07 – In the Claws of the Wolf

Running ahead of Lancelot, I felt free, but the next minute, he stepped in front of me, blocking my way. I remained silent. He was alert, as if expecting something or as if he had seen or heard someone. Then I saw and felt his aura on me, masking our scent. Whatever it was, it was serious, definitely serious.

Lancelot showed me the image of some medium-sized wolves. In fact, given the expression in his eyes, he did so unintentionally. There were three medium-sized wolves around us, looking for us. When they left, Lancelot started running again, so fast that I just followed his footsteps, running as fast as he did. We weren't running; we were fleeing. I thought maybe it was the wolves that had kidnapped my children, but my intuition told me it wasn't.

A few minutes later, after crossing some dense parts of a territory I had never explored before, Lancelot stopped. There was a neighborhood next to the woods, with a few houses. It smelled like wolves, but also like humans. A mixed neighborhood, like mine, although mine had a much larger number of humans.

“Come,” Lancelot said to me, already in his human form, in a hurry. He looked worried. I was in unknown territory; I couldn't afford to refuse, even though I was, in a way, afraid of the situation.

To my surprise, Lancelot, like me, had a backyard that led directly to the forest. The backyard was much smaller, and in a few moments we were in a house. It was older and slightly worn compared to the rustic houses I was used to and familiar with.

Lancelot closed the door as soon as we entered and threw me some clothes that were nearby. “They're not women's clothes, but they're clean,” he said hurriedly. Then he got dressed and threw some wood into the small fireplace. I got dressed, completely confused by what was happening.

“Is something wrong?” I asked, trying to adjust the clothes on my body. They were too big. He didn't answer, continuing to tend the fire. “Lancelot?” I called his attention. He turned to me but said nothing. “What's going on?” I confronted him, approaching the fire.

“Don't come here,” he asked, extending his arm as a barrier. “Please don't come,” he said again.

“You brought me here, Lancelot. I need to understand what that was,” I justified myself. “Tell me, please,” I asked.

“I didn't know this was going to happen. It was supposed to be safe,” he said, still with his back to me and still blocking my way.

“I'm leaving,” I said, seeing that he wasn't going to talk. The moment I turned and headed for the door, he ran and stood in front of it.

“Please don't,” he begged. His eyes were yellow, and his scent was inconsistent, too strong and too weak, as if he were holding it in.

“Lancelot, what…?” I began to ask, but he didn't let me finish the sentence.

“Medium wolves tend to be wild. The ones from earlier are wild, my brothers. They are wolves that live like wolves most of the time,” he explained, struggling to clear his eyes and lessen the smell. “Your scent, Naomi, I'm smelling you too strongly, and that's dangerous,” he warned me.

“Maybe it has to do with the Mate; things tend to intensify sometimes,” I told him, trying to contain some of his anxiety.

Lancelot's breathing became even heavier, especially when I approached to help him. The gap in the newly closed door gave us a cold blast of wind from outside. Pheromones, lots of them. They were in the air.

“I'm sorry,” Lancelot said, his eyes even more yellow. “I need this,” he said, pulling me closer, squeezing my body. Digging his claws into my hair. He pulled me toward him, breaking the kiss. Again, a kiss without calm. “I need it,” he said, before squeezing me even tighter.

When I was with Casper, he didn't take as many risks. I didn't judge him for that; in fact, I didn't have much experience, and what little I did have was with humans. Casper was the gentle type, but he did his job very well, although I was already completely in love with him when we had sex for the first time. Lancelot was the complete opposite. The moment he pulled me in with his claws, I knew he was different.