Hunted by Desire

Chapter Two

A/N: So, just thought I should mention something. A couple of surprises are going to be appearing in the next few chapters. Don't hate me for what they are! Appearances and reactions (or seeming lack there-of) are not what they appear!

XXX

'Wake up,'

Salem sighed heavily as the voice of her wolf fitted through her head gently, like a forgotten memory. There, but in a way also not.

'It is time to wake up.'

The voice was getting louder, and a tinge of annoyance rang through the growling that was making itself present in the recesses of her brain.

'Wake up! Can you not scent the air? Smell the oddeties of this place? Can you not hear the heartbeats of people around us? We are somewhere new, and we are surrounded!'

Salem's eyes bolted open, her heart feeling as though it would fly from her chest with how fast it was going. Her wolf was right, she thought as she catalogued the room around her. The soft comforter was like nothing she had ever slept with, nor was she used to sleeping in such a soft bed. The clothing she wore was not hers, and from the make of it looked as though it would be expensive. The scents in this room were slightly familiar, though not. An undertone of a knee-shaking delicious smell had her pausing for a moment,, before shaking her head and moving slowly to the side of the lush bed.

Looking on the bedside table, the girl noticed a few more strange objects leading her to believe she was now in a hotel room. Her wolf growled at the unusual surroundings, her ears pinned back and her tail curled under. The animal was right, new things had never equated to good for them before...

Silently making her way to the door, a thump behind her made Salem chance a glance back. She saw the balcony door slowly sliding open, and rapidly opened the door in her hands, nearly bolting down the hallway in nothing more than a male's shirt and boxers.

She closed her eyes and shook her head as she came to a stop, trying to gain her bearings. Obviously she wasn't in too much danger if she was in a public place, her mind mumbled. Sighing, she turned a corner and was about to start running when she came into what felt like a brick wall and landed on her rear. Salem looked up. And up. And up.

Her face paled as she recognized the male before her, his shaggy black hair shading one of his eyes from view. And what eyes they were, their bright green reminding her of the perfect tone of a gem she had once seen. His form was tall, taller than most. He must have been well over 6' tall, she surmised. Strangely enough his height wasn't what impressed her either. It was his build, which would make any male from a gym envious. Not because he was bulked up, oh no. It was because the muscles that she could see, and the body he had, spoke of lethality, of power.

Swallowing hard, she scooted herself back rapidly as he slowly lowered himself.

"It's alright,' he began, his voice sliding over her skin. "You'll come to no harm from me, little one."

Oh, wrong thing to say.

Salem stared, a slight marring of her brow the only indication of her annoyance at the insult she had been given. Little one? Really? She stood up, granted she was about a foot shorter than he was, and growled. She may be a bit smaller than he was but she doubted he could best her if it came down to it. Stepping closer, the girl was about to lay into him when she froze.

Her eyes dilated slightly, and her mouth hung open a little, her pants barely heard as she inhaled the most delectable scent she had ever encountered before in her life. Hints of sandlewood mixed with a toe-curling deep musk that made her want to drool all overtoned by the warmth and smoothness of a purely masculine smell. It was like sitting on a porch in the woods, holding a steaming mocha, while curled up on a man's lap.