Aaron tried not to squirm in his chair under Tara’s gaze. The way Tara was looking at him made him feel like a five-year-old caught with his hand inside a cookie jar. He wanted to confess all his wrongdoings to her. He wished she would look away. Throughout dinner, Tara’s piercing green gaze had rarely left him.Tara was a petite, scrawny old woman with a shock of brilliant blue hair framing her face. She was dressed in a floaty green kaftan that matched her eyes. Although there were lines on her olive face–around her eyes, around her mouth–she did not look a hundred and fifty years old. More like mid-forties in human years. It wasn’t very surprising. Shifters and magical folk aged a lot slower than humans.Aaron had not had many chances to interact with the magical folk. Maybe he had even deliberately stayed away from them after the unfortunate and embarrassing incident with the vengeful witch. His ears went hot whenever he thought about it, even though nearly two decades had passed
Aaron glanced from Keyah to Tara.Tara either didn’t hear his question or pretended she didn’t.“No artificial aids are without side effects,” Tara said.Great. Not only would Aaron be drinking a potion that possibly had several of those disgusting ingredients from the things he had seen on the table, he would also have to fight side effects. Tara fixed him with a penetrating stare. “Don’t make judgments before you even know what it does.”Aaron groaned inwardly. It was tedious to be around someone who was aware of every single thought in his head. And scary.“I can’t hear every thought. In fact, I block out most of them. But some of your thoughts are too loud, boy.”Tara’s words made Aaron start. Witches were wily. He shook his head and reached for one of the bottles containing the newly made potion.“What does this do?” he asked again.“It’ll change your appearance. It’ll make you look like a short, squat, overweight, balding man…”“What the…” he stopped himself from swearing just i
Keyah glanced nervously at Aaron as he unstoppered the bottle. They were seated on the two seater sofa in her room.“Cheers,” he said, raising the bottle toward her, one corner of his mouth lifting into a half-smile.Although the potion had been exactly what Keyah had hoped for, she could sure as hell do without worrying about the side effects. Her sex drive was already on steroids around Aaron. Well, sex was not the only way to mitigate the side effects, she reminded herself as Aaron raised the bottle to his lips and swallowed a small mouthful.“It’s… unexpectedly tasty. I think I taste pumpkin spice. And a melon of some sort,” he said, licking his lips.“Do you feel any different?” Keyah asked, studying him warily, ready to jump back and put a lot of distance between them if she saw even a hint of lust in his eyes.“Not at all. But you said it takes a few minutes.”“Right.” Her leg was furiously bobbing up and down. There was something she simply needed to get off her chest, and she
On the elevator ride down to the casino, Aaron was fidgety, constantly touching Keyah, moving around in the small space like a caged animal. He was also doing this weird thing where he was constantly inhaling her scent with his eyes closed and his head thrown back.It was low-key freaking her out.“Did you see that man?” Keyah asked, pressing herself against one of the walls of the elevator. When she remembered what they’d done the last time she was pressed-up against the wall, her cheeks heated up. A predatory, wolfish grin came upon Aaron’s face, which told her he knew exactly what she was thinking about.He headed toward her. She placed both her hands on his chest to halt his progress.“Did you see that man?” she repeated. Although her body wanted nothing better than to be felt up by Aaron, this was important.“Yes,” he said in a gravelly voice. “We are definitely being followed. The question is, is the human alone, or does he have his shifter friends with him?”“We’ll keep an eye
Aaron grabbed the man’s collar and pulled him out of the chair. Shock was reflected clearly in the man’s eyes. He obviously didn’t expect a fat, bald short man to be capable of such a feat. Man, did it feel good to be finally able to vent some of the frustration he had been holding inside him ever since he left the pack.The decision not to fight, to let himself be beat up hadn’t been easy. Irrespective of whether he led a pack or not, he would always be an alpha. Backing away from a fight was one of the most difficult things for an alpha.“Aar…” Keyah’s cry penetrated the haze of red. “Let him go!”When he momentarily turned his head to face Keyah, a strong fist connected with his jaw.“You bastard!” Aaron shouted, his hand still firmly grasping the man’s collar, rage once again coloring his vision red. Grabbing the man’s neck, Aaron head-butted him, knocking him out cold.Before he could do further harm, Keyah pulled him away.“Let’s go. The dealer just called security. Fuck, Aar… s
Aaron growled.The shifters from Charlie’s. So they had been here all along.One of them held Keyah’s arms behind her back, while the other advanced upon Aaron.Aaron bared his teeth, his canines lengthening menacingly; deep growls were emanating from within his chest. It wasn’t his wolf growling, but himself. His wolf was mad as hell too. Aaron told him to get in line. Without even looking at the male advancing toward him, he landed a fist on his mouth, his gaze fixed on the one holding Keyah captive.The male who had the misfortune of connecting with Aaron’s fist fell to the ground clutching his mouth. Lifting his foot high up in the ground, he brought it down hard on the man’s stomach, making him double over with pain.Aaron’s eyes never left the shifter who had dared to touch Keyah.“Let. Her. Go.”“Stop. Stop right there. All I want to do is talk,” the shifter said, taking a step back, dragging Keyah with him.“Let. Her. Go,” Aaron repeated, advancing upon the shifter.“I’ll hurt
