I don’t want to ignore what I feel for Ren.
There was more I needed to know, more from Ren, and I knew he’d give me the answers. I knew he wanted to. He’d given me the space I needed to think, and for that I was grateful.
And this whole time, not once did I think about leaving to go back to America.
I exhaled. I’d had no one to confide in, even if I wanted to. No close friends, not even parents who acted like they’d give a shit. They berated me for even wanting to take this trip, making me feel like I was some immature child who couldn’t settle down.
“Lycan?” My voice trembled as I whispered that word, the one I’d been repeating in my head nonstop since leaving Ren.
Just then, I heard the sound of a door opening and closing, and a moment later, the soft footsteps of someone approaching. I glanced to my side to see Mini coming forward, her expression fierce amongst her wrinkled face. She said nothing as she stopped before me, watching me with such knowing eyes.
And then she spoke, soft, low words I couldn’t understand. She held out her hand, and in the center of her palm was a tiny wooden wolf carving.
“Fate,” she said in English, her accent thick. “Love.”
I reached out with a shaking hand and took the little figurine, staring at it, wondering how she’d known this was my fate when I hadn’t a clue. I’d always felt lost. Until now.
And when she gave me a grandmotherly smile and a pat on my arm, I felt warmth fill me, the kind that said everything would be okay if I just let it.
20
Ren
I tried to stay away, and did a pretty good job of it the last few days. But I knew once the moon was full—tonight—there was no stopping my Lycan from claiming Mikalina. The pull and need would be too hard to resist, the instinct driving all rational, humane thought from my mind until I was nothing but a ravenous animal for her.
I’d contemplated just leaving the country, getting as far away as I could before the full moon hit, but I knew that wouldn’t even stop me.
I sat in front of the fire and nursed a whiskey, staring at the flames, this little ritual something I tended to do nightly, it seemed. But having a life expectancy that just went on and on and on made life monotonous—that was until I’d found my female.
The full moon pulled me, urged me, tempted and coaxed me. I fought it, had all day, feeling it slowly grow. And as the sun was starting to set, there was no denying what I’d do. But I’d chain myself up, if that’s what it took. I would never force Mikalina into anything, never make her take my mating mark or the full moon claiming. But I had to lock myself away now or I wouldn't be able to. And even with chains all around me, holding me down, the threat of me breaking free with my inhuman strength to get to my mate was great.
I finished off my whiskey just as I felt a prickling along my skin. Then there were three hard knocks on the front doors. I knew who it was, felt her as if she stood right before me already. I was out of my seat and striding toward the entrance before I could even take a breath.
I opened the massive wood, the steel and wood creaking from the force, and as I stared at my female, nothing else mattered, because I knew her coming here had been a mistake.
Won’t be able to stop.
I will claim her.
And God help both of us.
21
Mikalina
As soon as he opened the door, I felt a blast of heat, pleasure… need.
From Ren.
He stared at me with such intensity, his eyes flashing blue, reminding me of what he was, how he wasn’t a human. He was something more, something other. I planned on having this full conversation with him, hashing out everything, trying to learn all that I could, but as soon as he opened the door, all I felt was this intense need for Ren. It pushed everything else out of my mind until there was only one thing that echoed.
Want.
I want him. I need him. Let him take me.
He looked down at my lips, and I found myself licking them involuntarily, as if his focus on them was like a tangible touch from his finger.
This is crazy to want Ren when I know what he is… this supernatural creature that is straight from a fairy tale.
“I'd rather die than ever hurt you,” he murmured low as if to himself, the first thing to spill from his lips. His voice sounded pained, and my breath caught. “That's why you need to leave. You need to run. I’ll lock myself away, but the farther you get from me, the better chance you have.”