Thorn (Werewolf) ✔

Chapter Twenty

"Good," he says.

I stab the blade into the tree but it hardly makes a dent. I try again and I twist it until the hole gets deeper. Thorn sighs.

"What?" I say. "Is the way I'm doing it too human for you?"

"That's the most pathetic-" My eyes shoot up and he swallows his words. "You're stronger than that. I know you are."

"Are you forgetting that I just got shot?" I demand.

"Don't pull the shot card, your wound is healed." He kneels down at my side and covers my hand with his. He moves the blade backwards before plunging it into the tree. It creates a hole so deep that I gawp at it. "The power is in the shoulder."

"And the muscles," I mumble.

I place the pipe-stick into the hole and I smile as water trails down it slowly. I turn my head so that my mouth is underneath it and I swallow it down with satisfaction. I sit back up and I wipe my chin before our eyes lock once more. He's sitting so close to me. A mere breath away.

"Thorn," I whisper. "If I am descended from someone that cursed you then shouldn't you hate me?"

"Yes," he says. "I should."

"So why don't you?"

His green gaze fills with something soft and fluttering. We continue to look at each other for a few seconds, the silence is just as confusing as yesterday. I nudge myself even closer and he doesn't react. His hand reaches out and touches the side of my face. I take my chance again and I move even closer, so close that our lips are grazing. I initiate the kiss and he falls into it like he's curious.

I thought that I'd never let a man touch me again after Lyle. The thought of men coming near me is terrifying but with Thorn it's different. He makes me nervous in a good way, he makes my limbs tingle in the best way.

Just like yesterday, something is happening between us. The feeling in my stomach is hotter than the fire I warm my hands over. It's a comfortable sensation, it makes me feel safe and fuzzy and almost delirious. The kiss becomes stronger, edging on uncertain passion. I curl my hand around his shoulder but the moment our tongues collide he pulls away and stands to his feet.

He did that yesterday too. Peculiar.

"Stop doing that!" he says.

I smile as I use my sleeve to wipe my mouth. "Sorry."

"I get that you're bored but there are other ways to cure it."

"You think that I kissed you because I'm bored?"

"Yes. I do. I don't think about you like that so stop it."

"Then why did you kiss me back?"

"Because. . . I. . . shut up."

I carry on smiling, and grinning, as he picks his blade back up and storms away. Even though he's in a mood he still waits for me to catch up. I've finally found the amusement that I've been craving. Seduction isn't my strong suit but I make a bet with myself that I can get him to kiss me again by the end of the day.

He makes it extremely hard. He keeps his distance for hours. Even while he trains me during blade throwing. I tag along for another hunting lesson which makes the sexual chemistry drop down to almost non-existent.

Finally, he finishes the day with a tour of some bland and uninteresting caves. I have to listen to him talk about 'cave survival' for over an hour. He's doing it on purpose because I actually want to kill him now.

I take my sweater off and I tie it around my waist while he becomes distracted with finding tinder. I lean against a tree with my chest on show through the low-cut shirt when he turns back around.