Not to Claim

Chapter 17

"Rowan?" I whispered softly and took a deep breath. "Rowan." I said again and turned my head towards him. He pulled away from my neck and rested his forehead against mine. 

"You are so... enticing. You drive me insane." 

"Is that a bad thing?" I mumbled softly, his breath gently caressing my lips. 

"No, a good thing," I couldn't take it anymore and gently pressed my lips against his. "Definitely a good thing." He mumbled against my lips and pressed his against mine again gently, like he was afraid to break me in just that little movement. "A very, very good thing." He whispered. I let out a soft laugh and ran a finger down his cheek lightly. "You make me crazy." He kissed me again, and again, and again, until I was smiling so hard that it hurt and we were both laughing. 

This was that side of Rowan no one saw, at least no one but me. I'd seen it before, a long time ago, at least what seemed like a long time ago, but really, it was only a couple years at the most. Our packs used to be close, so close that every week I saw Rowan, and our mothers would sit and talk, our fathers would joke around and play pool. While Rowan and I sat around played game after game and run around everywhere we could. I had missed it. 

He gently cupped my cheeks. "Hey, where did you go just now?" I blinked and looked up at him. 

"Sorry, I was just thinking." He looked in my eyes. 

"About what?" 

"The past." He looked down and closed his eyes, laying his forehead against mine. 

"That's a pretty vague explanation." 

"The past is a very vague thing." He ran his hand down my cheek and wrapped it around my waist, tugging me closer. 

"I don't like vague, you know." He mumbled and kissed my forehead.  

"I know that, but I don't know how less vague I could be." I shrug and look up at him. 

"Mmm, well, if you think of a way, let me know." He kissed me again softly and slowly, like he had all the time in the world, and Gods be damned if I didn't wish we did. But of course, as fate would have it, a twig snapped a couple hundred feet away from us and instantly had Rowan on alert. He didn't show it, but I could feel it. 

"We should move again." He mumbled quietly and nuzzled his face into my neck. He nuzzled gently, making me close my eyes and take a deep breath. 

"Rowan." I whispered softly. 

"I know, I know, I won't. Not yet." He didn't sound happy about it, but I knew he wouldn't do anything to risk me running away. 

"Come on, lets move." He picked me up and I let out a little yelp of surprise. I don't know how he did it, but he swung me around onto his back. "Hold on tight." He said and shifted, taking off through the trees in a flash. 

When he finally stopped running, it was pitch black out and he only stopped because I was falling asleep and couldn't keep a hold of him any longer. He gently moved to the ground so I could get off and then shifted, lifting my 130 pound self like I was merely a pup into his arms. "We'll stay here for the night. Get some sleep." He kissed my forehead and I was out.