And the tether on my control snaps completely.
If she wanted a beast, then the beast is what she'll get.
I fucking warned her, after all...
Twenty
Izara
There’s nothing in the way of protection except for an unsturdy branch and the dormant, useless Prod deep inside me.
Fuck.
I could bring it forth if I had to. I’d force the reckless thing to come out if it meant life and death.
The smarter option here would be to run. But even I’m smart enough to know I can’t outrun the approaching werewolf. Besides, they smell fear. They love the chase. And I’m not giving the beast the satisfaction.
The steps of the wolf come closer. Sweat and fear cling to me like a second skin. My hands tighten so hard on the branch my palms scrape painfully.
Twigs snap. Closer. The beast is coming closer. My breaths grow labored in my chest, and my heart pounds so hard I can hear the echoes of it around the quiet night.
I bring the branch up like a baseball bat, search inside myself for that power, for the violence of the Prod that has the ability to tear people apart.
Fear ripples through me as the thin tree branches part and an enormous brown wolf prowls through.
It’s so different from what I thought it would be. The spine arches the way a human’s would as it stalks on all fours with an animalistic sway to its step, but it looks like it’s every bit as capable of standing impossibly tall on its strong back legs.
I freeze stupidly in my fear as the yellow eyes of the beast settle over me. My breaths are shallow, painful gasps.
The beast snarls, and the sound breaks me out of my daze. I can’t win against this. There’s no fucking way.
My footsteps slide against the cold grass for a single second. It just a split moment of stumbling unsteadiness. And then I sprint like my life literally depends on it.
My legs pump beneath me, thighs screaming with every painful step. I don’t pay attention to the pain. I dodge the copse of trees, even as branches slap my face and slice my skin. I push forward with the snarls and snapping of the beast behind me. All I can focus on is the little hints of lights beyond the woods.
Never has the Academy looked so safe.
But I’ll never make it.
A moment later, enormous paws slam into my back and I sprawl to the ground. My teeth clatter from the shock, and the weight of the wolf digging into me presses my chest into the dirt. It’s painful, and panic sets in as the wolf looms over me.
Snarling warm breath burns across my cheek as I take shallow, careful breaths.
I try not to move, try not to panic. But fuck, wet tears are filling my eyes because I know I’ll die here tonight.
The body above mine shifts, and then a cracking sound splinters through my ears. The growls and whines become the groans of man and the heavy weight lessens, but is still there hovering.
I can’t make eye contact with it, I can’t move, I can’t even think.
Warm hands slide up my arms to capture my wrists and hold me to the ground. This is worse. This is by far worse than having a wolf above me. I want to scream but terror paralyzes the sound in my throat.
Hot breath fans along my ear.
Then the deep curl of accented words send relief shuddering through me. “I thought I told you to stay inside tonight, Izara.”
“Malek.” I breathe his name like a prayer.
“Why are you here, Izzy?” he growls.
There’s uncontrolled anger in his tone but his hands and body are pressing into me in a very, very different way.
His lips are on my skin. In fact, his whole body is becoming intimate with mine, and my skin is memorizing the feel of his bare flesh against the back of my thighs, against the curve of my ass. I feel his every muscle wound tightly, straining for control.
“I told you it was too dangerous to come.”
The way he says ‘come’ makes my body hum with awareness. It’s only now that I realize how hard he is. It’s only now I realize the strain of his cock is pressing against my skirt and his hips are grinding me harder into the dirt.
My body shivers with sudden a wave of want.
This is dangerous.
This is sexy.
This isn’t the Malek I know. The Malek I know is safe and kind. He’s gentle and caring. He keeps me at arm’s length and offers me quiet, tentative smiles.
Malek presses his lips firmly to my neck, slipping his tongue right over my pulse. His mouth opens fully and the sharp canines of his teeth graze over my flesh.
My whole body trembles as he sets off pleasurable sensation after sensation inside me.
“You shouldn't have fucking come, Izzy.”
His words are a warning I heed all too late, or not at all. There’s no regret in them, just endless expanse of painful desire. A desire I feel down to my core.
I shift, my thighs rubbing together bring me the slightest bit of relief. But the hard ridge of his cock against my backside only makes me crave more.
“But now that you’re here…” His voice just gets darker, more dangerous with each slow drawl of his low, rumbling words. His teeth rake across my jawline and he melds closer, leaning over me so his mouth touches the corner of my lips. “... I’m not going to let you go.”
Those taunting words make demanding need click into place all through my body.
I turn my head and meet his kiss, passion for passion. He’s feral in his exploration, as his tongue dives into my mouth to claim me for his own.
This isn’t the Malek I know. I remind myself again.
Fuck, but I’d like to know more of him. I want to know his every aspect in the joining of our bodies, in slick flesh against flesh.
And Full Moon Malek seems ready to give me every single thing I ask for.
He tears away long enough to growl, “You’re mine, Izara Castillo. Mine.”
I don’t bother to question or contradict him because in this moment, I feel like I’m his. Wholly and entirely, in this moment I belong to this primitive side of him. My first friend and now something more. Our friendship has changed eternally now. Now he can’t keep me at bay ever again.
“Yesss…” It comes out as a hiss when his teeth bite the soft lobe of my ear, trembling a tingling sensation right down to my core. Every touch, every swipe of his tongue makes me burn with need.
“Say it, Izzy.” His hips grind against the thin material of my panties, while his lips caress me and his hands hold my wrists down.
His big body is dominating me completely.
And I love every fucking second of it.
“I’m yours,” I groan, jerking my ass back to meet his cock. I want my clothes to fall away. I want the burn of his touch.
“Say my name.” His hand releases me to slide down my body. He squeezes one mound of my ass briefly before he’s jerking my skirt down and over my legs, pushing it past my shoes. “Say it.” He fingers the edge of my panties, rocking back and forth, teasing the smooth skin half an inch from my opening.
Fuck, I wish I had something prettier than the cotton panties provided by the Academy, the golden shield emblem and all slapped across my ass.
He doesn’t seem to care either way. He plays with the edges, fingers slipping inside to caress the warmth of my folds for mere seconds before sliding away all over again.
“I’m yours, Malek. I’m yours. Fuck. Please.”