Winter Craving

by Marisa Chenery

  “I think we’d better get out now. The water is starting to get cold.”

  Cyrus realized she was right. He let her go and turned. He turned off the taps before he pushed open the shower curtain. He stepped out first and grabbed one of the towels from the shelf above the toilet. Once Shyla stood beside him, he proceeded to dry her off and then himself.

  He scooped her up into his arms and walked out of the bathroom. He headed straight for the bedroom. Inside the shower had been round one. Before the night was through, he planned to make love to his mate until she was too exhausted to leave his bed.

  Chapter Six

  Shyla slowly woke up. She looked around the room, and given how there wasn’t much light, she assumed it was still early morning. Why she’d awakened at this time, she had no idea, considering she and Cyrus had made love for most of the night.

  A smile spread across her face. Sex with Cyrus had surpassed any of her expectations. It was almost as if he worshipped her body as he touched, licked and kissed every part of her. After he’d taken her in just about every position imagined, she definitely didn’t feel self-conscious about being naked around him. How could she when he made her feel beautiful?

  It was after the last time they’d made love she’d realized she’d fallen for him. And hard. It was crazy to be thinking about having a happily ever after with him at this stage, but she couldn’t stop herself. He was the one. The man she’d thought she’d never find. With her feelings totally invested, she could picture them getting married and having kids. She’d never told Nancy, not even her parents, how badly she wanted children. At twenty-nine, and with no serious prospects, Shyla had begun to think her time was running out.

  Now Cyrus had come into her life. He was perfect for her. If he were to ask her to move in that very day, she wouldn’t turn him down. To start a new life, and hopefully find someone to share it with her, had been a big reason for her move to Canyon Creek. She liked the way people lived their lives there. It was laid back compared to Chicago.

  She just had to work up the courage to tell Cyrus what he’d come to mean to her. She had a feeling he felt the same about her. The way he looked and held her, it showed how much he cared.

  Shyla closed her eyes, thinking she’d try to go back to sleep. A sound like one of the growls Cyrus had the habit of making while he was in her arms had her opening them again. With a smile, she turned her head to where he lay beside her. What met her gaze had her sitting bolt upright.

  It wasn’t Cyrus who was in the bed next to her but a black wolf, just as large as the ones who’d been outside in the yard the day before. Its head was on the pillow as it lay on its belly with the covers partly pulled up over it. Its front paws twitched, as if it dreamed. It growled and whined.

  Shyla kept perfectly still, not wanting to awaken the wolf. How the hell had it gotten into the cabin let alone the bed was anybody’s guess. And where was Cyrus? She’d fallen asleep in his arms. He had to be there somewhere.

  Her breath caught in her lungs as the wolf’s body suddenly blurred. Between one blink and the next it’d changed into Cyrus. Her mouth fell open as she breathed too quickly. Was she losing her mind? Had she actually seen him change from a wolf to a man? It was crazy. She ran her gaze over him. He was stretched out on his stomach in the same position as the wolf had been.

  She remained as still as a rock, staring at him. His even breathing told her he was deeply asleep. The seconds ticked by and then the minutes. Cyrus stayed as Cyrus. Shyla rubbed her eyes. Had she been half asleep and dreaming without realizing it?

  The answer to that question was a big fat no when Cyrus’ body blurred and he was a wolf once more. This time Shyla’s heart tried to beat out of her chest. A trickle of fear pushed through her. She should run, but she couldn’t move. This shouldn’t be happening.

  Shyla took a deep breath and a shriek pushed out of her on the exhale. The wolf came suddenly awake and stood on its paws. It looked around the room as anyone would when startled out of a deep sleep. It then turned its gaze on her.

  She stiffened, feeling on the verge of hyperventilating. “How…how can you turn into a huge, freaking wolf?”

  The wolf glanced down at itself. He then did a very human eye roll accompanied by a shake of his lupine head. If she hadn’t been so scared, she more than likely would have laughed.