Keyah glanced in the direction of the hotel, and sure enough, the human male who had accosted them at the blackjack table was rushing out of the arched entrance, his eyes roving over the cars parked on both sides of the driveway.“Shit. If we move now, his attention will be drawn to us. What do we do?” Keyah asked, chewing on her bottom lip.Aaron pressed his fingers against his temple. “He can’t chase us on foot. Even if he does see us leaving, there’s nothing he can do about it. Aaaah! I think the potion is beginning to wear off. I’m feeling woozy.”Keyah threw a concerned glance his way. “Will you be alright? For the journey?”“Yes. I’m fine.” He shook his head a couple of times before training his gaze on the human male who was pursuing them. “He won’t even be able to scent us. I hope he sees us leaving; I want to flip him off. Hit the road, Keyah!”Keyah did as he suggested. The man did see them leave, even tried to run after them, but had to give up once they pulled onto the bus
Keyah didn’t want to let the situation overwhelm her as she rummaged in her tote bag. Aaron was holding the flashlight, shining it inside the bag.She had been cornered before. Admittedly, she had never been in a situation quite like this one. If they didn’t find a way to make it to the nearest big town, there was a real chance they could die of thirst or starvation. They were in the middle of nowhere. Even if they shifted into their wolf forms, it would take them a couple of days to get to Dragon Tree Falls from where they were. There might be other towns on the way, but they didn’t know if they were human settlements or shifter towns.Besides, she was very reluctant to shift. Neither the humans nor the shifters could ever see Keyah in the form of Silver Wolf. Wolves with pelts of pure silver didn’t exist in nature. If any human saw her in her wolf form, they’d immediately get their guns and would try to hunt her down, just as her dad had been hunted. And the shifters–who knew how th
Aaron’s heart stilled in his chest when he heard Keyah’s faint whisper. She never wanted to be rid of him!She loved him. Keyah loved him! While she hadn’t said it outright, Aaron knew without a smidge of doubt her feelings for him were as real as his feelings for her.Aaron wanted to scoop her into his arms, lift her up in the air, and twirl her round and round while telling her how much he loved her. A warm glow spread inside him.His wolf purred inside him and whispered the words: ‘Our mate.’The words ‘I love you, Keyah’, were on the tip of his tongue. Before he could say anything, she went rigid in his arms, as if sensing what he was about to do. Freeing herself from his embrace with a frantic urgency, she got to her feet and walked toward the balcony with the terrific view of the mountains. Aaron followed her. Why did she shut him down so quickly whenever he was on the verge of opening his heart to her? He wanted to stand beside her. Recognizing she needed space, he stood lean
Aaron had kept his hands off her for the rest of the day, which should have made her feel relieved, but instead, Keyah felt disappointed.She had stepped out of the bathroom only once he had promised he would keep his hands to himself. And true to his word, he had. It was disappointing. She should be grateful, she told herself. If he did put his hands on her, there was no way she’d be able to resist him yet again.The effects of the potion had long abated; and while the aggression had lessened considerably, her lust for Aaron hadn’t gone down even one tiny bit. Keyah had a feeling it had nothing to do with the potion. Her lust for him would never lessen, not after knowing she loved him.If Becky hadn’t interrupted them at the right moment, they would have fucked for sure. And then where would that leave her? Making love to Aaron was a one-way street. There would be no going back from there. If they made love, he would know for sure, even if she refused to say the words, that she loved
After the blow job, Aaron was feeling more turned on than ever. His horniness, instead of abating, was at its peak. Thanks to the werewolf physiology, he was hard again as well, his refractory period being mere seconds. And with his hands and legs suddenly free, he lunged toward Keyah, trapping her beneath him.He had never come all over a woman’s mouth before. He should feel embarrassed for losing control like that, but all he felt was terribly possessive. Why did his cum look so mind numbingly sexy on Keyah? He had marked her as his with this act. She belonged to him, whether she was ready to accept it yet or not. She’s our soul mate, his wolf whispered from inside him. And this time, Aaron didn’t object. He knew what his wolf said was true. Aaron realized he’d known it since the moment he had seen her for the very first time, but had chosen to ignore it.As Aaron’s thigh held her in place, the tip of his cock touched her pussy lips.Keyah’s eyes widened. There was no hint of doubt
