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.”

was about to rip her chemise

his chest when she actually bared her tiny, human teeth at him. “No one will

me,” she warned. “Go get Jandin or Koris, or Cristophe for fuck’s sake;

anything to get away — but he jerked her into his arms,

panted, her insides boiling. God, she hated this! Even as she cursed him, she rubbed

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

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

as her core liquefied

he gasped, breaking free from her ravenous kiss. He cupped her behind and

thrilled at the possessive imprint on her skin. His eyes darkened to a

plundered, stabbing her mouth with

distasteful if she were in her right

responded in kind,

baffled but she didn’t care. A low throaty laugh followed and he threw her

than you like me,” he said in a low growl as he followed

as he feasted on the curves and valleys of her breasts, hips

it away from her folds as he climbed her body with the grace of

it, but she wanted to bury her nose against his groin like a woman who’d found her drug of

in your belly. If you are to whelp a pup that will rule this world, it

incoherent attempt at holding onto her sanity but the Phase would not be

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 her, beneath her heart, which

a grunt of approval. “On your knees,” he demanded, his voice tight. “I

She didn’t hesitate.

to offer herself to Tieran like this when in

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

start but there was something about Tieran that made her heart sing

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 with the same reckless abandon as they tumbled down the rabbit’s hole of