Page 112 of Wolfkissed
The wolf drops down on his haunches and his flesh… starts to melt. Bones crack, twisting, his muzzle contorts—and I turn around and run, promptly falling and rolling into darkness.
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
VALERIAN
She’s scared of me. Terrified. And my shift seems to be the last drop. She turns to flee and falls. Passed out? Did she hit her head?
Fuck.
Of course she was terrified. This is a woman who was taken by my people as a child and scarred for life. Just because she got used to me doesn’t mean the trauma has healed. I don’t even know the details of what happened to her, and dammit, I need to know.
Even if our paths diverge soon.
I force the shift to work faster, or at least, I wish it to finish, but I’ve barely shed my fur when I crawl over to her and gather her into my arms. I’m shaking, with anger, with worry, with the need to rip into something and make my fear of losing her go away, and she’s warm and soft, familiar and beautiful. Cherished.
“Talk to me, Princess,” I whisper. “Open your eyes. Everything is fine. Can you hear me? Princess!”
Her dark lashes flutter and she sighs. Her hand presses against my chest, skin on skin, and fuck, I want to melt against her, merge with her, only I’m not soft, I’m goddamn hard,everywhere, from my teeth that crave her flesh, to my cock that longs to pierce her.
Melting, going so fucking weak for her, and hard, so very damn hard for her. A contradiction that defines my relation to her, the way my mind contradicts my body, the lust against… against that deeper need that is taking root in my mind. My every thought winds around the truth of her, her image, her scent, her voice. Her existence is my bane and my grace.
“Valen,” she whispers and my thoughts flee, every sense focused on her as she speaks my name.
“How are you feeling?”
“Mm… Fine.” She nuzzles my chest and fuck, she’s driving me wild. Worse still, she doesn’t even know she’s doing it, does she? “Can’t remember what happened… You left to climb a hill…”
“Yes.”
She goes still. Her gaze flicks up to mine. “A dragon.”
“Earth dragon. A wyrm.” I growl. “I left you alone. My fault. I almost lost you, and it was all my fucking fault.”
“I…” Her eyes widen. The color leeches from her face.
Oh, shit.Belatedly, I realize I still haven’t fully shifted back. I’m in my threshold form, human-like but with animal parts. My legs aren’t fully human yet, my nails are still black and clawed, and my face… Let’s not go there.
I’m on my knees, holding her in my lap, my wolf ears still out, my tail twitching behind me, and I don’t want to let her go. Dizziness has me in its claws, turning my thoughts hazy, turning her scent into a potent drug.
I’m hurt. That has to be why I’m feeling like that. Blood is running down my side and my leg. The wyrm got its hits in. Those fangs are sharp like broken glass. I’m generally impervious to their venom, but it has some effect on me, enough to make me feel drunk.
It’s the venom, not her.
I still have this under control.
“We should move,” I make myself say and relax my hold on her, allowing her to sit up. None of this is what I want to do, but it’s what I must. “Move now while there is still light.”
Before I gaze at her too long, before I lose all sense of self-preservation and ask her, beg her to let me touch her, lick her, kiss her.
Fuck her.
Claim her.
That’s when I realize that my knot is swelling, and it’s such a surprising feeling, I draw a hissing breath. This can’t be fucking happening.
Leaving her in the crushed grass, I stagger to my feet and clench my clawed hands. The urge to run away, away from her this time, is stunning and consuming.
As much as my desire for her consumes me.
