by Liz Davis
“So basically I’m still the same. Nothing major has changed, right?” Her eyes searched his for reassurance and he nodded.
“You’ll feel things more intensely now, especially when you’re around me, but you’re still a human, if that’s what you’re wondering.”
As he spoke the words to her, he saw her visibly relax.
“Well that’s good to hear, but I still feel worried and I really need to know what’s going on with my body.”
Takoda’s eyebrows dipped into a deep frown. “What do you mean? You’re not sick, are you?”
“I was last night, but that’s not what was worrying me.” Pulling her hand away from his, Lynn undid the top two buttons on her shirt and pulled the top of her blouse aside to show him her mark, “This thing was pulsating last night, and it really freaked me out. I mean, what was that all about? It really scared me.”
“I know it did. Everything you went through last night, I felt it too. Your fever, your aches and pains. I knew you were confused and scared, and I’m sorry I wasn’t there to be with you as it happened. I really am.” His eyes expressed the sincerity in his words.
“I tried to be there for you, Lynn. That’s why I kept calling, but you wouldn’t even answer the phone.
“I never wanted you to go through all of this alone. I was hoping to explain things to you before the change began.”
“The change? What change? What is this thing doing to me?”
“Please don’t call it a thing. You’re insulting my manhood by saying that. It’s my mating mark, and it means everything in the world to me.”
The bruised expression on his face told Lynn that he was genuinely hurt by her choice of word to describe it.
“All right then, your mating mark. Why was it pulsing?”
“Your body was adjusting to it, and that’s also why you came down with the fever. It just takes awhile for it to become fully acclimated. You’re fine now though, right? It’s not still moving, is it?”
“No, when I woke up this morning everything was back to normal. I’m still upset with you, though. I didn’t have a say in any of this. You didn’t even ask me if I wanted to be mated.”
Takoda lowered his eyes for a moment and then lifted them up to meet her gaze. “You’re right, I didn’t ask your permission, and it was never my intention to force it upon you. I did, however, feel in your heart that you had very strong feelings for me. Much more so than you ever have about any other man.”
“You seem very sure of yourself. So I guess you sensed that about me from the very first moment we met, huh?” The tone in her eyes silently conveyed to him that she felt he’d clearly had the upper hand. She was under the impression that he’d taken advantage of her, and perhaps he had in a way, but it was never his intention to lose control and mark her without her consent.
“Of course I sensed it. As a shape-shifter, I just know these things.”
“You’re just making excuses. You’ve marked me, and now you feel bad about it. I can see it in your eyes.”
“I do feel guilty about it, Lynn. I didn’t ask you if it was okay before I did it, and I do regret that. I just hope you believe me when I say that I never meant to complicate your life. I allowed my wolf to take over, and I unwillingly shape-shifted. It was a mistake and I’m sorry that I did it. But if there’s something I don’t regret, it’s being able to watch over you more closely. You’re my woman now and I don’t like seeing other men hanging around you. Especially not here in this house.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You had a man here the other night.”
“And what business is that of yours?”
“I don’t like him. He’s not right for you.”
“And you are?”
“So much more than he could ever be.” His eyes narrowed as he said it, remembering the face of David, the man who hopelessly lusted after her.
“He’s my coworker, that’s all. He just stopped off to give me some papers I’d left at work. Not that it’s any of your business.”
“Maybe so, but I still don’t like him. In fact, I hate him. He came over because he wanted to try and have sex with you. He was only using the portfolio as an excuse to get inside your house. He’s very devious, you know. I hope you understand that. I don’t want him ever coming around you again, you understand?”
“You have no right to order me around like that. I’ll do as I damn well please.”
“Will you?”
“Yes, I will.” Her eyes stared intensely into his without blinking.
Takoda willed himself to remain calm, but his wolf was threatening to emerge. He’d already claimed her, so she was undoubtedly his, but he couldn’t stand the thought of her being around David. Takoda didn’t want her anywhere around this other man, not after the stunt he’d pulled in Lynn’s bedroom.
