Vanessa’s wolf was lazy compared to her panicked state. The beautiful animal, husk brown coat with white patches on hind legs lingered to take in the forest. Tress swept past, mud and snow cackling beneath, its paws digging the ice. It felt like any other run. Until a canto of heavy thuds, almost like the horse hooves but softer resonated behind. At first, she thought it to be another wolf running but the scent gave him away. Intense, titillating aroma like the green-tinged fumes of absinthe, getting over juniper covered snow. That’s how she knew Noah Abel was stalking her. Her panic promoted to hyperventilation, she could hear the wolf right beside her now. His breathing was easy, languid while she panted. What was with him? The man was gorgeous but the wolf was striking. Signature alpha genes physically manifest into the sharpest black colour fur covering the vast expanse of his body. The sheer size of him made Vanessa feel her own wolf was a pup only. She focused on him as he clo

"Wait!", she cried, desperate now that they were going to be among others, under the scrutiny of white lights, nothing like the moonlight. He whirled. It was hard to say, looking at him, whatever his thoughts were. "What did you mean I did a good job of tying myself up?" She had to know. Her pleading had no ounce of effect on him. He looked every bit the Alpha he claimed to be. Looking down upon her."Exactly what you understood, Ms.Flynn."She was horrified. He could see that. And his wolf lept to do some damage control. "I reckon you have a problem with sleepwalking. So you bolt the doors, windows, anything that grants access out of the house, and tie your hands so you can't open them even if your unconscious state wants to. It's not rocket science." His words came out, strangled. Like someone was forcing him to explain himself. All Vanessa felt was air passageways carrying the oxygen as they ought to. He was right, only in the action of things. He didn't know sleepwalking was

Wind whistled, swirling inside the chimney, knocking against the bricks. Vanessa paid eeri attention to it. Anytime now, she'd drift off to sleep. Whatever had happened, she had not invited it. She used that sentence to remind herself that things happened. She wasn't always a train wreck. She wasn't always a problem-magnet. She had her good moments, maybe the unkindly events outshone them sometimes. But she still had good moments. Her faith tested her right after a session in self-efficacy. Someone pounded at her door. Not loud, definitely urgent. She focused her ability to smell on the stranger. Mikhail. Peony fields and gentle mint. That was him. She first had to wrangle her hands out of the tie, all the while he kept knocking."A minute Mikhail!" If he was in trouble. She didn't know what help she could be. She sensed another presence, but she could only smell his blood. Lot of it. First right, then left. She looked down at her feet to feel they were moving still. On autopilot, sh

Noah noticed the hide and seek of her tongue. It peeked out, like a tease. He was certain it wasn’t intentional but he could care less. He wanted to taste her. Cupping the back of her head, he tipped her chin, barely touching their noses together. Their lips skimmed. The barest hint of touch had her flexing her toes. She gripped the lapels of his coat for support. It only brought him closer. Their foreheads touched, because Noah had bent his head to keep staring into her eyes. What started out as gentle ministration of lips, hesitant in their approach turned to a full-fledged clash of want and passion. His hand fisted in her hair, while the other encased her neck. The threat was there, his hand covered her neck wholly and she waited with bated breath to feel a light squeeze. Given how his tongue molded to hers, moving the way hers moved, never leaving enough space to seek a moment’s reprieve. Noah outlined the blue vein pulsing in her neck, he knew she expected him to control her mo

Eerie silence of the villa haunted the gates when Noah and Mikhail arrived. The small animals littering the garden reclused their usual senseless chatter and preferred a hole or a leaf to lie in. Amair was waiting for them on the doorsteps. Noah need not ask him anything. He was talking before they stepped in. “This happened around one last night. I had gone to feed the horses. The rest of the staff was down in basement, collecting files, paperwork as you had requested. I think the silence would’ve given away intruders, but it didn’t. So their trick didn’t involve breaking and entering.” Noah preened at the plural implication. So there were a group of highly skilled creatures, whoever they were. And they were organzied. Their previous shenanigans that werewolves had not taken seriously were coming full circle.He shared a look with Mikhail. Mikhail nodded. He affirmed how right Noah was. He had caught on early, how this weren’t just other rogue creatures causing menace by poisonin