Heat of the Moment

Chapter 5

I was frozen in place, the strength of his gaze making me immobile. He switched off his truck, opened the door, and hopped out. I had to force myself to breath as he neared closer to me, stopping when he was close enough to reach out a hand and cup the back of my neck. Using his grip, he hauled me up until my face was level with his, forcing me to the tips of my toes.

“You should know that running from an alpha is never a good idea.” His voice was hardly human, more a growl than anything. His eyes blazed, the blue-green color shot with gold as I could tell his wolf was near the surface.

I gulped down the lump that had forged in my throat. “How’d you find me?”

“This is a small town, Camille, with only so many homes for sale. It wasn’t hard to figure out. Besides,” his lips curled in a feral grin, “I am alpha. Not much happens without my notice.”

Oh, yeah? Did you catch the dragon moving in your territory, too, big shot?

“Who are you talking to?”

I didn’t mean for that thought to drift to Drasten, but it was too late. “Shifter boy is here.”

In my mind, I could see Drasten unfurling himself and emerging from his cave, his form smaller form expanding to his full size. I could sense his intentions; he was planning on flying down, running our shifter intruder through, and roasting him like a pig over a fire.

“Stop it! Don’t you dare! He can’t know about you!”

“I’ve rendered you speechless, it seems.” His face had arrogance written all over it as he let me stand back on my feet. He didn’t let go, however. Oh no, he just pulled me closer.

I braced my hands on his chest and pushed at him. “Let me go, you heathen!”

His face hardened with an emotion I wasn’t able to name, but he still didn’t let me go. “Why won’t you admit it? Why can’t you see that we’re mates? You have to know. My scent has to be calling to you, just like yours is calling to me.”

I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream. Frustration made my hands shake. “I’m not your mate!”

He growled and roughly shook me. “How can you say that?” He let out a snarl. “Do you have any idea what it feels like to keep hearing you denying me?”

My cheeks were hot with embarrassment at the tears that had started to warm my eyes. His words brought back memories of Jason, of the night he left me to die. Pain radiated in my chest and I whimpered, “Yes.”

His eyes blinked in shock and he stepped back from me. “What?”

“It feels like your heart is clenched tight in a fist, squeezing and squeezing no matter how much you beg for it to stop…until your blood freezes in your veins and you can no longer feel a thing.” A tear slipped my from eyes and I furiously rubbed it away with my hand. “It’s like the ground has opened up under you and the darkness as swallowed you whole. You reach out, but there’s nothing there and nothing to help you.”