Recalling the events of the previous night, Takoda angrily recalled David’s presence in her bedroom, and he began to feel the anger rise inside of him.
The memory of David’s hands upon Lynn’s personal underthings caused him to boil with rage. Just the thought of another man’s hands upon her body was enough to send him over the edge. If anyone ever tried to touch or harm her, he would personally see to it that they were ripped apart. As thoughts of David ran through Takoda’s mind, he realized that the only way to completely get rid of Lynn’s coworker was to hunt him down and kill him.
As dark thoughts formed in his mind, a dangerous glint passed through Takoda’s eyes. The presence of Lynn, however, pulled him away from his plans and as he came back to the present moment, his eyes began to once again soften.
“Have it your way, Lynn. You can do as you please, but that won’t stop me from watching over you.”
A comfortable silence fell between them as they both became lost in their own thoughts. The sound of light rain pattered against the living room window and as Lynn glanced outside at the cloudy sky, she found herself recalling the first day she’d met Takoda.
“I knew there was something different about you when we first met. Your gaze was so strong that as soon as I looked into your eyes, it felt as if you were pulling me further in. It was almost impossible to look away from you.
Sliding a finger beneath her chin, he tilted it up, then leaned his face in closer to hers.
“I was testing you, Lynn. I wanted to see how receptive you would be to my advances. You liked the way I looked at you though, didn’t you? I know it turned you on.” His thumb tenderly stroked her cheek. The heat between them grew as he touched her, and his keen senses immediately picked up the scent of her arousal.
“I was curious.”
Takoda’s lips tugged upward into a smile. “I know you were, and so was I. From that very first moment that we locked eyes, I knew we would be together.”
As his fingers slid across her silk-clad chest, her body instantly responded. He felt her nipples harden beneath his touch and her breathing began to quicken, filling him with excitement and need. “You are all mine, aren’t you, Lynn?” Takoda pressed his lips against her ear and gently began sucking upon the tip of her earlobe.
“No, I’m not,” she breathily murmured.
As the lie left her lips he felt his smile widen and he removed his mouth from the flesh of her ear, “Of course you are. It’s what you wanted from that first day we met.” Peppering kisses against her neck, he moved his mouth down toward the pulse point of her neck. As his lips rested upon it, he felt the beat instantly quicken, indicating that her arousal for him was increasing.
“I can feel your excitement for me.” He breathed against her neck.
Moving his lips back up to her mouth, he pressed them lightly against her lips, just barely brushing against their softness. The first kiss he gave her was light, a tender peck. Then he followed it up with a deep, passionate one.
As their tongues brushed together, Lynn expelled a moan. She was willing her body not to respond beneath his ministration, but the feel of his mouth
and hands upon her was almost too much for her to handle. Despite the fact that she was deeply attracted to him, she was also filled with a strong apprehension. She didn’t know what kind of powers he might have, and she was also feeling unsure about the effect the mark would have on her. According to Takoda, the emotions she that she regularly felt would now be enhanced, which meant that the feelings she’d previously had for him would now be increased. She wasn’t sure if she was ready for this. She’d experienced heartbreak before, and if the relationship she was having with Takoda was to ever end, she wasn’t so sure she’d be able to handle the pain.
The presence of Takoda was driving her crazy with arousal and the feelings she had for him seemed to constantly be growing stronger. She was losing too much of herself in him and she couldn’t deal with being this way. She wasn’t used to being so crazy over a man, and she wasn’t about to let her love for Takoda take over everything else in her life. Willing all of the power inside of her, Lynn pushed her hand against his chest and broke their heated kiss.
“No, this has to stop. I can’t do this anymore.”
“Why? What did I do?” he disappointingly asked.
“I could feel myself melding with you, and everything you felt was inside of me. It was like I wasn’t even myself anymore. You were becoming a part of me.” Lynn stood up from the couch and backed a few steps away from him.
