A Wolf's Obsession

by Jennifer T. Alli

  “Is that so?”

  Utterly confident, Wyatt’s smile widened. “Yes.”

  “I’m not promising to stay forever.”

  “Until your birthday at the very least. I need to make sure that you survive until you’re twenty seven. Wolves are immortal and as long as you keep coming back to me I can give you time…well I can give you a little time anyway.”

  “Fine, you prove that you’re being honest and I’ll stay here until my birthday. If you want me to stay after that then you’re going to have to do something pretty damned special.”

  “I’m up to the challenge.”

  She stuck out her hand in the age old gesture of agreement but was shocked when his lips crashed down against hers, stealing her wits and all thoughts of leaving his side. He pulled back quickly, aware of her heart picking up speed. He didn’t think his heart could take it if she passed out again. ”I’ve been without my mate too long to shake hands. If I were you, I’d get used to being kissed because I’m going to kiss you every chance I get.”

  Clutching her chest, Kass struggled to keep her limbs from trembling. The kiss had only lasted a few seconds but it felt like her entire centre of gravity had shifted. Touching her still tingling lips, she had to fight the temptation to lean back in and kiss him herself. “My heart…”

  “I’ll take care of it. There’s no one alive more aware of your health than me. I can feel when it’s getting too much for you and I think I’ve proved that if push comes to shove I can keep your heart in check.” He kissed her again and took a quick step back. “This’ll be done before you know it. Take a deep breath and remember that no matter what I look like I’m not going to hurt you.”

  Rolling her eyes, Kass stood back and waited. Shock couldn’t even begin to describe how she felt as she watched Wyatt’s bones twist out of shape, fur erupt from his smooth skin and his body contort as he fell to his knees. His kissable lips vanished as his jaw lengthened, deadly fangs erupting in his mouth. His spine bowed as his body changed from walking on two legs to stalking on four and when thick black fur covered his body the transformation was complete.

  This isn’t possible. Wolves aren’t as big as horses and men don’t change into wolves. I’m seeing things. His crazy must be contagious because none of this is possible.

  She watched as he took a step closer and she instinctively took a step back. When the pain of bumping her injured shoulder into a tree hit her, she knew that what she’d witnessed was no dream. Convinced it must have taken an eternity for a man to become a wolf, Kass felt another wave of surprise hit her when Wyatt’s arms wrapped around her body.

  “Kass.”

  His voice was deeper now, rougher as though he wasn’t used to using it and it was clear to her that whatever he’d changed into was lingering, just waiting for a chance to come to the fore.

  “Kass, you need to breathe.”

  She could see his mouth moving but she couldn’t hear the words over the roaring in her ears. Nothing was getting through until he gripped her arms hard and forced her to focus.

  “Damn it Kass, you’re going to breathe and you’re going to do it now otherwise you’re going to pass out. Do you understand me? Now breathe.”

  She sucked in a staggering breath and her legs almost gave out beneath her but Wyatt’s strong grip kept her standing.

  “You…you’re…you’re a wolf.”

  Swinging her up into his arms, Wyatt pressed her close, needing the reassurance of touch after another close call. “I did warn you.”

  “Maybe you should have given me a stronger warning.”

  “So that you could have a heart attack? No thank you. It doesn’t matter now. I did what you wanted; I showed you my other half. Now you have to keep your end of the deal.”

  “Deal?”

  “Don’t try and act like you don’t remember. You’re staying with me until your birthday. That’s what we agreed.”

  “But that was before.”

  Her disagreement was pulling the wolf forward and Wyatt could feel his control slipping. His claws were itching to get out, his fangs desperate to sink into flesh. His whole body shuddered with effort as he tried to keep his human form. He might not want to hurt Kass, his wolf would never set out to do it, but his track record wasn’t good and he wasn’t taking any chances with her safety. The sooner she accepted their bargain, the safer they both would be. “Before what?”

  “Before you showed me that you can turn into something that could eat me for breakfast.”

