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“It’s most likely to do with you, Scarlett,” Hunter mutters.
I sigh and flop back on the sofa. “I’m not going anywhere alone anytime soon, am I?”
I don’t really need an answer, but they both reply, “No.”
Chapter Fifteen
Conall
The wolf inside me is fighting to come out of my skin. He wants to claim our mate, to bond her to us, so we can keep her safe. No matter how much I try to convince the other half of me it’s a bad idea, he insists it’s necessary.
I can’t sit still. When Hunter asks me a question over dinner, I snarl at him. I barely acknowledge my mate, much to my wolf’s displeasure. After dinner, I try to help clean, but all I manage is to crack a cup with my grip.
My mate smiles at me, understanding and compassion in her eyes. Which only makes everything worse.
Hunter stands behind her, his eyes on me. He knows enough about Lycans to understand what’s happening in my head. “Would a run help?”
I nod.
“I’ll stay here with Little Red. Let your wolf out for a while.”
I’m about to turn away when a small hand on my chest stops me. I look down into the dark blue eyes of my sweet mate.
She rises up on her toes and kisses my cheek. “Be careful,” she says. “And try to stay out of trouble.”
The wild urges within me calm. I’m still restless and agitated, but my wolf is no longer trying to shove his way out of my body. In fact, he’s panting with happiness because our mate is touching us.
“I will.”
Hope swells within me. Hope that she will want me after all.
“I just need a little time,” I explain.
She nods and steps back, removing her hand from my chest. At the loss of her touch, the feral side of me rises again. With a growl, I leave the house and strip my clothes off in the front garden. Once the change comes over me, I land on the ground with all four paws. I shake my fur out and lift my head toward the rising moon, letting a howl pour from my throat before I bound out of the garden and into the forest.
I run until my heart thumps rapidly in my chest and my legs ache. The moonlight filtering through the trees, the scent of earth, and woodland creatures usually soothe me, but tonight, it doesn’t have the desired effect. I’m still on edge and fighting the desire to track down my mate and bite her.
Finally, I stop trying to outrun the feelings and return to the cottage. I can’t stay away from her any longer. Once I’m dressed, I don’t go back inside right away. Instead, I wander out into the forest and sit at the same tree where Scarlett and I laid together last night. Maybe the memory of her body curled up against mine will calm me more than the run.
I close my eyes and lie back. As I breathe deeply, I catch hints of her delicious, spiced honey and vanilla scent. As I hoped, it begins to soothe me.
Her scent grows stronger, and I realize she’s out here in the woods with me. Coming closer. My muscles tense and I sit up, turning to face her.
A mischievous smile plays on her lips as she walks right up to me. Her dark red hair falls in wild waves around her face, and her cheeks are flushed, likely from the spirits she shared with Hunter earlier.
Grateful my sense of smell is returning after being dosed with wolfsbane, I force myself to remain still as she walks around the tree and stops in front of me. Before I can speak, she lifts her skirts and kneels over my lap. Her weight drops onto me so quickly that I grunt, the heat of her pussy coming to rest directly on my cock. I’m half hard immediately and my hands wrap around her hips of their own volition.
“I’m barely in control, Scarlett,” I growl out in warning. “You should keep your distance.”
Her hands lift to my face, brushing my hair back. Her fingers are cool, and her touch is gentle. Somehow the sensation is both soothing and invigorating, but her words, they nearly undo me.
“I don’t want to keep my distance from you, Sir Wolf.” She leans forward and places a light kiss on my lips. “Thank you for coming to protect me today. And for trying to find the man who chased me.”
My fingers flex against her soft flesh. “I will always protect you. I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe.”
It’s not a statement.
It’s a vow.
