by Emma Wolfe
She closed her eyes as she concentrated on my heartbeat. All I could do was stare at her. To drink her in. My arms tightened around her, drawing her closer to my chest.
There was no way I was ever going to be able to let her go. She was mine, and I was hers.
“Cora…” I started, my voice low and throaty.
She opened her eyes and a crease formed between her eyebrows. “What?” she asked.
I wanted to tell her that we couldn’t be. That no matter how I felt, I needed to protect her. And to do that, I needed to walk away. That this, what we were feeling, had to end.
I had every intention of being honest with her, but before I could part my lips, my ears perked as the scent of another wolf wafted past my nose.
Out of instinct, a low growl escaped my lips and I whipped my attention toward the waterfall. Very few people knew this place existed. It was something that I’d worked really hard to keep hidden. The fact that another shifter was closing in on our location made me uncomfortable.
“What is it?” Cora whispered as she inched closer to me.
I could feel her warmth and hear the soft trill of her heart as it picked up speed. She was nervous…and as much as I hated to admit it, she should be.
With grandfather dying, things were a mess in the pack. Someone needed to step up as Alpha, and even though Dad was the next in line, he had no intention of taking that role.
“Someone is coming,” I said as I stood. There was no time to wait. I needed to get Cora as far away from here as I could. She wasn’t safe.
No human was.
She seemed to understand my body language because when she stood up next to me, I could feel her anxious energy.
“Come on,” I said, nodding toward the opening of the waterfall. Maybe we had time. If I got her out of there quick enough, I just might be able to bring her back to school without anyone the wiser.
She stayed right next to me as I led her from the cave. I winced as the water rushed over my body. The sun shone as we exited out into the late afternoon air.
I squinted, trying to keep my senses alert. The other wolf seemed to have moved on, but I couldn’t be too careful.
As we headed up the steep mountainside, I kept my body situated so that if Cora slipped, I could catch her. I pressed my back against the rocks while keeping the arm closest to her extended.
I could hear her staggered breathing and the little hitches in her throat as she kept her gaze down to watch where she was placing her feet.
We made it to the top, and I helped her up onto solid ground. Just as she stepped forward, she suddenly pitched into my arms.
I didn’t even think about it. My arms wrapped around her and pulled her to my chest.
“Whoa,” I said as I held her against me. Here, she was safe. Here, I could keep an eye on her. When I released her into the world, everything would change. It would be like a part of my heart was walking around outside of my body.
“Thanks,” she said, her voice low. I saw her cheeks turn pink as she glanced up at me.
There was something in her gaze. Something raw and open that was slowly pulling me even further into this hole I’d gotten myself into.
“Are you okay?” I asked as I pulled back and ran my gaze over her.
She nodded. To my surprise, even though I’d pulled away, she didn’t move. Her hands remained on my upper arms. Like she didn’t want to let me go.
I stepped closer to her, meeting her gaze.
Her deep, brown eyes peeked up at me through her thick, long lashes. Her heart rate picked up as I saw her gaze drop down to my lips. Then, as if out of instinct, she pinched her lip between her teeth.
Did she want me to kiss her?
I’d always been a confident guy. I’d kissed girls before. But never had I been so unsure about someone as I was about Cora.
She was perfect. Pure.
Exactly what I needed, and I feared what I would do to her if I allowed myself to get close. I was a magical being and she was a human. But the magnetism I felt when I held her in my arms and met her gaze was overpowering my senses. All rational thought left my mind, and the only thing that remained was the desire to kiss her. To take her into my arms and never let her go.
“Cora,” I said, my voice deepening and exposing the desire that rose up inside of me.
She let out a soft sigh. One so intoxicating, that I almost lost all control right there. She leaned in, ever so slightly. A normal man might not have noticed it, but I did. It was the acknowledgement that she too wanted what I wanted.
Fire coursed through my veins, burning her impression onto my soul.
When she ran her hands up my arms and rested them on my shoulders, I took my chance. I didn’t know what would happen when we got back to school. When my father realized that his son had fated with a human. I wasn’t sure of the future of a human and a wolf shifter, but I didn’t care.
Right then, all that existed in the entire world was me and Cora.
I dipped my head down and pressed my lips to hers. Electricity shot through my body as I felt her soft, full lips against my own.
She gasped in her throat like I had shocked her.
Worried I’d overstepped, I began to pull back, but she ran her fingers up to the nape of my neck and fisted my hair in her hands, halting my retreat.
I wrapped my arms around her tiny waist and crushed her body against mine. I was desperate to feel every part of her against me.
We were meant for each other.
I teased her lips with my tongue, and the heat in my veins grew to boiling when she parted them to allow me in. We fell into a mind-blowing dance as I deepened the kiss.
Our bodies felt like they were melding together.
I was destined to kiss her, that I knew for sure. Everything about this felt so right.
A throaty growl sounded from deep in my chest, and she just giggled. I loved the sound of her laugh mixed with the pounding of her heart. It matched the cadence of my own.
The sound of a deep growl snapped me out of the cloudy haze.
