A Wolf Scorned by Taylor Spratt

Amira

Scanning the surrounding forest, I slowly ventured away from the training area and into the trees.

Silly Callum. Leaving me all alone and expecting me not run away? Looked like I gave him way more credit than he deserved. Today would be the day I kissed the blood moon shifters goodbye and started my life as a free wolf.

My shoes landed on a patch of moss when the crackle of a branch snapping sounded behind me.

I spun on my heels to see a friendly pair of eyes, looking around the area before finally catching sight of me.

“There you are, Amira!” Miles waved excitedly in my direction. “Callum told me your training session was over for the day, so I came to see if you wanted to hang out.”

“Miles, what a pleasant surprise,” I said nervously, praying to the Goddess he hadn’t noticed what I was just trying to do.

“Yeah, there’s something cool I really wanna show you. Come on. It’ll be great.” Stomping over a few wild flowers that separated us, Miles narrowed the distance between us. “Trust me, you’ll love it!”

His eyes were alight with a childlike wonder so pure I couldn’t bear to turn him down. So, I nodded and he picked me up and gave me the sweetest and cuddliest bear hug.

Without giving away his surprise, he set me back on the ground, took a firm grip of my hand and led me back through the trees toward the cabin.

* * *

Miles blewthrough the front door of the cabin like a hurricane and ran up the stairs like an Olympian, with me struggling to keep up with him.

“Where's the fire, Miles?” I said, slipping over the steps as he merrily pulled me along for the joy ride.

“Oh you’ll see in just a second.”

At his door he paused, and turned to look at me. The eagerness exploded in his eyes and this large man hopped about like a snickering kid, looking like he was about to jump out of his own skin.

“Close your eyes and prepare to be amazed.”

“This better not be one of your pranks,” I warned, closing my eyes.

“Oh no. It’s a million times better than that,” he said before putting his hands on my shoulders and leading me into his bedroom.

Once inside, Miles told me I could open them and when I did, I could not believe my eyes. My jaw dropped to the floor and my body trembled uncontrollably.

“Miles.” My voice shook so fervently you could barely make out what I’d said. “What the hell is that thing?”

“Isn’t it great? It just arrived this morning.” Miles folded his arms, eyeing my surprise with a look of absolute delight.

Taking up most of the wall space on the left side of the room sat an enormous tank filled with water. And what swam around inside was something I’d only ever seen in picture books, and dreaded the day I might actually come face to face with one.

“Shark!” I cried, zooming for the exit so fast my feet never touched the floor.

“Hey now. It’s only a nurse shark, and a young one at that. It’s totally harmless.” Miles cut me off at the door, patting me on the back reassuringly, directing me back over to the tank.

“A nurse shark? So then it doesn't eat people?” I peered through the glass watching the sleek, grey creature effortlessly swim from one end of the tank to the next like a water ballerina. “It really is magnificent.”

“It truly is,” Miles murmured, seeming lost in his own world. At the corner of my eyes, I glimpsed Miles leaning in and stealing a whiff of my hair.

“Did you just sniff me, Miles?” I swung in his direction, and his cheeks went red at the accusation.

“Well- I. I- Um,” he stuttered raising both hands like a suspect to the police. “I just love your scent. It’s like daisies mixed with honey and lemon. Forgive me for my rudeness.”

He took a gentlemanly bow and raised his head to say. “You’ve got my permission to sniff me if you like.”

He shot me a playful wink and I bopped him in the arm.

“You're such a little joker. But I can’t believe you actually like my scent. Everyone in the hole hated the way I smell. They said I had a half-breed stink. At least now I know why.”

“What?” Miles rubbed at his arm, his head tilting in confusion. “Their noses must have been broken. You have the most unique and lovely scent I’ve ever sniffed.”

“Are you flirting with me, Miles?”

His head jerked back at the openness of my question. “I’d imagine a beautiful lady like you was used to being flirted with.”

Thoughts of my time in the hole flashed through my mind. Every crush I ever had growing up had always rejected me, most of them liking Riley instead.

“Oh yeah, tons of flirting,” I lied, wanting more than anything to change the subject.

Seeming to notice my sudden dip in mood, Miles sauntered over to the tank and said, “Well then, you ready to pet her?”

“Excuse me?”

“Are you ready to pet the shark, silly,” he said as if he thought that the thing were a puppy and not a damn shark.

I moved away from the tank, shaking my head so vigorously I thought my neck might break.

