I shiver.
Before I barf, I return my focus to my mate, keeping my ears open for her. On the final branch, she moans softly in her sleep, and I lose my footing, falling flat on my back.
I lie there and contemplate the shit show that is my life. When the adrenaline wears off, the pain kicks in. I groan, whimper, and laugh. Oh, that hurt.”
I brush myself off and roll my shoulder out.
Okay, that’s going to be sore tomorrow.
My eyes bounce between the sleeping devil in the hammock and the tree that led me to fall from hell, trying to decide who to blame. I land on the devil.
I’m going to make her pay for that one day.
I’ll tie her to this tree so tightly, every time she moves, the bark will cut into her back. Her throat is hoarse, and her lipswill bruise from every scream I claim. She’d shake and writhe beneath me. I’d have her begging for me, but I’ll show her no mercy. The blood rushes straight to my dick.
Shit.
To stalk her is one thing, but doing so with a boner while she’s sleeping crosses a perverse line, in my opinion. I can’t be both a stalkeranda pervert. No, wait. I’m not stalking, I’m... hunting. Yeah. That’s it. I’m hunting.
Okay, uh... Dax naked. Dax kicking my ass. The time Dax insisted on being called “my king” in the bedroom...
That works.
Now that my dick is flaccid, I can go.
When I reach her, the grounds are silent. Vermin in her horde sleep near each other, but not her. She isolates herself. Is this because she thinks she’s better than them? Above them?
My wolf mentally kicks me.Mate would never! Maybe she feels guilty.
She should feel guilty.
I swear, I don’t know whose side he’s on.
When I reach her, she’s lying on her side in the hammock, giving me a clear view of the little she-devil. Raven hair, strong cheekbones, ruby lips, and freckles peppering her cheeks and nose. Wondering where else those freckles appear, I stop myself. I don’t needanothersituation down south.
My hand has a mind of its own. It twitches, wanting so bad to touch her.
I have to force myself not to.Bad hand. Heel! Don’t!
She is forbidden.
Yeah, like that helps.My wolf snorts.
She fell asleep reading the same book I often see her with. Carefully, I lift it and scan the page.
Holy shit, it’s smut.
Did she fall asleep in the middle of reading a sex scene? The main male is caressing her, whispering sweet nothings. It’s all very cutesy. Very vanilla.
Is that why she fell asleep? Does she crave something darker? If that’s the case, why does she read it so much?
Ishouldput the book back, but I tuck it into my waistband behind me instead. She owes me a lot more than that.
Her breathing quickens as her wolf registers my presence, not as her mate but as an unexplained comfort, an early sign of the mate bond.
Her eyes squeeze tightly shut, and I think she’s about to open them, so I duck behind a tree.
Squish.