“That’s what’s supposed to happen, Lynn. You’re my mate now. It’s just your mark responding to my touch. It’s perfectly natural for you to feel those things.”
“No, it isn’t natural at all. I can’t do this, Takoda. This is just too weird.”
Takoda rose onto his feet and took a step toward her. “I can see you’re afraid, but I’m not going to hurt you. I wish you could see that. Please stop blocking this from happening and open yourself up to me.”
Shaking her head, she replied, “I can’t be with you, Takoda.”
“Lynn, come. Don’t throw what we have away.” He took another step toward her and tried to touch her arm, but she shied away from his touch.
“I want you to go. Please don’t make this any harder than it has to be.”
Releasing a heavy sigh, he turned his back to Lynn and made his way toward the front door. As he reached it, he paused and then turned to face her. “I know you want to be with me, Lynn, so just stop kidding yourself and allow this to be. I understand that you’re confused and scared about things, but why are you so afraid of loving me?”
As he stood there waiting for her to respond, all she could do was just stare at him. She did want him to stay, and yet she was also afraid of being around him. She was stuck between two conflicting desires and wasn’t sure of which one she should go with. As fear and love battled for domination, she averted her eyes from his own, not wanting to be drawn into his powerful gaze.
“We belong together, Lynn. Let me stay with you tonight.”
“Why, so you can make another mark on me? Please just go already. We can’t be together and I need you to accept that.
Lynn walked over to the door and opened it, lifting her eyes to meet his in a firm stare. As they stood there next to the door, a cool breeze swept inside and the rhythm of the rain filled the air.
“You can’t turn me away, Lynn. No matter how hard you try. We’re bound together now, for life.”
As he exited the house, Lynn kept her eyes planted upon him, feeling a strange mixture of both relief and sadness.
As she closed and locked the door behind her, she began to dwell upon the feelings inside of her. She couldn’t ignore the desperate urge she had to open the door and run out after him. She also couldn’t deny that it felt as if a piece of herself had gone missing. She wanted him here with her so badly, but her mind was firmly urging her against it.
Indecisively torn between two options, she leaned her back against the door and crossed her arms. She was so overwhelmed by all of the feelings inside of her, and she just didn’t know which direction she should take things now.
As she stood there immersed in her thoughts, Lynn realized that she could still feel Takoda’s presence. Although she couldn’t see him, she knew that he was watching her house, willing her to open the door and let him back in. For one brief moment she found herself dangerously close to opening the door and seeing if he was still outside, but she stopped herself before she could do it. He wanted her to open her home so he could come back inside, but she wasn’t going to do it. She was, however, curious enough to walk over to the window and peer out between the curtains.
As her gaze fell upon him, she saw that he was firmly planted next to a large oak tree in her yard. His eyes were keenly focused upon her and as her eyes met with his she instantly found herself entranced by his stare. His eyes were coaxing Lynn, urging her to come toward him and she knew that the longer she stared at him, the strong her urge would be to open the door. Yet regardless of this, she just couldn’t stop looking at him.
The silvery light from the moon outlined the form of his body, illuminating the beauty of his features and his long, dark hair. Takoda’s hands were stuffed into his pockets and rain was pouring down on him. His hair was plastered flat against his skull, and the T-shirt he wore clung to his body like a second skin, plastering itself against his well-defined arms.
His eyes remained glued upon her, seeming to penetrate her very being. The power of his gaze was frightening, but at the same time she found herself completely turned on by the way that he looked at her. It was as if nobody else in the world mattered to him but her, and she began to feel a deep and urgent throbbing between her legs. She noticed the expression on his face was deeply intense, and the look in his eyes seemed to silently express that this game she was playing with him was coming to an end.