The euphoria and joy I felt from kissing Cora was ripped away and my veins turned to ice when I heard the familiar breath of a shifter and smelt the distinct human-and-animal scent that my people emitted.
Someone was watching us.
I instantly pulled away from Cora and pushed her to the side. “Hide,” I commanded as I walked a few feet away. My body was already shifting. I growled as my paws landed on the ground.
Now a wolf, my entire body tensed.
There was someone in the woods—someone who knew about me and Cora. They couldn’t live. Not if I wanted to protect her.
I was going to fight, and I was going to win. I had to.
16
Cora
There were too many feelings coursing through my body as I slunk off into the protection of the trees. Pure joy mixed with fear and caused my whole body to shake.
Never in my entire life had I felt so complete as I did while wrapped in Liam’s arms with his lips pressed against mine. Our bodies moved in unison like they were meant to be together. To touch each other.
My soul ached from the distance being forced between us.
Sure, I’d never kissed a guy. But it wouldn’t feel the same with anyone else. He was exactly what I needed and wanted in my life.
He was my soul mate—as crazy and corny as that sounded.
But now, watching him shift into a wolf and hearing the threatening growl that rattled through the woods, fear was pushing out my joy. It didn’t help that I had no idea what to do as I crouched behind a large oak tree and peered around its trunk.
Liam was pacing in the small opening as if he were baiting whatever was lurking in the woods. He growled and huffed as he dipped down to sniff at the ground.
He paused and growled again, baring all of his teeth. I could see the sunlight glisten off his large canines. I shuddered, thinking about how it would feel to have them rip through flesh. I was suddenl
y grateful that he was on my side.
Heat pricked the back of my neck as Liam lowered toward the ground. His growl grew deeper, and I watched as every muscle in his body flinched. His gaze was trained on the wooded area just to the left of me.
And then I heard it.
The deep, threatening growl of another wolf.
The sound caused my body to tense. My blood ran cold and my breath slowed.
The wolf that emerged was bigger than Liam. His fur was dark, and even from where I stood, I could see the hatred in his eyes as he homed in on Liam. His fur looked coarser, and a deep scar ran across his left eye.
Liam’s body tensed as the wolf drew closer. They both stood there, baring their teeth as if they were challenging the other to make the first move.
My breath stilled in my chest as I watched, waiting for something to happen. Part of me wanted to run into the clearing and protect Liam. The other part of me knew that he wouldn’t want me to. I wanted to respect his wishes. And the desperate tone in his voice when he told me to run made it clear that I was in very real danger.
I stifled a scream as I watched the huge wolf lunge forward. His jaw snapped just as Liam ducked out of the way. Relief flooded my body when I raked my gaze over Liam only to discover that he was okay.
The fight became a blur. Liam and the wolf lunged and dodged as they made their way around the small clearing. Every so often, I had to bite down on my lip to keep myself from calling out.
My heart sang when Liam got the upper hand. It seemed like he was winning, and I pressed my hand against the tree trunk as I leaned closer to the clearing, fighting the urge to cheer him on.
Then, stupidly, I lost my balance, and all my weight pitched forward as my hand scraped down the tree. A sharp pain rushed across my palm, and I yelped in surprise.
I glanced down at my hand and saw the blood spring up around the cut. Frustrated that I could be so clumsy, I clenched my hand into a fist and turned my attention back to the fight.
To my dismay, the wolf had Liam clamped tightly in his jaws and was pulling him across the grass. A slick trail of blood followed after him, staining the green foliage red. I blinked as tears formed in my eyes. Liam snapped and snarled but couldn’t seem to free himself from the jaws of the wolf.
Worried I had done something to distract him, I clamped my teeth down on my lip to keep myself from calling out to him. I didn’t want him worrying about my safety when he needed to focus on his own.
I clenched my hands so tight that I could feel my nails digging into my palms, but I needed to stay put. I would only cause more damage to Liam if I rushed out into the clearing. This was a world I knew nothing about. If I wanted to protect Liam, I needed to stay as far away from him as possible.
I willed him to fight back. I willed him to stand up. But Liam’s thrashing grew weak, and his limbs went limp. He was tired, and I could see him slipping away.
I glanced around me for something to use. I was going to protect Liam whether he wanted me to or not.
After locating a fallen branch that resembled a club, I grabbed the thinner end and lifted it up onto my shoulder. I wasn’t sure if the wolf heard me or not, but I didn’t care. All I could think about right now was getting to Liam.
I calmed my body and mind for a moment as I gathered all the courage I had inside of me. I closed my eyes and counted down from three. Feeling completely out of my depth, I let out a battle cry and rushed out into the clearing.
I must have startled the wolf because his jaw fell open, and Liam slipped to the ground. I rushed forward and slammed the club down onto his skull with a sickening crack.
The wolf instantly went down. No sound. No whimper. He was a pile of limp fur in a few seconds flat.
I raised the club above his head, not fully believing that the fight was over. My whole body was rigid as I anticipated his sudden retaliation.
Then slowly, cautiously, the wolf stood. He teetered on all fours, and I readied the club again. But there was no need. After a few hard shakes of his head, he turned toward the woods and disappeared between the trees.
