Page 18 of A Kiss From a Wolfman
Warm sunlight streams into the room. A slash of gold falls across her eyes, and Stella sighs, twisting her small hands into my fur. I swallow my groan and dig my claws into the sheets. My body is taut with restraint, but the soft sigh that leaves her full lips nearly snaps it.
Despite the desire pumping through my veins, the night had been quiet. With the rising sun illuminating her small cottage, I realize leaving Stella behind is no longer an option. It isn’t only my selfish desires that demand that she remain at my side, but also because her safety is my paramount concern. Bodies and blood litter her front yard. There will be more hunters once the news spreads of the ones who have gone missing.
I refuse to bring trouble to Stella’s door.
Now the question is, where will we go? I could take her back to the den. She would be safe there—protected by my pack. That is if I still have a pack. Though she would have to be…
Stella stirs against my side again. A content sight leaves her mouth, and the leg atop mine lifts higher, hooking over my hip. A growl vibrates my chest. I’m awash in her sweet, floral scent—greedily breathing it into my lungs. It would take nothing for my claws to tear her thin shift into ribbons. With a gentle push, she’d be on her back, staring up at me as I sank my knot deep inside of her—binding her to me permanently.
I shake myself and grind my teeth together. I’m a bastard for thinking such things, especially given what she went through last night. Stella deserves to be courted and treated with kindness, not rutted upon by a wild animal like myself. If I wish to keep her, I must consider her humanity and delicateness more.
It’s also plausible that she doesn’t desire me in that way. To her, I am nothing more than a protector. It would be painful to go through life, never feeling her soft body beneath mine, but I would do it. I am not saying that I would leave her in peace. No, I fear that from this point on, Stella is either by my side, or I will spend the rest of my eternal life haunting her from the shadows, following wherever she goes.
That is why I must choose my next move carefully. If I take her to the den, she can never leave. The only humans allowed inside are mates. My mother was the last human to reside there. Her passing was not only a death blow to my father but plunged our pack into a dark era. When she died, so did the mating bonds that were meant to grow inside all of us. No one has found their mate in the years since she’s been gone.
As a pup, I dreamed about finding mine, but that desire withered with age. Gazing down at Stella, I realize this is the pull my father felt all those years ago. This instant desire—thisneed to protect her and keep her—is all-consuming. I know she is mine. Now, I just have to prove that I deserve her.
What will be her reaction when I tell her of my longing? I take some solstice in the way she clings to me in sleep. Stella is not repulsed by me. Her body shifts closer, and my cock grows even harder. All the blood in my body races towards it, hardening the knot at its base and begging me to sink it deep into her wet heat.
Swallowing my snarl, I carefully reach down and adjust myself, willing my errant cock to behave.
My movements were not as subtle as I had hoped as Stella’s leg tightens around me—a soft moan blooms from between her lips. Sleepy blue eyes blink open as her mouth pulls into a grin. Color swims on her freckled cheeks as she realizes just how close our bodies are.
To my delight, she doesn’t try to move away—only loosens her grip on the fur along my chest.
“Good morning,” she says, her voice rough. “You’re really warm. Deliciously so.”
I’m too distracted by her beauty to stifle my groan. It lands between us as my hand wanders to her hip. Stella shivers at the touch, and I gently squeeze her side. Dragging her closer, I am rewarded by her soft gasp and a fresh wave of her scent. This time, it is spicier—headier.
Her blue eyes dip to my mouth.
“Can a wolfman kiss a human?”
Stella’s question is barely above a whisper, yet it steals all the breath from my lungs. Surely, I am dreaming. How could someone as beautiful and perfect as Stella offer me this chance to taste her? My head spins, and my cock strains against the front of my pants.
“Yes.” My voice sounds strange to my own ears.
“Do you want to kiss me?”
My whole body shudders as I grapple with the last tendrils of my self-control. I have to be sure she wants this. I could not bear it if Stella came to regret anything between us.
“More than anything.” My hand on her hip tightens. “But only if you want me to. After last night…”
I trail off, and Stella’s eyes widen. Coming fully awake, she throws back the quilt and begins to rise. I want to curse myself for being a fool. She was offering me a taste, and now she is turning away.
However, instead of sliding out of bed, Stella surprises me again by putting her hands on my shoulders and pushing me onto my back. In one fluid movement, her body settles atop mine. Her ample breasts tease the neckline of her shift. The creamy swells of each one make my mouth water. Lithe thighs settle on either side of my hips.
The golden sunlight washes her in color, making her glow like a goddess.
“For years, I allowed Timson to dictate how I felt about my body. I’d dress in ways to keep his hands from finding my bare skin. I feared desire—sex—knowing that he was watching me. I couldn’t truly be myself and explore what I wanted because a part of me was terrified he’d be the one I was forced to be with.” She smiles as I growl at her mistreatment. “You freed me from him, and I am grateful.”
My hands fall to her hips again—claws digging into her soft flesh.
“I only wish our paths had crossed sooner. I could’ve saved you from years of his torment.” I swallow. “But you do not have to kiss me out of gratitude, Stella.”
Her smile broadens. Wickedness tips the edges of her lips.
“I’m not,” she sighs. “I want to because you gave me something more than my freedom.”