As she thought about it, she realized that she was indeed playing a game with him. Deep down inside she already knew what she wanted, so why was she wasting her time trying to fight against it? Her fear ran deep and she thought about how it’d felt as they’d shared that kiss on the couch. It seemed as if their bodies and spirits had been melding, and the experience has been so intense that she’d gotten freaked out and instantly pulled away from him. It had been an amazing experience, and the kiss they shared had been unlike any other she’d ever had before. She wanted him and he wanted her, so why was she trying to stop this? Why couldn’t she just gather her courage and allow this amazingly sensual and beautiful man to enter her world?
Dejection was sharply etched across his face, causing Lynn to feel both guilt and sadness. Lynn hadn’t meant to hurt his feelings, but she had to protect herself. She didn’t know what would happen once he shifted forms, and if he happened to lose control and decide to attack her, she would be helpless to fight him off.
A booming peal of thunder cracked through the sky, and Lynn’s shoulders jolted upward as the windows shook from the residual vibrations. She usually loved the sound of thunder, but the suddenness of it had caught her off guard. As she continued to watch Takoda, she realized he seemed quite unfazed by the onslaught of bad weather. Still firmly rooted in the same spot, the only thing he seemed to be concerned about was her. His eyes hadn’t budged from her gaze for a second, and as he stood in the downpour another round of thunder came, lighting up the sky behind him.
Biting her lip nervously, Lynn closed the curtains and walked away from the window. Leaning against the wall, she inhaled deeply, trying her best to resist the strong urge to let him in. She didn’t know how he was doing it, but somehow he was calling her from out in the storm. It wasn’t that she was hearing his voice, but it was more of a sensation, an urgent pull to bring him back into her home.
She wouldn’t do it though, no matter how badly she wanted to. She just didn’t know what he was capable of or what other powers he may be keeping secret. Sure he’d told her he was a shape-shifter, but what if there were other things he could do as well? Things which could endanger her life?
“I would never hurt you.” The words he’d s
poken earlier reverberated in her ears.
Maybe Takoda wouldn’t do anything to hurt her, but what about the wolf inside of him? The night had gotten strange so quickly, and now she was left feeling very unsettled. She tried to stop herself from glancing outside of the window again, but of course she was unable. She felt so weak, being drawn to him this way, but she couldn’t help it. As her fingers parted the curtains, she peeked out between the fabric. Fat raindrops landed against the windowpane and as she breathed upon the glass, it clouded up with condensation.
Takoda remained in the same spot, watching her with those alluring dark eyes of his. As she stared right back at him, she realized that her body was heating up, and the space between her legs was responding to the sight of his tall, drenched form. He was so fearless, so incredibly sexy that she could hardly stand to look at him. Takoda wasn’t the type of man you simply looked at. When one laid eyes upon him, they were pretty much forced to stare and admire his masculine beauty. Tall, mysterious, and alluring, he was her ultimate dream.
“Give in, you know you want to.” His eyes seemed to silently express his feelings to her.
The voice inside of her was speaking the truth. She did want to give in. She badly wanted to stop pretending that she could live without him because the truth was, she couldn’t. Whenever they were together, she found herself buzzing with excitement, and she never felt more alive than when they were spending time together. She was his, this much was true, and had been since the first day they’d met. She couldn’t kid herself about that.
She pulled the curtain back from the window to take another glance at him, but was surprised to find that he wasn’t standing there anymore. Stepping away from the window, she went over to the door and pulled it open to see him standing right there in front of her.
She opened her mouth to invite him inside, but before the words could leave her mouth he pulled her outside with him. Grabbing her by the hand, Takoda led her out onto the screened-in porch. Grasping her tightly about the hips, he leaned down for a kiss, firmly pressing his mouth upon hers. His lips were wet and cold, but his mouth was warm, and the feel of his tongue brushing against Lynn’s produced a fiery sensation inside of her. Moving her hands down to the hem of his pants, she quickly unbuttoned and unzipped them, peeling the fabric of both his jeans and his boxers down so that they slid off of his hips. The seal of their kiss was broken as he removed his lips from hers, bending down so that he could slip his work boots off and take off his socks. After throwing them aside, he pulled his jeans and boxers down around his ankles and kicked them off.