  The animal leaned toward her, and Shyla scrambled back until her hands touched the very edge of the mattress. The wolf froze in place, then his body blurred and Cyrus took its place.

  “I guess that answers the question of whether or not I still sleep shift,” he said.

  She would have jumped out bed, but he moved faster than she’d seen anyone accomplish and had her wrapped in his arms. She placed her hands on his chest and pushed, but he didn’t loosen his hold.

  “It’s okay, Shyla,” Cyrus said in a calm, even tone. “Slow down your breathing. I can hear your heart beating too fast. I’m not going to hurt you.”

  “I-I saw you ch-change into a wolf,” she stammered.

  “I know.”

  “H-how? It can’t be real.”

  Cyrus took hold of her chin with one hand and titled her head up to meet his gaze as he kept his other arm firmly around her. “I can smell your fear. It’s all right. It’s still me. And it was real.”

  “No, it isn’t. If it is, then what I always thought was make believe is real and you’re a fricking werewolf.”

  “Sorry to burst that bubble. And I’m not a werewolf. I’m a wolf shifter.”

  “That’s the same thing.” Shyla’s voice rose as her fear increased.

  “No, it isn’t. My base form is the wolf. I’m able to take on the form of a man. I was born a wolf.”

  “In other words, you were a puppy and not a baby?”

  “Something like that.” Cyrus searched her face. “You’re only getting more scared of me. Relax, Shyla. You’re in no danger. I’m still the same man who made love to you last night.”

  “Don’t you mean wolf?” Something hit Shyla like a ton of bricks. “After you had my shirt for my scent, you turned into a wolf and found me in the storm that way, right?”

  “Yes. In that form, I have the same sense of smell like any wild wolf so I made up having hunting dogs. I just never expected your scent to mean more.”

  “What do you mean by more?”

  “I don’t think I should tell you. At least not right now. You’ve already had a big shock. I will say I’d planned to tell you at some point what I was.”

  Shyla shook her head. “No. You’ll tell me now. You can’t say something like that and have me allow you to explain when you feel I’m ready. Waiting won’t help.”

  Cyrus stared at her for a few seconds before he gave a curt nod. “All right. I knew from your scent that you were my mate.”

  She pushed on his chest again, but that only had him putting both arms around her and holding so she couldn’t break free.

  “Your mate?” she asked. “Like a wild animal takes a mate?”

  A low, real-sounding wolf growl rumbled out of him. “Not really like that. It means you’re the one meant to be mine.”

  “And you know this how?”

  “If I’m going to explain this right, I have to start at the beginning. At the age of thirty, all male wolf shifters have the mate brand appear on their skin.” Cyrus pointed to what she’d thought was his black tattoo of the two howling wolves circled in Celtic knot work. “This is the sign that it’s time for him to find his mate. He feels a great need to find her and claim her. A certain part of his anatomy stops working. Once he catches the scent of his mate, it comes to life. Only she does that for him, which means she’s his.”

  “So in other words, I made your dick hard where before you couldn’t get it up?”

  “As a crude explanation, yes. To claim you, I’d have to bite you while we make love. I have to break the skin. Only then will the invisible link that will join us together form. Once it does, the same mate br
and will mark you on the same place where your neck and shoulder meet. The knot work will be in blues, greens and reds, and mine will change from black to those exact colors as well. With the bond, it’ll tie you to me, and me to you. Nothing will ever be able to break it.”

  Shyla took a deep breath to try to calm down. That delicious smell she’d always associated with Cyrus filled her head. It also had some of her fear changing to arousal. She shook her head.

  “I don’t want to be turned-on right now, but I get a whiff of how good you smell and I can’t help myself,” she said on a wail.

  “That’s nature’s way of making sure the link forms. My scent is supposed to entice my mate, to make her want me to complete the mating.”

  She pushed at Cyrus’ chest and kept pushing until he finally let her go. Shyla jumped out of bed. “So basically it’s not giving me any choice. It acts like an aphrodisiac, one I can’t resist. While I’ve been with you, I really haven’t acted on how I truly feel about you?”