Keyah watched Aaron’s retreating back as she sank into the soft pillows. He had a fine, fine ass. As the image of his ass with her teeth marks on it formed in her mind, it brought a flood of color to her cheeks, but at the same time, she really, really wanted to bite his ass again. She wanted to bite him all over, leave marks on him, mark him as hers. She wanted to run her tongue all over the gorgeous ridges and planes of his hard, muscular body. Other than the few tattoos on his arms, he had one right at the base of his spine. How come she hadn’t noticed it before? Perhaps because the last time she had seen him naked, her brain had been fried by the twin assault of the shifter pheromones in the air, and her uncontrolled lust. She vowed to ask him about all his tattoos.It should have embarrassed her mightily when Aaron walked in on her with her fingers buried in her pussy, but it hadn’t. Well it had, but just a little bit. Was it the potion that made her feel wanton? Or had she achi
Aaron slowly tried to back away, but collided against the doorjamb. Keyah’s eyes flew to him.“Aaron,” she whispered, her eyes dark. And although a hint of color tinged her cheeks, she didn’t close her legs or remove her hand from her breast.“Sorry, I didn’t know… I’ll give you some privacy,” he said, turning on his heel.“No. Wait.” Keyah’s voice was hoarse and thick. “Be with me. I’m trying but it’s not enough.”If she asked him to touch her, he’d be a goner. His cock would be buried inside her in minutes, irrespective of the promise. “If I touch you, I won’t be responsible for my actions.”Acute lust coursed through his blood, making his heart pound. It seemed like all the horniness he had worked off after his run was now back with a vengeance. He clutched the bundle of basil tighter, hoping to regain a semblance of control.“I’m not asking you to touch me. My fingers just aren’t doing the job. Make me come without touching me. Tell me all the things you want to do to me. Talk dir
“Breakfast will be served everyday in the cafe downstairs between eight am and ten am. The bathroom’s through here. I’m sorry we give you a room with twin beds,” Becky apologized, twisting her hands.Aaron wished the hare-woman would leave already. She had a tendency to ramble, and she had apologized ten times on the way up to the room. He knew he’d say something rude if he spoke, so he walked to the Juliet balcony attached to the room. At least, the view was stupendous. From here, he could see both the lake and the Direwolf Mountain.Becky was still talking, telling Keyah all about how she had inherited the villa from her great-grandmother and turned into a B and B, following a life-long dream. They were a little short-staffed today, she explained. Aaron wanted to shout–we fucking don’t care. Leave!But the only thing stopping him from pinning Keyah against the queen-sized bed and ripping off her clothes was Becky’s presence. So in a way, Becky was probably doing him a favor by linge
Keyah read the text, feeling perplexed. She glanced at Aaron, and he was studying her intently, taking deep inhales.Keyah now knew why he did that. With the potion, her senses were heightened. His natural scent permeated her nostrils, trying to envelope her brain in a fog of desire. If she let it, it would cloud her senses completely.Shaking her head, she forced herself to read the text out loud. “Tara says: ‘you can alter your scent and throw those goons off your track. Just chew on some basil before taking the potion.’ How the fuck did she know?”Keyah banged her fist against the dashboard, suddenly needing to vent her frustration. Now she knew how Aaron had felt. When her fist connected with the dashboard, she was horrified. Her car! Her poor car! How could she ill-treat it?Aaron growled low in his throat, probably feeling triggered by her aggression.Fuck, it was going to be difficult. Keyah looked at the lake again, trying to calm her mind. “Let’s find an auto repair shop. We
“Keyah?”When Aaron gently shook her shoulders, she jerked, suddenly coming awake. She had passed out. When had she passed out? She had only closed her eyes for a minute; it had still been dark out. Now, the sun was high up in the sky.Sitting up, she rubbed a hand over her face. After they had fueled up and left Fanny Pack, Keyah had been at the wheel until they crossed the Direwolf Mountains. The paved road ended soon after, and Keyah had begun to feel her eyes close. Since she knew better than to stubbornly stay at the wheel when feeling sleepy, she’d asked Aaron to take over, promising to relieve him after she’d had a few minutes of shut-eye.Well, it had certainly been more than a few minutes.“What time is it? Why didn’t you wake me up? Were we followed? Did we cross the streams?”Aaron grinned. How could he look so handsome despite not having slept a wink? She was sure she looked like a racoon with purple circles under her eyes despite having slept for a few hours.“You went fr
Aaron got out of the car and stretched his legs, his face upturned, looking at the star-studded sky, trying to feel a sense of calm under the ocean of stars. Ever since he had kissed Keyah earlier, his feelings were all over the place. He couldn’t make sense of anything.When Keyah had asked him if he believed in destiny, he was sure she was hinting they were fated mates, but when she laughed off his suggestion, it hurt. Which was ridiculous. He knew they weren’t fated mates. They couldn’t be. His fated mate couldn’t be a Silver Wolf. If the circumstances had been different, if Keyah had been raised by her pack, she wouldn’t even have come into Aaron’s life. The only reason they had met was because she wanted revenge.But circumstances aren’t different. She found you, the one wolf who can see the Boulder Mountain. If anything, it proves she is your fated mate. She found you against all odds, his wolf argued from inside him.Aaron shook his head, not having a counter argument. His wolf