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.”

figured out seeing as she was about to rip her chemise to shreds just to be free of anything

her tiny, human teeth at him. “No one will touch

fuck away from me,” she warned. “Go get Jandin

to get away — but he jerked

boiling. God, she hated this! Even as she cursed him,

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

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

as her core liquefied with desperate need.

like there’s a fire beneath your skin,” he gasped, breaking free from

the possessive imprint on her skin. His eyes darkened to a wild hue as

stabbing her mouth

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

hair and wrenched it back, laughing when he responded

that baffled but she didn’t care. A low throaty

growl as he followed

hips and thighs. Her knees

filled. He slapped her hand and pushed it away from her folds as he climbed her body with the grace of an animal; all

like a sensual slap. 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

you are to whelp a pup that will rule this

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

touch and taste. She wanted Tieran to bathe her insides with his seed and calm the fire that raged inside her. She wanted to feel his pup grow inside

a grunt of approval. “On

She didn’t hesitate.

herself to Tieran like this when in fact, if she were completely lucid, she would’ve told

but eager compliance in her head at the moment and she simply spread her knees and

either. No, it was a brutal assault from the start but there was something about Tieran that made her heart sing even as she would’ve been happy to deny it.

the insatiable need to feel him inside her, thrusting into her with the same reckless abandon as they tumbled down the rabbit’s hole