Taking a deep breath, I carefully pull my arms from under her. She groans in protest but settles down. I sigh with relief, carefully pushing myself off the bed, and shake out my arms that were beginning to fall asleep from Hannah lying on them. I gently tuck Hannah into bed, noticing her body shivering, a side effect of the heat warming her up until it feels like she is being burned alive. A rut has a similar effect.
Sneaking out of her bedroom, I head toward the kitchen to grab a glass of water. Judging by the time on the microwave, Hannah has been asleep for two hours, and I spent that time watching her like some sort of creep.
How is Hannah doing?Fabian’s voice pops into my head, and I sigh, grabbing a glass from the dish rack and running cold water into it.
Not sure what the best response to that is,I admit, taking a long drink before refilling my glass. For some reason, I am thirsty, and I can only chalk it up to Hannah keeping the temperature in here a little warmer.
Her heat is growing worse by the hour. I am not sure if my presence here is helping her or making it worse,I continue, moving toward the window and looking out at the night sky.
The link between Fabian and me goes quiet, and I find myself pulling at the collar of my shirt. Goddess, it is hot in here.
Maybe your presence is helping her,Fabian finally answers.
A smirk plays on my lips at this as I sip the water. I can’t stand around too long, though, as Hannah is going to need me soon.
Maybe,I agree, running a hand through my hair and groaning. It has been a long day, and it seems my stay here in Haven Trail is going to be longer until Hannah’s heat subsides.
Anyway, I am going to go take care of Hannah. Keep our wolves in line for now and see if you, Theta Aidan, and Mikos can pinpoint where the Hunters Association is in this area that the female hunter mentioned. I want to take it down within the next two weeks,I order, receiving a groan of annoyance from my beta.
Will do. Send Hannah my best,Fabian agrees quickly. With that, the link goes quiet, and I make my way back to Hannah’s room, finding her curled up in the spot I had been lying in. I smile, placing the glass of cold water on the bedside table. By now, my body has grown uncomfortably hot, and—after making sure Hannah is still asleep—I pull off my shirt before climbing into bed and scooping Hannah into my arms. Her naked body fits perfectly against mine, and after shimmying to get comfortable, Hannah settles against me, her hot breath fanning my skin. I nearly groan with pent-up need from this, closing my eyes and taking a shaky breath.
“Julian,” Hannah mumbles, shifting her body closer to me and wrapping her arms around my torso.
“I am here, Hannah,” I whisper reassuringly, feeling my poor cock restrained in my pants twitch with her pressed against me.
Her body is growing hotter, and I know that sooner or later, Hannah will wake up from the pain and will need help to relieve herself. The worst part is that with her hot body next to mine, my own is heating up with each second we are plastered together.
A dull ache is starting to grow from my hard cock, my arousal for the woman in my arms becoming unbearable due to her intoxicating scent that has been amplified. It’s as if my own body is preparing to mate with her, to flick a switch inside me and…
“And bring forth my rut,” I whisper, shocked by my train of thought. Pain radiates through me as soon as I voice these words, and my body grows hot with a burning inferno of lust. It takes everything in me not to rip my clothes off and fuck the sleeping woman in my arms as I try to breathe through the pain, only for Hannah’s scent to entice me further.
“Hannah,” I groan, burying my face in her hair and breathing in her scent.
“What’s wrong, Julian?”
47
Hannah
“What’s wrong, Julian?” I ask, my voice a soft whimper. I take a deep breath, the flames inside me licking at my body with such intensity that it’s hard to breathe. I thought Julian being here would help; Goddess knows his fingers gave me some reprieve after he brought me to orgasm.
“My rut came,” he answers, his voice restrained with pain. “And it’s growing unbearably painful.” As if to prove his point, his cock that has been restrained in his pants twitches against my stomach, and I gasp, the small movement bringing sparks of pleasure.
How could I not notice the change in his scent while I slept? It’s grown spicier and hotter with his oncoming rut.
“I need to let you go so that I don’t do something we will regret,” he chokes out, his body shaking and his arms tighteningaround me. His bare skin on mine both heats and cools my body, reminding me that although the bond is broken, we are still mates. He is mine whether I like it or not, and it’s proof that he stayed loyal to his mate by the fact I never felt the pain of him fucking another she-wolf.
“I can’t keep holding you with my rut taking over, or it will be like your eighteenth birthday five years ago,” he continues, breathing in my scent. He shudders and moans, the sound flicking a switch that turns me on and causes a pool of liquid to seep out of me. “I don’t want you unless you say I can have you.” His words make my stomach flutter, like butterflies dancing inside me. Julian wants me for me, but I have a say in whether he has me or not.
“Why did you believe those rumors about me?” I decide to ask the one question that has been on my mind since I was sixteen when Julian started becoming cold toward me. I feel him stiffen, feel his unease.
“I didn’t believe them at first,” he answers, his lips pressed to the top of my head. “I ignored them, thinking that the rumors about you wanting the luna queen position were false, and then I got my rut a few months later.” He groans, grinding his hips into me, making me shudder and suppress a moan. I needed to hear his answer. “You were there in my room when it happened, so close to me that I panicked, wondering if you would take advantage of me. You were only sixteen, and I did not want to have the label of sleeping with a minor on my head.” He kisses my head, the touch gentle and soft, making me shiver with little bursts of pleasure. “In my haze, the rumors became truth, and that’s when I started pushing you away.”
“I stayed with you until Fabian came. Then I left, knowing you were saving yourself for your mate,” I state, closing my eyes as the memory of that day resurfaces. “I was only there until Fabian came. Then I left as soon as he came to your room to take care of you,” I say, sadness creeping in.
“I know. Fabian told me as much, but in my rut-crazed mind, I felt like the rumors of you wanting to be luna queen were true in that moment. I pushed you away because of that and because I trusted rumors more than I trusted the woman assigned to protect me, the one whose parents gave their lives for me. I’m sorry. I am so sorry I was an idiot for believing in lies and rumors. I should have nipped them in the bud before they grew.” His sincere apology is followed by a groan of pain, and once again, I find him grinding against me. His cock has grown in the few minutes he spent answering my question, and I know he must be in immense pain.
“Hannah, I need to go before I fuck you into oblivion. I know you don’t want that,” he whimpers, inhaling sharply.
