Chapter 4
Murphy’s bear was riding him hard as he raced after Nessa and into the night, her scent so intoxicating he felt drunk off of her nearness. On unsteady legs, he sprinted down his gravel driveway, the world around him a dark blur. His only focus—her.
His mate’s long, teal dyed hair stood out like a beacon in the darkness, beckoning him forward as she raced away. His mind was hazy, his focus only on the instinct demanding that he hunt her down. Nothing mattered but reaching her. He needed to catch her, pin her beneath him, and make her his. His gums ached at the thought, his canines pulsing as they lengthened into the perfect size to bite down into the skin of her slim neck.
He could practically feel that supple flesh parting for him, could almost hear her breathy whimper for more as he finally claimed what was his.
And she washis.
Whatever reservations he’d possessed about keeping his distance were now gone, forced back by the rampant need coursing through his veins. His bear roared triumphantly within his mind, the sound faint through the dense fog clouding his thoughts.
Just one bite and she’d never run away again. One bite and the war within him would be over. His bear would be sated and she’d behis—
Nessa reached her car door right as Murphy caught up to her.
His hands slammed down on the car, bracing on either side of her head, practically denting the metal. He caged her between him and the vehicle, her back pressed to his front. She cried out in alarm as his body blanketed hers, and the sound pierced through the haze in his mind, snapping him back to reality.
Fuck! What the hell am I doing?
The small human trembled against him, the sweet scent of berries and vanilla almost completely overshadowed by the raw stench of fear that now permeated the air.
Murphy inhaled swiftly. He felt like he’d just been sucker punched.
He’d done this. He’d terrified his mate after just a few seconds in her presence. Of course, he had. She was human, and her last encounter with a shifter had resulted in her nearly being killed. She was scared. Traumatized. Unused to his world. She didn’t realize Murphy wouldn’t hurt her.
She didn’t know that she was his mate.
He’d been so lost in his own head, in his bear’s needs, that he’d hunted after her like a goddamned animal. His bear growledat him in warning, reminding him that hewasan animal, demanding that he take action. That he claim her, here and now.
Saliva pooled in Murphy’s mouth, his eyes tracking over the back of Nessa’s head and down to where her neck was concealed just beyond her heavy curtain of hair. He leaned in, his nose brushing against the thick, silky strands. Inhaling her decadent scent.
Mark her. Bind her to us,his bear commanded.
A carnal hunger clawed at his insides, and his lips curled back into a silent snarl, revealing his elongated fangs. Fangs that he’d soon sink into her sweet, soft flesh—
“M-Murphy,” Nessa whispered, her light, delicate voice trembling with fear.
He stilled. The sound of his name on her lips felt like a bucket of ice water being dunked over his head.
Murphy didn’t want this. He didn’t want a mate. And clearly, Nessa wasn’t interested in this, either. What was she even doing here?
“Murphy, are you okay?” Nessa asked hesitantly, risking a quick look over her shoulder at him. Her chocolate-brown eyes widened, and she looked away, swallowing thickly.
What had she seen just now? A male on the cusp of losing the battle against his beast, or a monster she believed would hurt her?
Shuddering, Murphy took a deep breath as he tried to wrestle control back from his bear. It was difficult. The warmth of her smaller body against his was so enticing that he couldn’t pull away from her, even if he wanted to. And he didn’twantto. Not at all.
When was the last time he’d felt so warm? So at home? That he’d felt anything other than irrationally angry?
Nessa shuffled to the right, the movement barely perceptible, but he noticed it all the same. She was trying to escape him,though she had nowhere to go. His arms held her in close. So close … His bear roared in despair, clawing to break free.
“Don’t move,” Murphy snapped through gritted teeth, dropping his head onto the back of her shoulder as he tried to calm himself down. He inhaled roughly, fingers biting into the car door as her scent washed over him again, some of her fear dissipating the longer they remained just like this. Having her this close was torture, but he was afraid that letting her go would send him and his bear into a tailspin.
Vaguely, he heard a scrape of metal, followed by her swift inhale. “Y-You’re denting my car door.”
“I’ll pay to have it fixed,” he answered gruffly, growling low in his throat when she began turning around. “Don’t—”
Nessa ignored him, moving until her front was pressed against his, her soft curves molding against the hard, muscled planes of his own body. She fit perfectly against him, and he couldn’t help but think how she’d feel beneath him.
