THE AWAKENING

“Two days ago you wanted to kill me.” Yeah, sorry that was a hard one to let go, she thought grumpily.

“Now you’re suddenly all interested in my welfare? Not buying it. Not be rude or anything,” she tacked on for appearances sake because frankly, she was a bit pissed.

Of course, Cristophe had been planning to kill her as well, but for some reason, she wasn’t as miffed at him for his momentary lapse in judgment.

“Here I am kidnapped by creatures I’ve never even heard of until a few days ago and since then I’ve been, well, for lack of a better word, violated, when I’d been planning to save myself for marriage and I can’t seem to help myself when that stupid Phase thing starts heating up my body like an engine that’s been running too hot without oil; suddenly, I’m this raging slut who wants to screw anything that walks, oh! And if that’s not bad enough, I’m some mystical werewolf with a magical hoo-ha! Then, I get kidnapped by this really, really bad guy named Ulster who has terrible plans for the world, I should let you know, and when I finally manage to get away — on my own, thank you very much — I come to the one place I thought I’d be safe and the first thing you do is try to kill me. Forgive me if I don’t think much of your managerial style.”

She finished her last bite, shoveling the meat into her mouth in an angry gesture. “That was delicious,” she snapped, privately shocked at how feral she felt inside.

She was all riled up and could almost feel the hackles of her wolf-self rising from beneath the skin. She wanted more food. That steak wasn’t nearly big enough to satisfy her hunger but she wasn’t about to ask Tieran for a single thing.

The silky smooth fabric began to chafe her tender skin and a bead of sweat dotted her hairline.

Someone had washed and bathed her sometime after she’d passed out for her epic snooze and had dressed her in a thin chemise the color of cream.

Seconds ago she’d been perfectly comfortable but now, everything felt too hot and scratchy.

Oh no.

She recognized this feeling.

Nooooo, not with him in the room!

“You need to leave,” she gritted out, swallowing as her heart rate rose. Instead, he closed the door and locked it.

To her horror, he began unbuttoning his shirt. His chest, smooth and chiseled, was the picture of male perfection. Muscle corded his stomach and tapered to tight hips. Her tongue snaked out to slide along her bottom lip.

“Please go,” she whispered, too ashamed to care that she was pleading. “I don’t want to be with you.”

he said unnecessarily. She probably had that figured out seeing as she was about to rip her chemise to shreds just to be free of anything touching her.

bared her tiny, human teeth at him. “No one

she warned. “Go get Jandin or Koris,

through the window — anything to get away — but he jerked her into his arms, hissing when their chests

Even as she cursed

down from this, I’m going to kick you in the nuts,” she promised in an angry breathless whisper seconds before she latched onto his mouth, sucking his tongue deep into her mouth as he hefted her

arms, like a puzzle piece locking into place. Cassandra didn’t know if it was the Phase that made her feel as if she’d just leapt into the arms of destiny or something else but she knew it was pointless to try and figure it out

her core liquefied with desperate need.

gasped, breaking free from

eyes darkened to

he plundered, stabbing her mouth with his tongue until she

that she would’ve found completely distasteful if she were in her right mind — but at the moment she

wrenched it back, laughing when he responded in kind, twisting a hank of her hair and

she didn’t care. A low throaty

me,” he said in a low growl as he followed her to the bed

valleys of her breasts, hips and thighs. Her knees fell open

with the need to be filled. He slapped her hand and pushed it away from her folds as he climbed her body

He smelled of something so intoxicating she couldn’t even put words to it, but she wanted to bury her nose against his groin like a woman who’d found her drug of choice.

seed in your belly. If you are

even as her brain babbled in an incoherent attempt at holding onto her sanity but the Phase

the fire that raged inside her. She wanted to feel his pup grow inside her,

grip the twin halves of her behind in both hands and squeezing with a grunt of approval. “On your

She didn’t hesitate.

herself to Tieran like this when in fact,

compliance in her head at the moment and she simply spread her knees and lifted her backside, ready and

was no teasing, no readying either. No, it was a brutal assault from the start but there was something about Tieran that made

wanted nothing to do with him, under most circumstances. But right now, she was infected with the insatiable need to feel him inside her, thrusting into her