Mated to the Warg (Wargs of the Outland, #1)

Warg Poetry

"Liar."

She gritted her teeth, glaring straight ahead.

"I went to West Gate, Rowan."

That had her stumbling to a halt. She spun around to face him. "Why?"

"For you," he said, hand propelling her gently forward so that they were walking once again.

Her brows dropped as she searched his face. Her back broke out in shivers where his heat seeped through her clothes. "For me?"

"Yes." He grinned sidelong at her and said no more.

She opened her mouth to demand answers, but she stopped herself, scowling instead. If he wanted to be taciturn, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of begging for breadcrumbs.

Thrax watched as her lips compressed. "Don't tell me the voyeur who likes to watch others rutting in the dark isn't curious about why I went to West Gate?"

She cut a glare at him, her mouth turning slack. "I didn't know they were rutting!" Her hands balled as she marched on. "And your business doesn't interest me."

He stopped suddenly, his fingers closing around her left wrist. She tried to pull her arm free but he caught her gaze, watching her closely. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing!"

His grip tightened. "Then why do you have tears in your eyes?"

Her chest squeezed. She fisted her hand, hating the way he made her tremble. Hating the way she wanted to bury her face in his chest and cry. She turned to where she could see the fires of the lodge peeking through the trees. Her voice fluttered like a broken wing. "Why did you not say goodbye?"

"Did you want me to say good bye?" He turned her to face him. "I didn't think you'd care, Rowan."

She chewed her lip, not knowing how to answer. "You...just left. You told me nothing." He'd made her feel like she was nothing. Gods, this was ridiculous! She pinched her eyes shut, willing the tears away. She fully intended to leave him, too, so why was she blubbering like a lunatic? It had to be her frayed nerves, tangled by what she'd seen Meera and Thresh doing back there. She was shaking and confused. Thrax's nearness was wrecking her emotions as usual.

"I'm sorry, min skani." He gently lifted her face up to meet his gaze. This time, when he smiled, there was nothing waggish in it. "I'm not used to being answerable to anyone." He searched her gaze. "I should've woken you, but after the way our mating night ended..." His voice turned gruff. "I wasn't in the mood to hear anymore I hate yous."

She blushed and pulled her face free of his fingers. But he leaned down before she could turn away and caught her mouth with his.

She stilled, her body dilating—her eyes, her veins, her lungs. Everything! Against her will, her body was trying to fill itself with his scent and warmth, expanding and tightening all at once.

The kiss was gentle, his lips brushing tenderly over hers. Only his fingers were like iron on her left wrist, manacles holding the nixrath safely away. Beneath his fingers, she could feel her pulse hammering.

Her stomach clenched with need as his tongue dipped between her lips. With a will of its own, her tongue met his, stroke for stroke. He claimed as much as he gave, his head angling and his free hand kneading the back of her skull. Then he pulled away, though his hands still gripped her. She was thankful for the support because the kiss rendered her legless!

Before she knew it, they were on the move again. Taking the safe hand, he thread his fingers through hers. Her breathing was still ragged when they neared the lake and the burbling brook. Ahead, the music and feasting filled the night. The water lay like a palette of mauves, blues, and dark violet glass below the houses and the little bridges linking them all.