  His amber eyes darkened. “Trust me, I have every intention of eating you for breakfast. And lunch and dinner.” He licked his lips as his eyes wandered over her body, silently imagining what every inch of her skin tasted like. “But I doubt it’s in the way you’re thinking of.”

  Her skin flushed darker with every word. It was easy to tell what he was talking about from the heated look in his eyes. Her treacherous nipples tightened in anticipation and her sex clenched in eagerness. It should be illegal to have a voice that sexy. It’s not fair to the entire female population.

  A feral smile came to Wyatt’s lips. It’s not the entire female population I’m concerned with. There’s only one woman who’s worthy of my attention and I have her right here in my arms. Where she’s supposed to be.

  “Stay out of my head Wyatt.”

  “Why? I know you want me there. I can feel it in my bones. You want this, you want me.” She had to; he couldn’t have it any other way.

  Pursing her lips, Kass refused to give him a response and fought to keep her mind blank. He didn’t need to know how right he was.

  “Hold on tight Kass.”

  “Why?”

  “You said you wanted to go for a run in the woods. It’s my pleasure to do whatever it is you need.” Tensing the muscles in his legs he took of at a dead sprint.

  Amazement wound through Kass as the world exploded into a kaleidoscope of vibrant swirling colours. The speed that Wyatt was running at was incredible but her mind could barely process it as she tried hard to look at the scenery rushing past. It was amazing and she could feel her heart begin to pound and for the first time in a long time it didn’t leave her breathless and on the verge of collapse. Content, she dug her fingers into the corded strength of Wyatt’s arms and let the growl that followed sooth her. This was heaven and she didn’t want to leave. As soon as she called Charlie and told him she was safe, she fully intended to explore this thing with Wyatt. He thought she was his mate and with the way her body and mind responded to him so easily she had a sneaking feeling he might be right. When they stopped, disappointment welled inside her. She never wanted their run to end.

  Chuckling as he slid Kass down his body, Wyatt slid his hands through her hair, groaning as the soft strands tickled his senses. “Don’t worry, I’ll take you again.”

  Eyes sparkling with hope, Kass turned to him. “Really?”

  “Of course. Anything that makes you happy makes me happy.”

  The pure emotion in those few words was unnerving. The things Wyatt felt for her weren’t normal and while she’d love to think he truly cared for her, Kass knew better. He was in love with Emily, not her. Forcing herself to smile she accepted the sad truth of their situation. She’d stay with him until her birthday, he’d more than proven he could protect her from Ethan, but then she’d have to leave. Emily and her might have shared the same soul but they weren’t the same people and she wanted someone who loved her for her. There might never be another man who loved with the same intensity as Wyatt but she couldn’t live her life, her immortal life, as second best.

  “So you live here?” she asked, changing the subject to one that she could better cope with.

  His smile widened as he nodded. His eyes roamed over the wooden cabin that had been his home since he was a child and for the first time in a long time he felt comforted by being at home. The wooden structure was nowhere near as lavish as the castle they’d just left but it was home. “Yeah, come on, I’ll show
you around.”

  Taking her hand firmly within his, Wyatt led her inside, eager to show her his home but as soon as he opened the door he realised he’d made a mistake. The whole place was a shrine to Emily. The walls were covered in photographs of her that had once made his heart clench in pain. He’d hoarded the few things that she’d left behind, cherishing each one and holding them close to his chest as he’d fought to find peace. He turned to look at Kass slowly; her reaction wasn’t going to be a good one.

  Staring into familiar eyes, Kass felt her heart plummet. Even though she’d accepted Wyatt’s love was for Emily she hadn’t expected to be confronted with the harsh reality so soon. She’d hope to bask in his warmth for a little while longer. “So that’s Emily.”

  “Yeah.” A sad smile came to his face but he didn’t feel the urge to stroke Emily’s likeness as he normally did, there was no point. Emily was gone but he had Kass now.

