CHAPTER NINE

THE WOLF

The dream slipped away, but the ache it left is still pulsing in my veins. I can’t decide whether to have a glass of water or alcohol to remove the thoughts from my mind.

My hand tightens against the glass when I remember the shape of her body. The weight of her hips in the water. The way her mouth trembled when she begged me not to stop.

I almost didn’t.

Fuck. Mate. Claim!

My wolf is furious that I did. That I pulled away when I had her open and trembling in my arms.

She was ready for me. But I can’t take her yet. Not now.

The shift hasn’t happened yet and if she awakens before she knows who she is, before she understands what she is, she might not be able to properly handle it. She’s half human and that makes her partly weak. I want to be there when it happens so I can guide my little wolf.

I almost sprinted into the street yesterday when she did, but I had to calm down my wolf and relax. After all, she didn’t even need me, she had it all under control. I could feel it almost happening in that moment and I’m sure she did too. Her wolf was speaking to her.

She’s waking up. Piece by piece. And I need to be there when the rest of her breaks through.

That’s why I need another reason to see her again tomorrow. I just need to handle some business today.

By midmorning, I’m in the city, doing what I promised myself I’d handle, intel. A few shifters from the southern border meet me in a parking lot behind a body shop. They bring information, rumors, and the faintest whisper of a name I don’t like.

Eamon.

They haven’t seen him yet, but they’ve heard things. A man asking questions, hanging around shifters talking about a half breed.

The bastard is close. And if he touches her…

I don’t finish the thought. I don’t need to think about the cruel way I would take the life out of him if he ever tries to touch Elowen. My wolf snarls low in my chest.

I barely stop myself from shifting on the spot.

——————

It’s evening now and I decide to head back home. But I find myself on her side of town, driving with no destination in particular. Lying to myself.

I’m not going there again. I’m not checking on her. She’s probably off her shift. She doesn’t need me. She can handle herself.

But five minutes later, I’m standing outside the library.

And a part of me-no, all of me-wants. Just to see her. Hear her voice. Know that she’s okay.

So I go in.

She’s still there. Behind the desk, nose in a book. Her face is soft in the fading light of the room. But her eyes are distant. Her smile doesn’t quite reach. Something’s off. She looks like she’s been crying. Or thinking. Or both.

Who hurt my little wolf.

I approach slowly.

“You always look that serious when you’re reading, or is it just this one?”

She startles, but then her mouth lifts into a soft grin. There it is. She raises the book slightly so I can see the cover.

THE LIGHTHOUSE LETTERS

“It’s good,” she says. “Bit slow, but kind of addictive.”

I lean a little closer, voice low.

“Let me guess. Mysterious stranger? Scary coastline? Lots of longing?”

She laughs softly, lowering the book.

“Something like that.”

“So you have a type,” I say.

Her eyes narrow in mock challenge.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You like men who communicate exclusively through letters and emotional damage.”

She grins. “Better than the ones who say everything and mean nothing.”

Goddess. She doesn’t know what she’s doing. That mouth. That voice. That answer.

“That’s fair,” I shrug.

She lets out a light breath, almost a laugh, and shakes her head. “I was just thinking about you actually.” She meets my eyes for a moment before looking back down at the book. She’s not trying to be seductive, but her eyelashes flutter in a way that makes it almost impossible for me to focus on anything else.

“You helped with that assignment, remember? I got a B.” Her smile is genuine this time. “Was hoping I’d run into you actually, to say thank you.”

Fuck. My cock stirs at the thought of her missing me. I want to press her against this desk and fill my hands with her skin.

I force myself to smile. Easy. Relaxed.

“I’m glad I could help. But I think I deserve at least a drink in return. Or I buy you a drink, to celebrate.”

She chuckles, and that soft little sound makes my control slip another inch.

“You’re collecting drinks as tutoring fees now? What else do I owe you?”

If she only knew what else I want her to give me.

Fuck. Mate. Claim.

“Just drinks.” For now.

She hesitates, but she’s smiling. I can tell she’s thinking about it, debating. I can smell her arousal, or maybe it’s just nervousness, but she smells amazing.

“What if we bump into one of your students?”

“My students aren’t here. I’m not actually teaching right now. I’m working on my PhD. Just doing research”

I watch her reaction carefully. She seems surprised, but not put off. She studies me a second longer than she should, then shrugs.

“Ohhh. I mean… I guess one drink wouldn’t hurt. I was about to head home anyways.”

“Good. I know a place.”

We end up somewhere nearby. A cozy, dimly lit lounge with just enough background music to pretend we’re not paying attention to each other.

She orders something with cinnamon and spice. I get bourbon.

The waitress brings her drink, and she takes one slow lick around the rim of her glass. Her tongue flicks the salt and cinnamon away like it’s nothing, and suddenly I’m not thinking about bourbon or Eamon or anything else but her mouth.

A drop of liquid spills onto her wrist but she doesn’t notice it at first—until the cold hits. She smiles slightly, then leans forward and brings her mouth to the spot.

Her tongue swipes slowly, deliberately, across the delicate curve of her wrist and back up the cup.

My cock hardens instantly and painfully. I adjust my position under the table and bite down the growl trying to claw up my throat.

I need to run. I need to shift and hunt to take all this pressure off me somehow.

She’s just being herself. And it’s ruining me. She licks her lips, curls her fingers around the glass again, and tilts her head slightly before asking me a question.

“Do you believe in dreams?”