Instincts - c.h.

Chapter 9

The boys slowly trickled back to their house one by one and eventually Brody got up and walked inside, most likely going to bed. Calum didn’t hesitate in standing from his place to sit beside me. I smiled, half from the alcohol starting to blur my thoughts and half from the fact that he was so close to me. His eyes, as dark as they were, seemed to hold a metaphorical brightness. This boy has been through so much and still manages to find something to smile about.

            The fire had slowly faded to nothing but ashes and the scent of smoke had soaked into our clothes.

“Do you want to…go inside?” he questioned “the nights can get cold this time around.”

I simply nodded, letting him pull me up.

            We made our way inside, me leading Calum upstairs to where I slept. In the darkness I managed to push open the door, revealing the bare room in all its glory. Atticus slipped past us, his fur brushed against my ankles as he made his way into the hallway. Turning on the lights, I cringed at the sudden brightness, now more aware of how close Calum stood to me. He shut the door behind us as I kicked off my shoes and shivered.

“Cold?”

            I felt the warmth of his body soak into my skin from behind. His hands rested gently on my hip as he stepped closer to me, his chest pressed into my shoulder blades. The word seemed to roll of his tongue so smoothly that goose bumps ran up my arms. Nodding, I felt him press more into me from behind, his arms snaking around me, locking me in his grasp.

“Calum” I mumbled, feeling slightly overwhelmed by his forward actions.

“I like the way you say my name” he mumbled, his lips brushing the strands of hair near my ear.

            I’m not sure whether it was his slight intoxication or mine, but something willed me to turn around in his grasp and meet his dark eyes. His tongue poked out of his mouth, running over his upper lip thoughtfully as he stared down at me. Those lips…

“If you want me to stop, I will” he murmured, inching closer to my lips with every word.

Shaking my head, I met him halfway, pressing my mouth firmly to his, inhaling sharply at the connection. My stomach seemed to flutter as our lips synced against each other’s, the sensation of his warmth and my chilled state only adding to the intensity. I felt his hands press into my sides as my fingers laced through his dark locks, soft to the touch and just long enough to get a good pull out of.

Slowly moving backwards, we managed to ease onto the bed, sitting while facing each other. I was the first to pull away, my breathes coming out unevenly as I took in what just happened. Never in a million years would I have thought that I’d kiss a werewolf, but here I was smiling like an idiot with my arms around an Australian Alpha, my mouth already missing the feeling of his.

He swallowed. “I…I’m sorry, I didn’t…”

“No” I interrupted “don’t be sorry.”

He smiled, a blush starting to creep onto his cheeks.

“That…was nice” he mumbled.

“It was” I agreed softly, one hand running down to rest against his jaw.

            He met my gaze cautiously, as if I might suddenly change my mind and regret what just happened, but I merely leaned forward, kissing him again. This kiss was much softer than the first, holding less passion but the same amount of affection. He kissed me back, thankfully, his large hand grasping the nape of my neck, holding me close.

“Stay with me, tonight” I mumbled against his lips.

He just nodded, reaching down and tugging off his shirt without hesitation.

            Now it was I who began blushing. His toned build was impressive. He had the body of a strong leader without the overdoing of someone who tried too hard to be buff. Lean and toned. I quickly stood up, going over to an open suitcase and pulling out something more comfortable to sleep in. Calum stayed on the bed, watching me intently as I moved across the room. Eyeing him with a smirk, I motioned for him to turn around. He didn’t move.

“At least close your eyes” I giggled.

            With a playful eye roll, his lids slowly shut, the well-known lazy grin remaining on his face. I watched him as I tugged off my shirt and shorts, catching him peaking once or twice, but not calling him out on it.

“Take this” he said once I’d seated myself on the bed “it’ll help keep you warm.”

            He offered me the shirt he had just taken off. I began to shake my head at first, but the temptation to have something of his, even just for one night, grew to be too much and I ended up taking his shirt and pulling it over the thin camisole I had on. His grin grew wider as he looked me over in his clothing.

“Lay down, love” he instructed, pulling back the bed covers and waiting.

            Scurrying across the room, I quickly shut off the lights before crawling into bed. He seemed to wait till I was comfortable before laying down next to me. Calum didn’t hesitate in wrapping his arm around me, under the covers, as well as nuzzling the crook of my neck. I couldn’t help but feel so safe in his grip, like nothing bad could ever happen as long as I had him with me.

“Goodnight” I murmured, feeling sleep come to me more quickly than anticipated.

“G’night” he replied, his lips pressing the spot just behind my ear.

            I remember feeling him nuzzle my shoulder just before slipping completely into sleep.