SOUNDTRACK: Breathe with Me by Lacey Sturm and Lindsey Stirling. ***** ~ Kelsie ~ Cain opened his mouth under mine in the same moment his grip tightened on both my hips. Both of us sucked in deep, shocked breaths. The moment our mouths touched I stopped thinking. I was too busy drowning in the perfect feeling of being close to him. I’d never experienced anything like it. Sorry, Daniel. Not sorry. Cain’s kiss was far more intoxicating than the wine. Even though he had tensed when I stepped between his knees, his kiss was magical. His lips were full and soft and when I teased at his tongue with mine he responded immediately, a low groan rolling in his throat. His hands on my hips tightened, then pulled me closer. I held his face so he couldn’t move away. But as our tongues tasted and lips stroked slowly, he only held me more tightly. Our breaths mingled and my skin tingled with pleasure. At some point, Cain slid one hand up my back and into my hair and began holding me into the
~ Kelsie ~When I finally accepted that he really had left and wasn’t coming back, I found myself standing there, blinking back tears.Was he really avoiding me because I was only eighteen? Or was there something else?I remembered the disgust on his face… and then his words came echoing back to me, locked forever in my head.…You have no clue. No idea what you’re doing. How can you? You’re a child.I stormed into the dining room because I didn’t know where else to go. But the moment I stepped into the room I saw that wine bottle on the table.My cheeks were hot from the glass I’d already had—and from the embarrassment of his rejection.“Just a child, huh?” I muttered, picking up the bottle and not even bothering to pour it into the glass. I just tipped my head back and took a swig.It was a little too much all at once. I coughed and spluttered a bit. But it didn’t matter. As soon as I could breathe, I took another one. Then another.Soon, the warmth from the alcohol began to spread th
~ Kelsie ~I spent the night on my couch with all the lights on and every door and window in the house locked. I was curled up under a blanket with my old baseball bat. I jumped at every noise. And there was a lot of noises because the storm kept making rain clatter on the windows, or tree branches lash against the house.In my mind I kept seeing that moment when the dog’s eyes had glowed as he’d prowled after me… then that flash of lightning with Cain on the floor, naked and reaching for me.I would shudder every time and shake my head to make the images go away. It had to be the wine. I had to be… something that would make this all make sense.But even though I told myself that there had to be an explanation, that the dog had to be a drunk hallucination or something, it was hours before my eyelids got heavy and started to droop.I didn’t think I’d actually sleep, but I was woken suddenly by what I thought was the sound of soft knocking on the front door.I jolted awake, grabbing the
~ Cain ~ When Kelsie moved to sit on the couch, she refused to turn her back on me and it killed me. I hadn’t realized how hard it was going to be to see her scared of me. I had been so shocked and angry at myself the night before because I let her get so close. It wasn’t until she’d been on her ass on my porch, staring at me like I was some kind of monster that I realized how it would cut me if she stopped wanting to be close. And that made me think about what I must have been doing to her. She had admitted that she felt the tug of the bond. That she was having a hard time fighting it. Yet, I had rejected her every time we had gotten close. I hadn’t realized how it would feel when she rejected me. When she stared at me and instead of warm pleading eyes, there was cold fear. After I finally got control of my wolf I spent hours preparing myself to see her and smell her again, but to keep the leash on so tightly. I knew I had to fix this. So I only planned to soothe her. To give he
~ Cain ~Kelsie’s eyes were so wide the whites showed all the way around. She’d frozen in her tracks when I got around in front of her, but now she pulled that bat up and over her shoulder, ready to swing.Her breath heaved in and out between her bared teeth.She was terrified. It made me feel sick. But I had to show her. She had to have no doubts.She’d stopped going for the door when I got in front of her, but now she backed away, whimpering.“What the fuck! Don’t… don’t hurt me!”She thought I was threatening her?
~ Kelsie ~It was impossible. It couldn’t be true. And yet, as we sat there in my living room, I couldn’t deny that I’d seen it with my own eyes.Cain was a wolf.Or, a man who could become a wolf.Or a wolf who could become a man?He must have realized I was starting to freak out, because he had stopped talking and was just waiting now.I licked my lips.“You’re saying that you… you were born this way?” I asked.He nodded.Okay.&ldqu
~ Kelsie ~ I inhaled sharply, because I felt a jab of his fear through that little space in my chest. But I swallowed it back and leaned closer. “And if he didn’t kill me? If I stayed safe? What would happen between us then?” He still looked sad, but his brows rose and his eyes glowed. “The most amazing… the most beautiful thing, Kelsie. There’s nothing on earth better than loving your mate.” I clenched my hands to fists to stop myself reaching for him. But I hoped he saw the determination in my eyes. “The
SOUNDTRACK: To the Wolves by Stitched up Heart and Escape the Fate. (WARNING: Explicit lyrics.) ***** ~ Cain ~ My entire body trembled as my wolf surged forward overcome by the desire for Kelsie and rage against this pup who had hurt her and wouldn’t stop pushing into her space. There was a chaotic moment in my mind where I imagined the satisfaction of yanking that door open and tearing out his throat. But Kelsie, with her beautiful legs still wrapped around my waist, took my face in both her hands and turned me to face her, holding eye-contact as she tried to whisper through her heaving breath. “I’ll get rid of him. Just… stay calm.” She was alarmed, but not panicking. Her scent was a tangled mess of desire and thrill and fear… and something solid. The growing bond between us glowed with warm light. It made my chest expand. We stared at each other for a long moment and for the first time in five years I felt the soothing calm of a mate. Her heart’s warmth and care washed over