She's Golden

Phase Forty-Three: Into the Wild, pt. 2

She may have done everything to appear calm and collected.  But as the quiet rattle of the teacup Georgie handed him flooded his hears, Julian knew that his mate was anything but calm.

To say that she was pissed would be the ultimate understatement.  As her eyes flashed the vivid gold over and over again, he could tell that she was fighting a battle within, fighting to keep the white wolf at bay, who was probably more enraged that she was.

Julian couldn't blame her a bit.  She had every right to be angry.  Yet he still couldn't help but feel like all of this was his fault.

If anything bad happens to Georgie, I won't be able to forgive myself, he thought in remorse.

"Here is some chamomile tea."  Even as she mustered all the pleasantness she possibly could, Julian could still hear that edge in her voice.  The beast within reacted in kind, displeased with Georgie's emotional state.  "Hopefully, it'll help us to calm down so we can think about this clearly."

"You don't look like you want to think at all," he murmured as she sat down beside him.  "You look like you're about to burst out of your skin."

"That's one way of putting it."  The room was thick with tension, and the golden irises of her eyes radiated with savagery.  "You don't know how hard it is for me to keep my wolf down.  She's clawing her way to the surface and she wants blood - Sophie's blood."

That tasteless, wicked pitch deserves nothing less. "I was afraid of that."

"If this were in the bush somewhere, I don't think I would be fighting it so much."  Georgie winced, gritting her teeth.  Julian's heart sank as he remember her how painful it was to resist her wolf.  He wanted nothing more than to scoop her into his arms and apologize for causing her so much trouble.  But he couldn't bring himself to.  Instead, he remained seated, hands folded his lap, heart heavy with shame and guilt.  "In fact, I think I'd intentionally lure that bitch into the thick of the forest and rip out her fucking throat."

"Ah..."  Her voice was especially chilling now - gruff, rough, and primal.  It reminded him of their night at the rooftop club, the way she spoke to that "affectionate" cougar who wouldn't leave her alone.  She said the same thing to her, in that same voice...  "As much as she deserves it, I can't have you throwing your life away like that.  Even if she is a crazy bitch."

"Oh, I know that - my wolf, on the other hand isn't so compassionate.  I don't have to tell you how territorial wolves are."  Georgie sank back into the couch with a long sigh.  "I don't understand how this woman figured out my secret.  She can't be stalking me or anything!  I'd smell her a mile away.  Seriously, I'd be able to do that, my nose is quite sensitive."

"You didn't smell her when she stalked us at the club," he pointed out.

"That's because there were several other sweaty, smelly bodies in the way - it makes tracking things quite difficult.  Besides, I had my hands full with...other matters."  She turned to him, eyes softening a little.  "Did she say how she figured it out?"

"No, but I'm sure she's dying to tell me tomorrow."  An angry snarl escaped Georgie's lips.  Julian felt like growling himself.  "I'm sure she also has a lot of other things in mind as well - "

"You're not going."  Her voice was flat with finality as her eyes hardened once more.  "You're with me - you're my mate, not hers.  If she gets anywhere near you, I can't be responsible for that happens to that bitch."

How she could sound both frightening and sexy was beyond him.  The beast inside of him had no qualms, in awe of its lupine mistress.  Well, right on baby, right on...  "I don't want to go either - hell, I don't want to be anywhere near that woman, let alone in the same room with her.  I knew that much when she touched me..."