I rubbed my hand up and down my abdomen, feeling the extra fluff there—perhaps from too many hot chocolates. “No, but I do feel my heart beating faster.”
A moth’s heart is usually in the lower abdomen region—one might even say the butt region.
Lucien walked around me, inspecting me. “I see. Maybe it is our heart that gets excited, then. We aren’t just shifter animals—we are held to a higher status.”
I let out an irritated chirp and tilted my head skyward, silently pleading with Night to rid me of this nuisance. "You should go now," I said, my voice tight with restraint. "My match needs me, and I must tell her what is to come."
“And by come, you mean come in her.” He elbowed me in the shoulder, and I snarled.
“Get out!” I pointed to the door.
I slammed the door behind Lucien, making sure to lock it this time. The last thing I needed was another interruption, especially with this claiming urge growing stronger by the minute. I leaned against the door, taking a deep breath, trying to calm the storm raging inside me. My wings fluttered slightly, betraying my nervousness.
I could hear Kassie's muffled voice from the other room, her phone conversation a low murmur. I pushed off the door, my claws scraping softly on the wooden floor as I made my way towards her. I needed to see her, to be near her. The pull was too strong to ignore anymore. It was growing by the second.
As I approached, her voice became clearer. She was talking to someone about coming back to town. My heart seized at the thought. I wasn't ready to share her yet, not when I was on the verge of claiming her as my own. I leaned against the doorway,watching her. She was perched on the edge of the bed, the towel still wrapped around her, her fingers nervously playing with the edge of it.
“Harlow, what do you think I should do?”
She looked up and saw me, a soft smile playing on her lips. I felt a warmth spread through me. I always thought, well, ever since I had a sane thought in my head, I would be alone, but there I was with a female who wantedmeback.
At least, I hope she didn’t change her mind, because I can’t let her go. My body, my heart wouldn’t allow it. My butt said so, even.
“He wants me to meet him? In person over dinner? Don’t you find that strange?”
My antennae perked up. A male?
I pushed off the wall, striding into the bedroom. Kassie looked up at me, her eyes wide with surprise and a hint of embarrassment. I gave her a reassuring smile, taking the phone from her hand and hanging it up.
"Atlas, what are you—?"
I cupped her face, my thumbs brushing her cheeks. "You're mine, Kassie," I growled, my voice laced with possessiveness. Her eyes widened, but she didn't pull away.
I couldn’t let her see the true monster. I should have taken Lucien up on his offer and asked him to retrieve the waters of the falls, because knowing a male wanted to take my match to dinner was too much.
I couldn’t have it. I felt like I could destroy this cabin with a few strikes of my claws. Yet I kept my hands gentle enough to cup her sweet face in my hands.
"My soul?” I breathed in heavily to keep my calm. Kassie took in my appearance, and her hands reached up to caress my hands that touched her.
“What's wrong?" she whispered.
“What male do you speak of?”
Kassie bit her lip.
"It's-it's my streaming job," she stammered. "I need to get back to my desk.”
I felt a growl building in my chest.
No. She was mine. She couldn't leave. Not then, not ever. But I could see the worry in her eyes, the tension in her shoulders. It was important to her. I couldn’t stop her from her passions, what she liked to do.
She didn’t understand me yet, not fully.
I took a deep breath, trying to resume control.
"When?" I managed to ask, my voice strained.
"This afternoon," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. She looked down at her phone, her thumb tracing the edge.