  “You must have really loved her.” With the torrent of emotions of rolling through her Kass was surprised her voice came out so steady. She felt like crying. She had no claim to Wyatt, she barely knew the man but her heart broke all the same at the thought of him loving someone else. Steeling herself for his response she waited for the final nail to be placed in the coffin of her heart.

  “I loved the idea of her. This Emily,” he waved to the photographs on the walls. “This Emily, I never met.”

  Brows creasing in disbelief, Kass spun round to look at Wyatt her voice ready to extract the truth. No one felt so strongly about a woman they’d never met. Men didn’t lose their sanity over just pictures of a woman. “What do you mean you never met her? You said you loved her.” The purity in her voice demanded the truth, would be satisfied with nothing less and she waited expectantly for the words he’d just said to vanish under her influence.

  “I met Emily when I was a kid. She was five I was fifteen.”

  Shock mingled with disgust as soon as the words hit her ears and Kass tried to pull back, tried to separate herself from Wyatt’s warm touch. There was a lot she was willing to tolerate but this wasn’t one of them. Her struggles didn’t even seem to register as his grip on her hand remained steadfast and unmovable but for the first time his unbelievable strength was tempered. Despite her struggles he didn’t hurt her.

  “It’s not what you think. Wolves age differently to humans. She was five and so was I. I may have been more savvy than your average five year old but I thought, felt and looked like I was her age.” Pulling her over to the sofa, he sat down and guided her down with him. Shuddering in pleasure as her soft curves pressed so closely against him, Wyatt fought to remember how to speak. Grabbing a handful of her hair, he ran his fingers through the strands, needing to touch her desperately. “My aunt Alex is human and she thought that we’d isolated ourselves too long and that if we wanted to find more mates we should look for them outside of the clans. There were no wars anymore, no hunters trying to exterminate us. We were at peace and with how long we live and how many children we have that meant there were a lot of males without mates. It wasn’t hard for her to get people to agree with her. She’s queen and Tobias, the king, is known for doing serious damage to people who hurt her. She decided that children should go to school with humans so that they could really function in the world outside and that’s when I met Emily.

  “I saw her on my first day at school and it was like getting struck by lightning. What I felt for her in that second…” He groaned, recalling how his heart had raced, his chest constricted and his life forever altered. “I didn’t understand it, my mind couldn’t understand it but my wolf knew we’d found our mate. I was like her second shadow throughout elementary school. Anywhere she went I had to go too.”

  A shadow came over his face and Kass could feel the depths of his sadness even without him speaking. She quickly decided she didn’t like what he was feeling. She could cope with her own sadness, she was used to it by now, but his was intolerable. It felt like a weight had been dumped onto her chest and it was sucking all the life out of her. “What happened?”

  “She grew up and I didn’t. I couldn’t stay with her anymore. When we’re kids, we don’t age like normal children. I was twenty but I had the body of a seven year old. If I’d tried to stay I would have exposed us. Going to human school only made me more aware how little humans tolerate difference, especially if that difference is better in some way. From then on I only got to see her once, maybe twice, a year and I wasn’t allowed to speak to her or touch her.” His grip on her tightened and he breathed in Kass’ lush fragrance almost overwhelmed by the simple pleasure of being able to do just the opposite now. I could only take pictures and wait to track her down in a few months. It was never easy finding her but I could always manage it. There was always a trace of her left behind and her scent was permanently engraved in my mind. Even if she left the country I’d be able to find her eventually. One year I couldn’t find her at all. No scent, no trace left behind, nothing.”

  There was raw emotion in his words and Kass’ heart broke for him. It must be hard to be so close to someone when they don’t even know you exist and then to lose them…

  It wasn’t hard. It was maddening. “After shadowing her for so long I was an expert in tracking her down but no matter how hard or how long I looked, I couldn’t find her. There was only one reason to explain why I couldn’t find her. She wasn’t alive for me to find.” The hands around her tightened even further threatening to cut off Kass’ supply of oxygen. He might have lost Emily but he’d been given a second chance with Kass and he wasn’t going to lose her. “The day I realised I wasn’t going to find her my life ended. I knew there was no point in trying to go on. I tried to join her.”

