked disgusting. But a shiver cruised through her when he touched her. It was as if electricity passed through her and this was shocking. She frowned and stopped momentarily for him to touch her more only to test if that happened again. “It is none of your concern,” she said in a low growl. “And stop touching me.” That was a claw mark by one of the werewolves in her pack when they were removing her from Blake when had attacked him. Her wolf Grisha was not controllable, and one of them, Graham, had attacked her ferociously. He clawed her deep into her thigh. Once they had held her captive, and they had shifted, she realized that the wound was deep but it healed soon and left a scar. She hoped it would go away soon. 

He traced it again and she felt the same shiver. She didn't know why but she wanted him to repeat this act. Her wolf, Grisha, loved it. 

‘I want him to touch us more,’ she said in a fluttery voice. 

‘You are impossible!’ Lyle chided her.

“How did you get it, tell me?” he insisted. 

“I got it when others in the pack attacked me while I was busy trying to kill Blake,” she said with a flushed face, anger rising in her chest at the memory.

“Ah! Your lover?” he mocked. 

“Yes, my bastard lover.” As always, how could she leave an opportunity to lecture about lovers? “Trust me, there is nothing known as a lover.” She quickened her pace aggressively. “And trust me when I say—mates are the worst. You are doomed if you find a mate. And now don’t touch me or else I will kick you hard on your growing erection.” Lyle saw light some twenty meters away at the end of the tunnel. She increased her pace more to reach it as soon as she could, to get away from the snakes and… him. There was a narrow pathway ahead and she made a dash. She had hardly run ten meters ahead in the pathway, when he came right behind her, caught her upper arm and swung her to him. 

Eyes going wide like a saucer, Lyle was stunned for a moment, not because he had stopped her but because she felt as if her body got a light shock the moment he touched her. Was he feeling the same? “What the hell are you doing?” she said. They were too close. Her breath hitched.

He looked into her eyes and his thumb went to her lips. He traced the outline as if dazed, as if it wasn’t in his control to do that. “To have a lover is an exquisite feeling. Also that scar doesn’t make you unpleasant,” he said. 

Lyle’s lips trembled when he touched them and she stifled a gasp. She raised an eyebrow and said, “And you are liking me now? Are you sure you aren’t attracted to me, Alpha Ryder?” To have a lover was the most disgusting thing. He was mistaken about it and he would see through it one day. 

Realizing what he was doing, Ryder blinked his eyes and removed his fingers from her lips. He grimaced as if trying to tell her that she was mistaken if she felt he was attracted to her. 

He tilted his head and pulled her closer to him. She put her hands on his chest and pushed against it. She craned to look at his face as her whole body craved to arch in his embrace. He leaned into her and after taking in a deep breath said, “You should be scared of me, Lyle.” Why was he inhaling her smell? 

“I am not scared of anyone,” she replied, her voice a mere whisper. Suddenly, a tiny zap of electricity passed through her hands. Scared as hell that touching him did induce actual electricity in her body, she closed her fists tightly. Did he feel that zap?

Ignoring her looks, he added, “Then you are in for a big problem.” A muscle ticked in his jaw and anger flashed across his eyes. 

Lyle looked at him with… interest, which bothered her. She was afraid of this massive alpha but why was it that even though she was afraid on the inside, she felt… tizzy. He glared at her, his eyes darting between her eyes and lips and then all of a sudden he left her. She stumbled a little, feeling perplexed. 

Without giving her a chance to talk, he started walking ahead of her and she followed him. As he walked, she couldn’t help noticing his body. He walked with authority, like a feral wolf who would destroy anyone who would come in his way. He looked no more than thirty, but it was a well-known fact that most werewolves lived for at least three hundred years. If they were lucky, they lived to four hundred years, but that was uncommon. “How old are you?” she asked. 

“Five hundred.” 

Lyle’s mouth fell to the floor. She—