“Come on, it's perfectly safe. I promise you she won't bite.” He waved inwardly before going over to one end of the tank, and climbed a small staircase and peered down into the water from above.

To my horror, that crazy wolf stuck his hand right into the water and the shark swam over to him. Miles pet the creature gently, as she snuggled against his hand like a good little baby.

“See, I told ya. She wouldn't hurt a fly.” Miles popped a little piece of meat from a container on the rim of the tank and dropped into the water. The shark gobbled it in one bite before swimming back to her owner for more underwater hand cuddling.

“I do not believe this.”

“Come on then. Don’t let me have all the fun.” Miles jumped down from the top of the staircase, flying over six steps to land on the floor. “Your turn.”

I shuffled away from his outstretched hand.

“Come on, Amira. You trust me, right?” Miles shot me a million watt smile, making his already gorgeous face twinkle.

Goddess, why did he have to be so scrumptious?

I was still unsure, but when I thought about all the things I'd missed out on in life during my time in the hole, I decided to give it a try.

With Miles's help I climbed the steps, and he held my waist every step of the way so I didn’t fall, Goddess forbid, into the tank.

From the top of the stairs, I glimpsed the shark swimming nearer to me.

Miles's chest pressed against my back like a giant wall of protection. That made me feel more secure, even as the shark swam uncomfortably close.

Miles's breath tickled the back of my neck, stealing my attention from the nearing shark and making me more aware of his presence. That, more than even the shark, made my heart pound.

“Here it comes.” Miles pierced my thought bubble, bringing me back to reality. “Just keep your hand flat and gently glide it along her side.”

My finger touched the water and I pulled it back as anxiety churned in my belly.

“Here, I got you.” Miles’s touch was gentle as he took my hand and slowly lowered it into the water.

My forehead grew sweaty as the shark swam right up to my hand and nestled itself into my palm. It was cool to the touch, and smoother than I thought it would be.

“Okay, fine. This is actually pretty cool.” I hopped from one foot to the other as the shark playfully rubbed itself against my hand.

“See, I knew you’d love it.” Losing himself in the moment, Miles wrapped his free arm tighter around my waist and leaned in to snuggle his face into the curve of my neck.

The feel of his warm skin caressing mine was like magic, and I shuddered.

His head shifted upward and our eyes met. His face was so near to mine our breaths mixed with one another.

Neither of us uttered a word as our eyes did all the talking. A feral hunger ignited in the depths of his hazel eyes. The power of his need fed into my own like gas to a flame.

There was something between us I couldn't find a name for. But whatever it was, it was slowly making my body whole and filling my mind with things too dirty to repeat.

“Amira,” he whispered, in a voice so deep and smooth it sounded like music. His eyes drifted closed as if he were lost in the same sweet dream I was.

Slowly his lips drew nearer to mine and I ogled their soft pinkness.

Scrumptious.

My eyes closed as I happily surrendered myself to this moment, and to Miles.

His lips tickled over mine so briefly they could have been mistaken for air. He moaned and took a breath, savoring the moment. I felt him near my lips once more and this time I knew they would touch.

A sharp pain lit up my finger from where it was submerged in the water.

“Milesssss, aaaaaaaaaahhhhh!” What was meant to be a whisper quickly turned into a startled yell.

The shark’s dorsal fin had grazed my finger at such an angle as to cut my flesh.

I pulled my hand from the water. Miles scooped me up princess style and carried me off the ladder and to the bed.

“Oh, my God. I’m so sorry. This is all my fault.” Guilt stricken,; Miles took my hand, studying the wound with furrowed brows.

“It’s not that deep, and trust me, it’s not your fault. I have terrible luck with animals,” I assured him, trying to pull back my hand. But he held it in a grip so tight that was impossible. “I used to have a bluebird. I nursed him back to health after a storm blew him into the hole. That little guy ditched me as soon as he got the chance. So, as I said, I’ve got no luck with animals.”

“I’m sorry to hear about your bird. But I’m far more worried about the fact that you're still bleeding.” Miles watched every drop of blood that fell from my finger and landed on the floor, seeming more concerned with every drip.

Seeming to have made up his mind, he stuck my finger into his mouth and began licking it.

This was the second time in less than a week that Miles had put my fingers in his mouth. I wasn’t complaining. But at a certain point, I did have to wonder if he just enjoyed tasting my fingers.

He sucked at the finger, and his tongue tightened around it, a jolt of both pain and pleasure surging through me.

He continued sucking and a warm sensation jetted right between my legs making me rub my knees together.