  Cyrus came to stand in front of her. “No. You’re my mate. You should have feelings for me. My scent only helps it along. It makes it so you’ll be more than willing to have me claim you.”

  She took a few steps back, putting more space between them. “That’s still not giving me a choice. Before you, I never slept with a man I’d just met. Those I did go to bed with, I waited until we’d been together for a while. Now I know why I acted so out of character.”

  He tried to reach for her, but she jumped away. He blew out a frustrated-sounding breath. “You make it sound as if I took you against your will. I didn’t. It played on the attraction you already have for me.”

  Shyla shook her head. She didn’t want to listen to any more. She’d heard enough. “I need to leave. If you won’t drive me to my cousin’s place, I’ll call John and have him pick me up.”

  “Shyla, please stay. You’re confused. I can help you through it.”

  “Confused? That’s an understatement. I found out the man I slept with is a wolf shifter who really isn’t a man. Then you tell me your scent makes me want to have sex with you. I’m starting to question if what I feel for you is even real. I can’t do this. I have to go.”

  He looked suddenly crestfallen, but she steeled herself against it. She couldn’t think straight with his scent making her want him so much. She had to get away and see if what she thought was love had only been lust.

  “Don’t call John,” Cyrus said. “I’ll take you. The roads should be clear by now. I’ll get dressed, then we can go.”

  She nodded and set about gathering up her clothes. Shyla dressed without really looking at Cyrus as he moved around the room doing the same. He walked out into the main part of the cabin before she did.

  After Shyla had put on her boots, winter jacket, mitts and hat, she picked up her snow pants and waited by the door for Cyrus to finish getting ready. He joined her, then silently led the way outside. They didn’t speak to each other once he backed his crossover out of the shed and she climbed into the passenger side. Nor did the silence break during the short drive into town.

  Shyla gave Cyrus directions to her cousin’s house once they arrived at the outskirts. After he pulled into the driveway, she placed her hand on the handle of the door to get out. He reached across and captured the wrist on her free arm to prevent her from leaving.

  “Shyla, wait. I understand you need some time to get your head around everything, but we still need to talk.”

  She turned to look at him. “About what? I think you’ve said everything.”

  “Ignoring it won’t make it all go away. You’re my mate. Nothing will change that. And yes, there is more I have to say. Like the fact I love you. No one can take your place in my heart.”

  “Stop,” Shyla said. “Hearing that isn’t going to make me instantly accept what you are. The only reason why I’m not screaming my head off is because of that damn scent of yours. It’s messing with my mind. I need to have some space.”

  “All right. When can I see you again?”

  “I really don’t know.”

  “When you feel ready, you know where I live. Come to me there. It’s your choice. I’d never force you into something you don’t want.” He slowly released her wrist.

  Shyla nodded. She pushed open the door and stepped out of the crossover. Once she closed it, she headed for the front of the house. Numbness had set in. Now that she no longer could smell Cyrus’ scent, the affect it had over her faded little by little. By the time she’d reached the door, she heard the sound of the crossover backing out of the driveway. She didn’t turn to look. And at the moment, she had no idea if she could bring herself to see him again.

  * * * *

  Cyrus drove to his cabin basically on autopilot. He hadn’t a fricking clue how things were going to turn out with Shyla. He couldn’t lose her. She meant the world to him, and no other woman would take her place. How was he supposed to have known a sleep condition he’d had since childhood would be his downfall? He’d thought he’d gotten over shifting between his two forms while sleeping a long time ago. Maybe it’d started again because the need to claim his mate rode him. Shyla being human had added a different stress level to it all.

  He’d done all he could. Now it was up to Shyla. Even though he had a time limit before he had to claim her as his mate or lose his humanity, he’d never force her to accept him. He wanted her to want him for him.

  Chapter Seven

  Two days turned into a week and then another and still Shyla hadn’t come to Cyrus’ cabin. His deadline loomed. He tried to go about his day like normal. He got up in the morning and ate breakfast, then spent the rest of the day running his trapline. In the evenings he worked on skinning and stretching the pelts from his catch.

