Chapter 8

Zane's POV

I threw a glance down at myself and--- yeah, I was naked! I’d shifted and it had destroyed my clothes, but werewolves weren’t uncomfortable with nudity. I’d almost forgotten that humans tended to be shy about stuff like that. I hadn’t counted her as one of those people since---

“You kissed me!” I exclaimed, wondering if that was something she did for kicks a lot. And why the hell that pissed me AND my wolf off…

“To shut you up, because you were being an annoying prick,” she exclaimed, her back still turned. “Which only reaffirmed why I don’t want to see your dick!”

Oh…?

I was an annoying prick now, was I?

I had no idea where the urge came from, but I just wanted to mess with this female. Hell, if I got to piss her off as badly as she’d pissed me off, I would count it as a win!

And I knew exactly how to do it…

With a smirk, I rustled with the blanket, pretending to cover myself up again.

“I’m decent,” I said in an almost sing-song voice, not taking my eyes off her for even a second. I didn’t want to miss a single moment of her reaction…

“Good,” she sighed and spun around, a fake smile plastered on her face. “I was---”

Her eyes landed on my naked frame and, like lacer points, her eyes focused on my cock. Which, for some mysterious reason, twitched and hardened as she kept looking at it. Her cheeks turned a delighted red color and for a split second, the calm and collected woman was gone. The wall she kept around her was gone and I caught a glimpse of the vulnerable female underneath.

The part that was ALL woman…

Her eyes went wide and her mouth fell open. Her red lips were dry and she caressed them with her tongue, making me wonder what it would feel like to have them wrapped around my hardening member. Fuck, I wanted her so badly, I was just about to get off the couch and go to her. To take her and satisfy the hunger that roared through my blood…

I’d had sex since Helena died. The first time wasn’t as much sex as it had just been me letting my frustration and anger out on one of the omegas that kept pestering me – probably hoping for a chance at becoming my mistress. She’d left the pack soon after, never seeking me out again, and had I been normal, I would have felt bad for what I did to her. But after that, I’d had sex again. Not because I wanted to make love to any of them, but because there was an itch in my pants.

Nothing more – nothing less…

I had a feeling that I wouldn’t get away with that with Arella. No way would she allow me to take her, dominate her and fuck her, before sending her away with only half her needs sated.

No…

She would demand more and I--- strangely, I found that I wanted to give it to her!

Hell, even my wolf wanted her!

Wanted to taste her skin. We wanted to lick up her juices and feel the slick of her pussy on our tongue. Feel her come apart beneath us and---

She broke the spell, suddenly spinning around and cursing loudly.

“You fucking asshole,” she hissed, her voice breathless and hitched. “You did that on purpose!”

I could hear her erratic heartbeat and her arousal permeated the air, making me want to groan out loud. She smelled so good…

“You started it,” I said, unable to help how husky and low my voice had gotten. “You kissed me.”

You made me want you, I mentally growled. You frustrate me and I don’t like it. You smell human, but I don’t trust you. The least you can do is feel some of my pain…

Ignorant of my mental conversation, she let out a huff of utter frustration and slammed the dishtowel down on the table.

“I was going to offer to make you dinner,” she hissed and unceremoniously threw the lid on the stew she was making. “But starve for all I care!”

And with that, she left!

Stunned, I watched as she marched right out the front door, with nothing but a flashlight.

Was she crazy?!

It was getting dark and while most wild animals tended to keep away from werewolves, there was still the issue of those poachers.

Grunting, I stood--- but the second I put any actual weight on my foot, searing hot pain shot up my leg and I went tumbling down on the sofa again.

Fucking--- SHIT!!!

Pearls of sweat beaded my forehead as I breathed through the worst of it, gritting my teeth. My wolf let out a feral growl, pushing at me to ignore the pain and follow her anyway. And the more I tried to push him away, the more insistent he became.

I growled low!

What the hell was wrong with my wolf?! Why was he so fucking interested in a human female? It’s not like we could actually fuck her! She was human and would break the second I got to the good part. I liked it rough in bed and I hated restraints.

There was no way---

My wolf pushed me harder, and I pushed back just as hard. No! Hell, on second thought, I was hoping she got her frustrating ass shot out there. Then she wouldn’t be a problem I had to worry about anymore. But that just pissed my wolf off even more and he lashed out, clawing at my insides.

Fucking, insane bastard!

I hated fighting my wolf, but I didn’t have a choice. I couldn’t let him kill innocent people, especially not humans. I had enough shit to deal with, and with THEM being back, I didn’t need a human added to the mix! And I definitely didn’t need a DEAD human all up in my shit…

My wolf let out a furious howl, which was painful to keep down. But I fought it, forcing my jaws locked and my lips tight.

I couldn’t let her know what I was!

I couldn’t let him hurt her!

Please---!

Suddenly, he slammed up his metal walls, making me almost pitch forward from the sudden relief. The pain was gone. And so was my wolf. Or rather he’d separated himself from me, something he’d never done before. Or at least not for as long as I could remember.

Reeling, I slowly sat up. I was still panting, and while I felt relieved that I didn’t have to fight my wolf anymore, it also felt strange suddenly not having him. He’d been like a constant headache in my mind for over a year now. With him, suddenly gone was---

Amazing!

And terrifying…

Had I lost my wolf? What if he didn’t come back? What if this had been the last straw and now---

In a panic, I felt the mental wall separating us. It was all anger and fury, but to my relief, my wolf was still there. Furious, but there.

I let out a sigh of relief, and sat back, still looking at the door that the female had left through. It was getting dark, so the likelihood of poachers being out was slim to none. And she had a flashlight, so she could see, even if it was getting a little darker at night now that autumn was fast approaching. Worst case scenario, I would hear her if something went wrong, and I’d go to her…

But right now--- I had another problem…

A problem my stomach decided to loudly announce.

I was hungry…