  Stunned, Kass sucked in a ragged breath. It would be a travesty for the world to lose a man like Wyatt. Resentment building in her chest, Kass forced herself to try and breathe normally even as her hands balled into fists. Violence was never the answer but she’d never wanted to hurt Ethan more than in that moment. She knew exactly what had happened to Emily and Ethan was responsible. Hurting her was one thing; ruining Wyatt’s life was another. “I’m glad you didn’t manage it.” The tight-lipped words were all she could manage and considering the fact she was seeing red she thought her voice remained surprisingly calm.

  “Not through a lack of trying,” he scoffed. “My family stopped me. They tried to convince me that Emily wasn’t my mate. They kept telling me that I was too young to have known what it felt like to have a mate, that my wolf had made a mistake but I knew better. It was hopeless but they didn’t want me to join her. There were so many people trying to convince me that I’d find my real mate, trying to convince me that life was still worth living.”

  Kass saw red. Her life flashed before her eyes and she saw every near miss, every near death experience. Her whole life was a fight for survival, that people could have such little value for their lives was maddening. “Of course they didn’t want you to die!” She yelled, her blue eyes flashing with anger. “People fall in and out of love everyday. One person isn’t worth dying for especially when she didn’t even know you existed.”

  Her words made his hackles rise. It was like talking to Dylan all over again. “You don’t understand. No one who hasn’t lost their mate can ever understand! Everyday that I spent without her pushed me that little further into madness. I was constantly at war with myself. My wolf howled until my ears bled, he snarled until I lashed out at everyone and he drove me mad with wanting her. Look at me. Do you think someone who was sane would have done what I’ve done to you?” He groaned, running his hands through his hair as his agitation increased. “This is the longest time I’ve spent as a human for years. After I left the castle, I spent years in the woods as a wolf because that was the only way I could cope. If I hadn’t met you I’d still be there. A life without a mate wasn’t a life at all. Dylan and Erica were both mad to think otherwise.” The hardness in his face slipped away as he began to smile. “I might not have like
d what they did and it did make me crazy but I’m grateful to them now.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I found you. My mind isn’t right otherwise I would have recognised you straight away but with time I can get better. I promise.”

  Though she was sorely tempted to just relax into his embrace at the sweetness of his words, Kass forced her body to remain tense. Life was important, something to be protected above all and if he couldn’t see that then they were going to have a problem. “And what if something happened to me? What if I died?”

  His whole demeanour changed in a flash. He bared his teeth; the sharp canines ready to tear flesh. The amber that had dulled returned in force, his eyes once again wild with a feral intensity. His voice when he spoke was barely human and Kass instinctively put her hand against her throat trying to protect herself from the inevitable fallout. “Nothing is going to happen to you,” he roared. “I’m going to protect you. I’ll keep you safe. Nothing will come between us and survive. I’ll kill anyone that even thinks about hurting you.”

  “Wyatt, you’re scaring me.”

  He ran the back of his hand against her cheek carefully, all too conscious of the razor sharp nails that could so easily slice through her tender skin. “You have nothing to be scared of mate. I’d tear my own arm off before I raised a hand against you.”

  “You don’t need to go that far. Just promise me that if something happens to me you’ll forget about me and go on with your life. Even if I die now I’ll come back, just like Emily.”

  “No!” he snarled. “I can’t lose you.”

  Words continued to flow from her lips spurred on by the treacherous voice at the back of her mind that reminded her Wyatt was only interested in her because of Emily. “If I die you might get someone who’s more like Emily the next time I’m reincarnated. That’s what you want isn’t it? You want someone like her.” She pointed to the photo of the Amazonian like woman hanging on the wall. “You don’t want someone like me. It’ll be better that way.”