AvaleaAldrich expertly lights the fire, even though there’s no kindling, with the help of a tiny burst of my magic. Although it’s a small fire, I place an invisible dome around it so that the smoke from it doesn’t fill up the small room. We share the bread and cheese, and finish the remainder of the water from the waterskin. He insists I have the larger share of our meager meal, disregarding all my protests. He has so much kindness in him, it's making my heart melt.“Don’t worry about it, Your Highness. You need to build your strength. The sooner you recover, the sooner you can leave.”He speaks the truth of course, simply putting into words what I have been thinking all along, but his words make me feel sad. He wants me gone. Of course he wants me gone, I scold myself. I would want me gone too, if the roles were reversed.“I’m sorry. I’ve imposed upon you without meaning you. I’m sure you’d rather be doing anything other than babysitting me. I’m so sorry, Aldrich,” I sniffle, tryin
AldrichOnce outside the hut, I get rid of my clothes, discard them on the doorstep, and immediately shift into my wolf form. Since I’m going to be spending the night outdoors and braving the cold, I’ll have to do it in my wolf form.Does she really think I’m going to turn her over to the Council? I wish she’d trust me more.I refuse to acknowledge everything I’m feeling as my muscles bulge, bones, ligaments, tendons snap and reform. Claws shoot out of my paws, my teeth lengthening into sharp, pointed weapons that can tear into a prey without any qualms. By the time I’m covered in black, white and gray fur and my transformation is complete, the hurt I was feeling earlier has lost its edge. After a few minutes of pacing the perimeter to make sure that nobody from my pack has ventured this far, I’m left with a feeling of dull discomfort rather than hurt and anger.My wolf’s feelings aren’t as acute as the human in me. I curl up outside the door, suddenly feeling confused. My wolf’s fee
AldrichOnce outside the hut, I get rid of my clothes, discard them on the doorstep, and immediately shift into my wolf form. Since I’m going to be spending the night outdoors and braving the cold, I’ll have to do it in my wolf form.Does she really think I’m going to turn her over to the Council? I wish she’d trust me more.I refuse to acknowledge everything I’m feeling as my muscles bulge, bones, ligaments, tendons snap and reform. Claws shoot out of my paws, my teeth lengthening into sharp, pointed weapons that can tear into a prey without any qualms. By the time I’m covered in black, white and gray fur and my transformation is complete, the hurt I was feeling earlier has lost its edge. After a few minutes of pacing the perimeter to make sure that nobody from my pack has ventured this far, I’m left with a feeling of dull discomfort rather than hurt and anger.My wolf’s feelings aren’t as acute as the human in me. I curl up outside the door, suddenly feeling confused. My wolf’s fee
AldrichI swear Ava took ten years off my life, the way she was whimpering and crying in her sleep. My first thought was–somebody is magically attacking in her sleep. I don’t know if that’s even possible. I have a very limited knowledge of magic, given the strict segregation between the magical beings and us Werewolves.Pain was deeply etched on her face as she tried to ward something or somebody off, her arms flailing wildly.How was I to know that it was only a nightmare?I rub my palm over my face, trying to get my heart rate back to normal.I tried to wake her up while still in my wolf form; I tried nudging her with my snout, placing my paws on her shoulders, hoping that the weight of it would bring her back to consciousness. It didn’t work. The only other option was licking her awake. And licking felt oddly intimate. I take a few deep breaths, trying to steady my breathing. She’s apologizing again, but I’m barely able to get the words out to tell her she’s not at fault. My back
AvaleaAs my tears dry out, I'm suddenly seized by this feeling that I wouldn't mind spending my entire life in Aldrich's arms. I jerk my head up, and hugging my middle, I force myself to move away from him. What's happening to me? It's madness. I shouldn't even be thinking this way. I can’t deny that I’m terribly attracted to him, and if it was just physical attraction, I would have found a way to overcome it. But it's not. It's something deeper. It's something I dare not give a name to. If I do, I'll never be able to walk away from Aldrich. And walk away I must. I called him my friend. For now, I'm going to hang on to that. I look up at him and smile. "Do you want to get some rest?"He nods and steps away, resuming his position by the wall. I sit down on the pallet, facing him, pulling the animal-skin rug over my legs. I feel guilty for making him spend the night on the hard stone floor. "You probably wish you were back in your own bed rather than being here."He looks at me,
AldrichAva is going to be the death of me. I'm sure of that.I groan and adjust my erection, trying not to disturb her. She has fallen asleep immediately, but with her soft body pressed against me, my cock is hard as fuck. Added to that, there's the intoxicating scent of her.My wolf wants to break to the surface, to claim her as our mate.I can control him only with the greatest difficulty.Ava can never be my mate. We are worlds apart. This attraction, this chemistry, and even the easy friendship that has developed between us is solely owing to the circumstances. It's bound to change once she's better.Even knowing that, I can't seem to control the reactions of my body.Hell, I'm going to be sleep deprived for two nights in a row.I try to divert my mind and think about ways to keep Ava hidden. It's going to be a real problem. The Werewolves of my pack might not venture this far right now, but once they have scanned the areas closer to the ghetto, they certainly will move closer to
AvaleaMy heart is drumming against my ribs. It's only with great difficulty that I'm able to breathe steadily. The tingling at the junction of my legs is a new sensation, something I have never felt before. Aldrich is attracted to me. The knowledge sets my blood on fire. I steal a glance towards the evidence of his desire. Except, the hut is in darkness and I don't see a thing. But I know he's hard for me. I suppress a moan, thinking about how his… erect member… felt pressed against my lower belly. I want to reach down and touch him… there. My cheeks are hot, and my face feels as if it's on fire. I throw away the animal skin rug, needing to feel the cold night air on my skin. Aldrich is right. We cannot cross this boundary. It is wrong, simply wrong. It goes against every law of my society. But then, why does it feel so right when I'm in Aldrich's arms? I press the bridge of my nose, hating that I cannot touch him even though he's only a hair's breadth away from me. "I think
AldrichIt would be so easy to bend down just a little and claim her mouth. I remember the brief kiss we shared earlier, if it can even be called that. It wasn't enough. Nowhere near enough. The way she's looking at me now, her face flushed, her ruby red lips wet from her tongue running over them repeatedly, her disheveled braid, the rise and fall of her breasts… It's driving me crazy. I want nothing more than to bury myself inside her, to watch her reach her peak as she begs me for more. I want to hear her screaming my name while I drive her out of her mind. The image is so acute, so sharp in my mind that I have to consciously, carefully, will it away. I need a distraction–something, anything. Talking about these ‘rules’ she has come up with will have to do. Although I was amused when I actually heard her say we need rules to behave around each other, a part of me is also curious to know what she has come up with. "I'm waiting," "Will you let me sit up and move away from me? I