We needed to get out of there before the wolf was well enough to come back. I glanced around and found Liam sprawled on the grass. His breathing had turned ragged. I could barely see his chest moving.
My body shook as I dropped the club and knelt next to him. Not sure where to place my hands, I gingerly touched his fur. It was matted with dirt and blood. I sucked in my breath.
This was not good.
“Liam,” I whispered, knowing full well there was no way I was going to be able to lift him and carry him from the woods. And even if I could, how would I explain it to any human that saw me?
No, I needed him to wake up. I needed him to change so that I could get him to Mom. She would know what to do.
I knelt in front of his face and carefully lifted his head. I studied his fur. His nose. His closed eyes. And I willed him to open them.
“Liam,” I said again, this time more forceful. “Wake up.”
Nothing.
Tears clung to my eyelids as I swallowed the emotion rising in my throat. I needed him to live. Even though I wasn’t sure what any of this wolf shifting meant, I knew what I felt when he held me. When he kissed me.
There was no way I was going to lose him like this.
So I shoved his shoulder, ignoring his wounds. He needed to live, and I was going to jolt life into him. “Wake up,” I said, my voice rising an octave. “You brought me into this world of yours, don’t you die on me now.”
I shook his shoulder again as frustration rose up inside of me.
And then I realized the only thing I could do was try to drag him through the woods. I had to push aside my fear and get him to safety. I wasn’t safe there, and Liam wasn’t either.
So I grabbed his hind legs and began to pull. It was like dragging a car across wet sand. My calves, arms—really my whole body—burned as I tried to move him.
I was successful in scooting him a few inches before I collapsed on the ground. I let out a yell as fear and frustration rose up inside of my chest. Why on earth did Liam choose me? I was a weak human. He was this incredibly strong, mystical creature.
Wasn’t there a she-wolf for him to care about?
What did he see in me?
Pain clouded my mind as I allowed the tears to run. I lay next to him, hoping that he’d at least feel my presence. That I could somehow soothe him even though he couldn’t see me.
I’d be here for him until his last breath.
I tipped my face toward his massive head and whispered, “I’m sorry.” Then I closed my eyes.
This was it. Liam was going to die, and it was all my fault. Why had I gone after him when I saw him slip into the woods? Why hadn’t I just left him alone?
“Cora,” a soft, weak voice whispered next to me.
I kept my eyes closed, and I reveled in the memory of his voice. It was so real, I felt as if it were right next to me.
Suddenly, two very strong hands were patting me down as if they were searching for something. Startled, I whipped my eyes open to find human Liam crouching over me. His shirt was soaked with blood, and the look of concern in his eyes confused me.
“Liam?” I asked, scrambling to stand.
“Don’t move. Did he hurt you?” Liam asked, his hands not leaving me.
“I’m fine. I’m not hurt.” I glanced at the slash marks all over his shirt that revealed the skin underneath. “But you are,” I whispered.
Liam didn’t stop until he’d gone over every inch of my body—I did manage to keep my hand closed so he couldn’t see the gash there. When he seemed satisfied that I was okay, he staggered a bit, falling back into a sitting position. He leaned back on his arm.
“We have to get you out of here,” I said, nodding in the direction the wolf had disappeared.
Liam’s eyes widened as he glanced over at me. “Did you get rid of him?”
I nodded.
The groan that
escaped his lips was one of frustration, not gratitude. “Why didn’t you leave? Why did you stay?”
I stared at him. He was mad at me? For saving him? I narrowed my eyes. “He was hurting you. I had to stop him.”
He rolled over onto his hands and knees. His eyes were clamped shut, and his face contorted in a look of pain. It felt like an eternity, standing there, watching him attempt to move. I wanted to help him, but from the stubbornness that raced through his gaze earlier, I doubted he’d let me.
Finally, he started moving. He winced as he stood up, and after a few staggering steps, he steadied himself.
It was ridiculous that he helped me even when I didn’t want it, and yet here I was, watching him stumble through the woods, when I could at least give him a shoulder to lean on. I walked over to him and wrapped my arm around his waist, planting myself firmly against his side.
I felt him stiffen, but I didn’t let go. I wasn’t going anywhere.
“Cora,” he whispered. His voice was low and there was a hint of pain to it.
My heart squeezed at the thought of hurting him. But I had a feeling that if I left him alone like he wanted me to, it would hurt him more than me standing next to him, refusing to leave.
“Please,” I begged as I stared down at the ground and then slowly tipped my face toward him so I could meet his gaze.
His dark brown eyes were staring into mine, and I could feel his fear. Feel his pain. Feel his worry. He knew his world, and he knew I didn’t fit into it.
But I wanted to.
“Please. Let me help,” I said, my voice cracking with emotion.
His brow furrowed as he studied me. Then, very slowly, he began to nod. “This once,” he said.
I smiled at him as I tightened my grip around his waist. He winced and raised his hand.
“Not so tight.”
“Sorry,” I whispered as I began to walk next to him. He limped and shuffled through the woods. I winced when he pressed his weight down onto my shoulders. He must have noticed because he began to pull away.
“No,” I said, firmly as I pressed my side into his. “I’m fine.”