ChapterSixteen
SUNDAY
Imaginary twigs broke under our feet as Noah and I walked away from Kingston. Kingston, who’d seen my wolf, proven she existed, and whose own beast called to mine like a siren lured sailors to the rocks. I hated how turned on I still was, how hard my nipples were under my bra. Noah didn’t say anything as we continued down the path together. His clenched jaw and stiff posture said it all for him. He was pissed.
“It was just a wolf thing, that’s all.” Using every ounce of strength I had, I kept my voice from wobbling. I’m not sure why I felt the need to explain myself. He was the one who pulled the disappearing act. I didn’t owe him a damn thing.
He stopped, turned those amber eyes on me, and raised one eyebrow. “A wolf thing.” Each word came out clear and slow. Like he was trying them on to see how they fit. “Did you like this wolf thing?”
How could I answer him truthfully and not be admitting something out loud I didn’t want to hear? “My wolf did.”
“And how does your wolf feel about vampires?”
I sucked in a tight breath, the weight of his gaze affecting me just as much as Kingston’s attention, maybe more. “I don’t know about her, but I like them. Except when they ghost me.”
“You don’t understand.”
Flinching when he reached for me, I powered past him. “I understand plenty. You can’t be with me. Your family forbids it. So you moved on to someone more suitable, but you can’t deal with me showing anyone else attention. Well, newsflash, Fang Boy, I kissed Alekandlet him see my boobs. What do you have to say about that?”
He was on me before I could process he’d moved. Fuck, vampires were fast. Noah’s cool hand encircled my throat as he pinned me to a wide tree and stared hard at my mouth. “I should put you over my knee for your insolence, little wolf. Show you exactly why your body craves my touch, my gaze. It kills me that I can’t.”
“Does it? Because from where I’m standing, you had your chance and blew it. At least I had the courage to reject the mate my family chose for me. I’m sure you and Callie will be sublimely happy together.”
He dipped his head, breathing hard as he released my neck. Then those perfect lips of his trailed along my throat until he reached my ear. “But it’ll be you I’m thinking of if I’m forced to be inside her. How does that make you feel? Knowing that I’ll fuck her like a good little heir but fantasize about you while doing it?”
I shivered from the rough husk of his voice rasping over my skin. “It doesn’t matter how I feel.”
His large palm that was gripping my waist moved up my belly until he cupped the weight of my breast. “Oh, but it does. I want you to ache for me as I do you.”
God, I did. I burned for him, and I couldn’t answer because if I did, I’d lie to him.
“I feel it in my bones. You’re meant for me,” he whispered.
“Is this because you gave me your blood?”
“Maybe. I can’t be sure. But all I can tell you is, if you choose him over me, it’ll be the biggest mistake you’ve ever made.”
The beacon hanging between my breasts heated rapidly, burning through my shirt and glowing bright white. Noah pulled his hand away, the skin there now red and angry as he swore.
Behind him stood Callie, a wicked smile on her too-perfect face, her own beacon glowing to match mine. “Oh, good, darling. You’ve found my next plaything.”
Standing up straighter, I steeled myself for a fight. My wolf was riled up, awake but not released from her prison yet, and I was horny as hell. If I couldn’t get my release by fucking, I might as well get it by fighting. And there was just something about the idea of smashing in that pert little upturned nose that seemed endlessly appealing. Sure, it wouldn’t do permanent damage, but it’d hurt, and it’d shut her up for a little while.
Noah placed himself in front of me, posture protective even though this was part of our lesson. “Move, Noah. I need to do this.”
“You don’t know how strong she is. She’s a vampire.”
I rolled my shoulders and sighed. “And I’m a shifter. I can take her. Give me a chance. I don’t want to fail this assignment.”
Though it was obvious in every move he made that he didn’t want to, he acquiesced and moved aside. His beacon held a faint glow, a reminder he had his own partner to find and spar with. A rustle in the brush behind me had me turning toward the sound, and when Kingston broke through, eyes feral and burning with determined anger, I flinched.
He wouldn’t really try to hurt me, would he? I’d won our match. But Noah snarled and leaped from where he stood, his beacon glowing white and Kingston’s matching.
“Noah!” Fear sprang to the forefront of my mind, worry that he’d be hurt, that Kingston would rip him to shreds, overwhelming me.
My wolf stirred, pacing and pushing at her restraints, restraints neither of us knew how to break. She wanted to defend her mate. Kingston. Oh, hell, this was going to be impossible to deal with. Fuck Kingston for waking her up.
Without warning, something crashed into me, laying me out and leaving me gasping for air as the wind was knocked from my lungs. Callie clawed at my face, her nails sharp and deadly.