I gasped and his eyes flashed to mine. Embarrassment warmed my cheeks, and his expression went from one of concern to a fiendish little grin, like he was bent on seeing what other sounds I could make.

He popped my finger out of his mouth and gently traced his tongue over the tip. His tongue’s caress was so slow, so sensually seductive, I could practically hear his every dirty thought. His gaze burned into mine as he continued running his tongue back and forth over my wounded finger.

In a swift and deliberate move, he maneuvered himself on the bed and plopped me in his lap.

“Do you still feel pain, Amira?” Miles held me against his rock hard chest, cradling me to him.

“No, thanks to you all the pain is gone.” I spoke so softly even I could barely hear myself.

He lightly pinched my chin between his thumb and forefinger, and guided me to meet his fiery gaze.

“Good,” he breathed and the minty sweetness of his breath tantalized my nose. “Because I never want to cause you pain. This might sound strange, but from the moment we met, I felt an instinctive need to protect you.”

Miles ran the pad of his fingers from my wrist up my arm, my skin tingling in the sweetest of ways. His fingers trailed up my arm all the way to my neck.

He combed his fingers through my thick red hair, eyeing each strand as if they’d been made of gold.

“You're just so small. I’m afraid you might disappear.” Miles pressed a gentle kiss to my neck and my head fell back, desperate for more.

He continued kissing my neck and with each kiss, I fell deeper and deeper into his dark embrace. “My wolf cannot bear the thought of losing you.”

He came in and stole my lips with his. It was a slow clash at first, but heat burned through my body as his tongue slid past my lips.

Our tongues merged in a slippery dance as he explored the cavern of my mouth. I’d never been kissed before, but I’d often imagined what my first kiss would be like. This was a million times better than my wildest dreams.

His tongue emerged and glided over my lower lip in a show of fiery possession. With his every eager stroke I became more and more his.

With every lick, a jolt of white-hot need shot down to my pussy, making it spasm and burn with a heightening want that only Miles could ever satisfy.

His lips ventured down my neck and he kissed my upper chest. One by one, he plucked the buttons of my top open, until he could see my pink bra entirely.

His tongue greedily explored the tops of my breasts and my back straightened as my body began trembling from the pressure that slowly built up between my legs, threatening to explode.

I couldn’t handle all these emotions and the feelings that came along with them. It was too much too soon, so I pulled away.

Miles immediately released me and I hopped off the bed.

“I’m so sorry. I thought you- I thought you wanted to…” Miles sprang to his feet with worry knitting his brows. His tone profusely apologetic as if he thought he’d done something wrong.

“No, no you don’t need to apologize. It’s just that -well. I’ve never done anything like this before.” I took hold of his arm, rubbing my thumb over his bicep trying to put his mind at ease.

“Wait, so you’ve never… ohhhh. Now I get it.” His lips turned up to show all his teeth and he nodded in sudden realization. “Again, I’m really sorry.”

“No, no need to be sorry. I actually really liked it,” I blurted, and his expression went blank as a sheet of paper.

I took a large step for the door, as embarrassment now ate away at me from the inside.

“Did I just say that out loud?” I asked, and he nodded with a satisfied chuckle.

“Well then, at the risk of embarrassing myself further, goodnight Miles. I’d better get some sleep before Syrus’s training session tomorrow.”

“He’ll be putting you through the wringer. With Syrus that's guaranteed,” Miles agreed, and he watched me back away.

My back hit the closed door hard and I turned to fidget with the nob.

“Yeah, you just, um, turn that a little to the left.”

“Yup, I got it.” I opened the door and turned to face Miles once more. “Well, g’night then!”

“Oh, and Amira. I hear there might be some rain and thunder tonight. If you get scared and need some company, just remember, I’m right down the hall.” He shot me a wink and a wicked grin.

“I’ll keep that in mind”, I said, closing the door.

I traveled down the hallway toward my room. The entire way there my body burned from withdrawal. I craved Miles and wanted more of him than I’d care to ever say.

But I couldn't afford to let this continue. One day, sooner or later, I was going to leave the blood moon shifters behind. And when that day came I needed to protect Miles’s heart and my own. If I didn’t, then we’d both end up in a dark hole from which there'd be no return.

I took a look through the window that ran along the upstairs hallway and the moon was high in the sky. I needed to get washed up and in bed soon if I was going to be at my best for tomorrow.

If Callum’s training session was anything to go by, then at Syrus’s training tomorrow I was going to learn the true meaning of hell.