Hungry Like The Wolf: A Paul and Rachel Novella

Chapter 2: Marked

Author's Notes:

My Beta: LauraWeasley

Playlist:

Tevin Campbell – Can We Talk

Jodeci - Come and Talk to Me

Jon B & Babyface – Pretty Girl

Total - Kissing You

Chapter 2: Marked

My heart raced within my chest, beating so loudly, I was afraid the others could hear it. It pumped my blood swiftly, suddenly warmer than normal, through my system. The heat traveled through my body, from my limbs to my fingers and toes.

I couldn't put my finger on it, but somehow I felt a change within me—a shift within my mind and my heart.

Surrounding voices and sounds of the sea were muffled. All I could hear was his breathing, an inhale and exhale in time with the rise and fall of his shoulders. Visions of those around us—the dead tree trunks on the ground, the grey waves of the Pacific, the flat expanse of sand—all blurred. And I felt nothing—not the ground below my feet, not the chill of the coming evening that overtook the warm air, nor the breeze of the ocean—nothing but him. The heat from his body filled the space between us. I smelled only a warm musk in the air that I somehow knew was his.

An ember ignited within me, a tiny flame of need. It was distinct and solid—almost feral. It glowed—powerful, overwhelming. I needed him. I wanted him.

I felt a pull toward him, like a magnet. I was uncertain whether it was physical or mental force, but it definitely drew me to him. In just that one moment that seemed to last a lifetime and beyond, there was no one else in this world. No one existed but him.

His gaze was like warm honey pouring down my naked body. Part of me felt like it should make me feel uncomfortable, but it had an opposite effect on me. I wanted him to look at me that way—and that scared me.

"Looks like everyone else is here now," Leah grumbled behind me.

And like that, the moment was gone. The need, the pull, the heat—it was all still there, growing and setting shop within me—but I was able to pull away from the moment and respond to everything else. I willed myself to turn my back on his direction, as I heard the rest of the boys laughing and gathering.

I was surprised I hadn't noticed earlier, but I always felt lighter without my camera hanging from my neck. "Come with me to my car?" I asked Leah.

"Sure," she said, and she came with me to retrieve my Nikon before we walked back to join the others.

"Hey! Is that Rachel?" It was a small, husky voice, but not the same scratchy husk of my brother's voice, and a few pitches higher. Definitely was a younger boy.

I turned to the familiar face of Seth, Leah's baby brother.

As I made small talk with the Clearwaters, I was able to look collectively at this group of young adults, and I realized a striking similarity in all of them... tall, cropped hair, lean, yet impressive tone and musculature. I decided to snap some candids of them as they all talked and rough-housed with one another. And then I turned the camera towards Leah, who was reluctant to have her photo taken.

Seth, of course, was open to being photographed. He even posed for the camera a few times, with the same playful, happy demeanor he'd always had. His features, however, had altered much like everyone else here. He was younger, no doubt, but he wore the same close cropped hair cut, the cut-off jeans. Even though his body was still clearly adolescent, I could tell that in a year or so, he would look just like the rest of them.