  As the days ticked by and the three-week mark came even closer, Cyrus had to admit everything wasn’t right with him. By increments, he felt his humanity slipping. The animal part of him didn’t understand why he didn’t go to Shyla and claim her as his, to take her choice away. It reasoned she was meant to be his mate, therefore, she’d be happy in the end.

  He ignored that part of him as best he could. And he avoided shifting to his wolf form. It was getting harder and harder to return to his human one. Even his way of thinking while a wolf would slip. He didn’t think like a man. He hunted like his wild cousins, consuming whatever prey he could catch. Then there was the fact he kept lifting his leg and pissing on trees to mark his territory. It was degrading to his human side.

  It was now five days before he’d reach the end of his humanity. The need to shift and run free rode him harder than the one to claim Shyla as his mate. He knew he was doomed. There was no question about it.

  Cyrus sat inside his cabin, not wanting to go out in case he couldn’t stop himself from shifting. He hadn’t slept, and thinking of eating cooked food made his stomach roll. He wanted to hunt down his meal and tear into it where it dropped, consuming it raw. The thought of finding a rabbit made his mouth water.

  The cabin door opened and his entire family filed inside. His father came to stand in front of him where he sat on the couch. Cyrus looked up and met his dad’s assessing gaze. A quick glance showed everyone else wore concerned expressions.

  “Well, my boy,” his father said. “I think it’s time you fixed this.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “No more waiting for your mate to come to you. You go to her.”

  Cyrus shook his head. “I promised Shyla she could decide when she’d be ready to see me again.”

  “At this rate, you’ll have lost your humanity when she finally comes to you. And then it’ll be too late.” His dad took a deep breath. “Does she even know that’s what the consequence is of you not claiming her?”

  “No. I didn’t tell her that part. She was already having a hard enough time dealing with me being a wolf shifter and the whole mate business. She was convinced my scent made her have feelings that might not be true. If I told her about losing my humani
ty, she’d have felt pressured. I want her to come to me because it’s me she wants.”

  His mother came and sat beside Cyrus. “That’s what you want, but I don’t want to lose you to your wolf.”

  Kiel’s mate, Neha, stepped forward. “Cyrus, let me talk to Shyla. Not so long ago I was in the same position as her. At first, I was unsure of what Kiel was and didn’t know if I could accept him as my mate. It was the thought of losing him, and that if I’d gotten on that plane I more than likely would never see him again, had me realizing what I’d be giving up. Kiel is the best thing that happened to me. Just as I’m sure you are to Shyla.”

  Kiel came and put his arm around Neha. He kissed the top of her head. “As you are to me, love.” He turned his gaze on Cyrus. “I think it’s a good idea to have Neha talk to Shyla. It’ll give her the human perspective when it comes to having a wolf shifter for a mate. And since Neha is the first to be claimed by one of our kind, she’s the only one who can help Shyla come to terms with it.”

  “Why are we so worried about Shyla’s feelings?” Talon asked with an edge to his voice. “Cyrus has more at stake to lose than she does. I say we get her and bring her here whether she wants to or not.”

  Cyrus snarled his lip. “I won’t do that do her.”

  Talon shook his head. “Time for that has passed. She needs to be told everything. I’ll leave right now and get her.”

  Cyrus growled, his wolf side not liking how his brother would force Shyla to come there. She was his mate. He had to protect her, even from his own family if need be.

  “I won’t tell you where her cousin’s place is,” Cyrus said with another growl.

  “Canyon Creek isn’t exactly that big. I’m sure if I asked around at the general store I’d be able get someone to tell me where it is.”

  Cyrus threw himself off the couch toward Talon and shifted on the fly. He hit his brother square in the chest, which knocked Talon off balance. They both landed on the floor—hard. He snapped his teeth and lunged to take hold of Talon by his throat, but his brother brought up his hands, took hold of him by the scruff of his neck and dragged Cyrus off him.