five
Lukyan had no plans aside from going to Norah’s. His wolf had other ideas. The beast was hell-bent on claiming his mate. Racing through the woods to the cabin, Lukyan tried in vain to reason with his animal.One, she should have a chance to choose. Two, she’s gentle and delicate, I don’t want us to scare her. Three, if you force her transition now, Cate’s heat will take her, too. Four, she will go into heat and then neither of us will be able to stop. Five, she will never forgive us if we don’t allow her an opportunity to choose her path, especially when that path includes a new baby!
The wolf was inflamed with lust and would not listen. He growled away every rational reason Lukyan threw at him. Lukyan was desperate to stop the predator. He needed to shift, to take control, but the animal’s lust was too strong and Lukyan’s will was too weak. Truth be told, he wanted his mate as much as the wolf did.
The snow fell harder now than before, and the wolf struggled to see in the dim light. After what seemed like an eternity for both man and beast, they broke free from the dark forest and into the clearing by the cabin. Even through the snow, Lukyan could smell his mate’s faint lavender-honey scent. Her perfume still hung in the air from their walk earlier in the evening.
The wolf stalked the cabin, judging the building for the best way to gain entry. Lukyan fought to break free, to control the creature, but it bit at him, urging him to stay put. His wolf mocked him for his restraint. The animal was no longer willing to let Lukyan take control of this mating. He was desperate to shift his mate tonight.
A scent wafted by that got the wolf’s attention. It was faint but enticing. The animal lifted its muzzle and sniffed the air. It was Norah, his mate. He would know her scent anywhere. He sniffed again. It was his Norah, yet different. Interlaced with her normal sweet lavender aroma were heavy notes of musk and salt. His mate was aroused. He sniffed again.Very aroused.
The wolf threw back his head and yipped before launching himself through the ever deeper snow toward the cabin. Norah’s musky perfume had pushed the animal over the edge. He was driven by pure instinct now, and Lukyan was loath to stop it.
Before he could even begin to reason with his wolf, the animal began to scratch frantically at her door. Lukyan begged, pushed, yelled, and kicked to get out, to shift to his human form.She will be terrified. Do not do this to our mate!But the wolf would not listen. It dug and scratched at the door.
Without warning, the door opened, and there in a soft, cotton gown that stopped well short of her knees, was his mate. The light from the living room shone behind her, giving Lukyan and his wolf every opportunity to see his mate’s body illuminated beneath the thin material. Her tight waist was tiny compared the heavy swell of her breast and the gentle spread of her hips. The wolf licked his lips.
Standing so close, he could scent her arousal more strongly now. He breathed deeply, filling his lungs with the salty odor. He wanted to lick the aroma from her body, mark his muzzle with her odor. But a putrid scent soon overpowered the musk. His mate was afraid. The wolf hesitated, not liking the scent of fear that came from his Norah.
Lukyan took advantage of the wolf’s distraction. As he began to push his transition, she screamed and jumped back in an effort to slam the door shut. The wolf jumped, too, causing the big wooden mass to slam painfully into his side. Both man and beast felt the impact.
Norah stepped slowly away from them, talking in low tones that he was sure she hoped would calm the animal. She stumbled, falling backward to the couch. The wolf crouched, ready to pounce, to bite, to transition his mate. With great effort Lukyan burst free, shifting suddenly into a crouch between Norah’s legs.
“It’s okay, Norah. It’s me.” Lukyan gently rubbed Norah’s cheeks while he spoke the soft, low words. It was several seconds before she was able to slow her breathing and open her eyes.
“Lukyan? I don’t understand. You were just—” His beautiful face was impossibly close to hers. She ached to push her head forward and kiss him. She shifted under his weight. The movement caused her gown to hitch higher. His hard length rubbed against the naked skin of her thigh.
“I’m sorry. My wolf wants you.”
To say that Norah was shocked would be a vast understatement. She was absolutely, without a doubt, flabbergasted. “I think I’m having a breakdown. This isn’t real. You aren’t real. This is just a situation that my brain has made up to explain your attraction to me. Or it’s a coping mechanism. I— I’ve gone into some sort of fantasy land in my brain to get past the hurt of being alone.” She scrambled to a seated position, pushing him off her body. Her face pinked when she noticed his nakedness. He put his hands over his straining erection.
“I don’t know what is more terrifying, the wolf version of you that my mind created, or the fact that I am sitting here imagining the naked version of you doing very dirty things to my body.”
“I like option two.” Lukyan gave her a quick kiss and then sat back slowly. “We need to talk.”
“Talk away, fake, naked Lukyan. I’ll just be over here trying not to hyperventilate.”
Lukyan looked her up and down. “Norah, I am not fake, although I am naked. What you just witnessed was very real. I am a wolf shifter. I don’t have a lot of time to explain it. My wolf is scratching at me to get loose. There are… extenuating circumstances tonight.” She nodded as if she understood, but that was impossible. How could someone possibly understand a man jumping naked from a wolf’s body?
“I want you to go into your room and lock the door. I don’t trust the wolf to not bite you. I’ll explain this to you as soon as you go into your room and get yourself safely away from me.”
Her brain told her this was impossible, imaginary, but her heart told her it was real, that Lukyan was here to be with her. In spite of her fear, her heart sang at the knowledge.
He pulled her from the couch, picked her up and carried her to the bedroom’s door. His skin was warm against Norah’s hands and she rubbed them across his thick, broad shoulders in an effort to gauge if he was imaginary or real. He put her down and turned her to face him.
“My wolf can’t get to you behind a locked door. Go inside and lock the door. Keep it locked until this passes. Donotopen this door until after I tell you everything, and then only if you want. Do not doanythingyou don’t want to do. Promise me.”
She was reluctant to leave him. He must have sensed it because he gently turned her toward the room and pushed her through. “Promise me, Norah.” She nodded her head. “Shut the door and lock it. I don’t know how much longer I can hold him off.”
She shut and locked the door. Then she slid slowly down the wall until she was seated on the floor. The hardwood was cold, but she was too much in shock to do anything about it.
She heard Lukyan sit on the other side of the door and imagined that they were back to back, sitting in the same position. His long, naked legs would stretch nearly the width of the hall. She thought of him there, sprawled out in the small space, trying to find the words to explain what was happening.
“I’ll try to make this quick, honey. I can feel my wolf getting stronger.”
She signaled for him to continue, but then realized the absurdity of the motion. He couldn’t see her from his side of the door. Quietly she breathed, “Tell me now. I’ve locked the door.”
He hesitated, briefly, before rushing into an explanation. “I’m a wolf shifter. Before you ask, I’m not half-man, half-wolf. I’m all man and all wolf. At all times, I’m two very different things. Wolf shifters are fated to mate with one woman in the world. The Goddess provides our mates at a time of her choosing. You are my mate. I knew it the moment you walked into the bar last night. The Goddess gave you to me and me to you. I am fated to cherish you always and forever. There will never be another woman for me. I would take you any way I could get you, Norah, but the wolf —” his voice cracked and Norah wondered if the wolf was coming back. Was he in pain?
