Animal

Chapter Seven: Shine

‘Because there’s nothing stopping me from claiming you right here and now, Myra.’ Ash said seriously.

‘Except me.’ I said stopping in front of him.

‘You’re my mate, my wolf wants your wolf ten times as bad as I want you myself, and even if you asked me to stop your wolf would beg my wolf to claim you. So let’s not go down that road right now, alright? So go.’ Ash said. ‘I need to clear my head before I do something I regret.’

‘Go where exactly, Ash?’ I asked sitting down on my hinds. ‘Are you mad at me or something?’ Ash shifted back with ease and I was left staring at this glorious naked man—good lord this is nothing like what I had imagined, and I imagined a lot of things about how he looked under his clothes but this? This is even better. I mean I have seen him shirtless, and that was mindblowing on its own.

“See, it’s that—that right there what you’re thinking that makes me want to lay you out and make love till you till the moon rises the next day.” Ash said raking a hand through his hair, my wolf shuddered at hearing what he really wanted to do to me. “And no, I’m not mad at you, it’s just that remember what I told you? I said I wanted to claim you when you believed, when you shifted, but now it’s like… I want to love you.”

‘Do you realize that if you don’t claim me now, K.D will try to claim me on my birthday?” I asked. Ash nodded.

“But he won’t be with you on your birthday, I will.” He grinned deviously. “Now go, before I change my mind about mating you on your birthday and satisfy your wolf and mine right now.” I turned and began trotting away from him. After I was out of sight of him I began running through the forest feeling the wind whip through my fur, it was like second nature for me running like this, I felt like I’d done this millions of times—dodging fallen logs, jumping over giant rocks, maneuvering through split trees—it was like I knew this by heart. I stopped on a cliff and just looked out above. This would be a cliché moment for me to howl, but I figured I’d probably attract people I don’t need to attract. So I sat on the cliff and connected to Ash through my mindlink, trying to find out what he was doing.

‘Myra, you can’t possibly sneak in my head and perv on me. I feel your presence. Besides I am a shifter still, remember?’ Ash said. If he could see me in my human form my face would be redder than a tomato.

‘I was just wondering what you were doing.’ I mumbled.

‘It’s fine that you’re looking after me and all, but I’m only in my house.’ He chuckled.

‘Are you leaving me out here?!’ I asked panicking. Ash’s laugh echoed in my head calming my nerves.

‘No, my little wolf cub, I’m quite sure you don’t want me to see you naked. So I’m getting you a shirt of mine so you can put it on and not be so self-conscious.” Ash said. I huffed the only thing I got out of what he said was, ‘my little wolf cub’ I’m not a wolf cub. I’m a werewolf. Ash gave a hearty laugh. ‘You’re like a wolf cub—you’re new to this kind of life. So you’ll be my little wolf cub until you’ve mastered the ways of a werewolf, and the ways of a mate—for both a shifter and a werewolf.’

‘There aren’t any shifters around to teach me anything like that.’ I told him.

“Now, that’s not true, cupcake.” I heard from behind me. I turned and looked Ash in the eyes. He was in a pair of cargo shorts and that was it. He held a shirt in his hand.

‘I thought you were in your house.’ I said. ‘How’d you find me?’

“You’re a werewolf now, I can smell you—and your scent is divine.” Ash said, he came and sat on the cliff with me. He ran a hand through my fur. “So soft.”