The Hunger (The Lycans 3)

“My name is Caelan McGregor. And I’m heir tae the McGregor throne.” I watched as her brows knitted in confusion. I probably should’ve kept out the heir and throne part. She wouldn’t know about any of the Lycan clan hierarchy. She wouldn’t care about any of that.

Not to mention I couldn’t exactly tell her that she was a future queen by being my Linked Mate. Yeah, I could see how well that would go over if I blurted it out right now.

I leaned forward, bracing my forearms on my thighs, mindful to keep those limbs strategically placed so she couldn’t see the erection I was still sporting. I was racking my brain on how to explain any of this. It wouldn’t be easy, and I was afraid I’d terrify her, but fuck, having her know of the world I lived in was imperative.

“I took ye because ye were injured.” I let those words hang between us, and I could see on her face she was expecting me to continue, because what I said wasn’t sufficient to quench her curiosity and this dying need to know more.

But I was still trying to figure out how to say any of this so she wouldn’t freak out. Well, freak out any more than she already was.

“And…?” She lifted her eyebrows, giving me another expectant, almost impatient look, this one more exasperated. “You make it sound like you rescued me.” There was a firm set to her jaw as she refused to break eye contact.

I fucking loved that my mate wasn’t some frail, little thing, that she had bite in her soul.

“Shite,” I ground out and knew there was no way to not be honest with her. I had already fucked this up. No doubt, she thought I was some raging psychopath. And I supposed I would still be that in her eyes no matter what I told her.

“I took ye because… ye’re mine,” I said with finality in my voice and a level stare trained right on her. I needed her to feel those words—desperately. And I held my breath, praying to whoever would listen that saying she was mine would somehow awaken her dormant Lycan. The prospect filled me with hope.

But she just blinked at me, confirming her understanding and believing anything I said would be like moving a mountain.

“You don’t look more than my age, but the whole ‘you’re mine’ bullshit isn’t going to fly. Because buddy, no man is telling me who and what I am. I’m not a piece of damn property.”

My cock jerked behind my fly, lengthening. Jesus, all I wanted to do was mount her right now, just strip away her clothing, push away any civility, and spread her thighs so I could devour her. It would be wild and rough, because my wolf was too feral and needy for her.

I felt this raw, primal instinct rise up in me, and for the first time in my life, since scenting her in those woods, I knew what true desire was, knew what bone-deep arousal was. And I knew it would keep growing until I finally claimed her.

At that, a grin slowly spread on my face, the anticipation making me hungry.

So, so fucking hungry for her.

At the look on my face, she sobered, probably mistaking it for something devious with ill intent. All I could envision was the very male part of me consuming the very female part of hers.

I closed my eyes and shook my head to clear it, to try and get back on track. Okay, this would be done fast and quick, like ripping a Band-Aid off. The wound—the truth—would sting when the air touched it, but it would heal.

She’d come to see that it was best to do this quickly instead of prolonging it.

“What do ye know about your family? Lineage? Genetic makeup?” Her brows lowered, and I knew she was mulling over the question in her head. I knew she’d thought about this before.

“Why would you ask that? Why won’t you answer the other questions?” She started pulling at the edge of her shirt, and I knew she was nervous. I didn’t have to scent it in the air to know my mate was afraid of where this was going.

I leaned in another inch, staring into her eyes, trying to seem smaller than I was. This wasn’t going to be easy for her, but the sooner we got this out of the way, the sooner she could come to accept it. “Because the answer tae this question will answer all others.”

She glanced away from me sharply, and I could hear the grinding of her teeth. My female was stubborn, and I admired the fuck out of that.

She glanced at me then, and I could see the pulse beating rapidly beneath her ear. I could hear her heart racing a faster tempo. I could smell the adrenaline rushing through her veins.