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I lift my hand and stop him midway, with a hand over his soft lips, and close my eyes tight while I try to regain some control and attempts to rationalize. Breathing in and out and slowly, counting to ten while praying my body calms down and saves me from my own weakness. Colton halts, sensing my change, and has the decency to sit still and not push me. I swear, if he did, I would lose and probably traumatize the doc with a vulgar display of porn in the infirmary. I honestly, for a second, thank the stars Colton doesn’t force my hand, even though his own need is almost overpowering me.

We clearly have the attraction, and every day the haze gets closer my own body will start to betray me, just like this. I turned this year, so this will be my first heat, and god, it’s going to kill me if this is anything to go by. Maybe this is that, creeping in, or maybe it’s just the downside to imprinting, so that when we get too intimate the need to screw gets right in there, but whatever it is, it’s a reminder to stay away from him like this from now on. Close contact is a no. We can’t fight it.

“Don’t. Some things I can’t forgive. You’re just making this messy.” I shove him back forcefully, my voice shaking, not able to breathe properly, a whispering tone as I slide off his lap, getting on my own two feet on Jell-O legs and a lot of lightheadedness. I avoid his eyes, but Colton isn’t about to give up.

He catches me by the waist and pulls me to him bodily, so I collide into his now standing frame, and almost crumble. Maybe it’s a last-ditch attempt to play on what’s already ignited between us and throwing caution to the wind, but I’m getting stronger by the second now I haven’t got him all around me, hemming me in.

“Are you really going to stay mad at me for an eternity and deny this between us? Come on, baby. I get that you’re angry, but really? Never? When it feels like this? When we both want it this much.” He leans in, aiming to carry on his smooth seduction, nuzzling into me as though this is merely my being a stubborn girl, and this is all a game. Pulling me up against him and wrapping me in tight as he tries for a second go at aiming a kiss, but it riles my temper, and I snap. From lust crazed to pissed in zero point five seconds.

“Colton, stop it, let me go.” I start fighting him, but he has octopus arms and manages to get me tangled up with him no matter which way I tray and escape.

“No can do. It’s not in me to let you go again. You’ve got me crazy right now.” He makes a joke of it, pinning my arms around me and swiftly leans in to peck me on the lips and gets himself a knee to the groin. I’m not playing, and I know I started this, but I’m stopping it now, and he needs to accept it and fuck off.

Colton is faster than me though, blocks my assault and just gives me that cheeky boy, dimpled grin that infuriates me. Making light of the heaviness that’s between us and pushing my mood off like water on a duck’s back.

“Nice try. Good to see your time without me brought out the fierce. I like a bit of rough in a girl.” He slowly unwinds me, chuckling at my furious glare, and then leans in, cups my face, steals a quick lip to lip kiss before I slap him hard in the abdomen for doing it against my will. Crossing the line even if a second ago I was begging for it.

He makes an ‘oof’ noise, clutches it, then throws up defensive palms and laughs at me. He’s not deterred, or mad, he’s seeing that little thing between us as a ray of hope that he might get his way if he plays his cards right and might even take advantage of getting up close again. My hackles rise, and I go into defensive mode, eyes glowing with warning that he needs to back off. Insides calming from what that was and instead igniting in fury, ready to claw him half to death.

“Okay, I surrender, red eyes. I get it. You need more time and I need to up my apology game. Maybe calm my testosterone while I’m at it.” That smug, cute boy face, and the bro mannerisms, as he adjusts his own black sweats and rolls his shoulder to relieve some of his own sexual tension.

“You need to go choke.” I snap at him sulkily, pushing past him in barging for the direction of the door, irritated by him, at him, at me. So annoyed that he took liberties when I was showing weakness and pissed me off all the more.

“It’s not a preference, but if it gets you hot, I’m into trying it.” He adds with a raised brow, that complete inappropriate sexual innuendo getting another slap in response as I spin on him, instinct making me lash out to maim the asshole and he cowers away playfully, laughing harder at me and clutching his side as though hilarity is painful. Utterly entertained at my amusing him. Not fazed by my anger one bit. Not taking this seriously at all, and not injured by my feeble aims … this guy who was literally seconds away from betraying his new mate bond and cheating on his Luna.

JERK!!

He backs away with a raised set of hands, that goofy smile of adoration, looking at me in that wicked devilish way that makes my blood boil. All happy, teenage asshat, who doesn’t see anything wrong in what just went down.

“Honestly, you just … arghhh” I half growl at him, self-combusting with sheer frustration, and pent up rage. No longer willing to play this weird whatever it is, losing my cool, and being as immature as him. I turn again, go to storm out of the infirmary, fueled with hot anger and returned hatred. Seeing the doc and medic glancing my way as I stomp my hardest towards the door, glad they didn’t actually see us getting hot and heavy back there and throw daggers back at the room I’m leaving.

I walk smack bang into an incoming figure in the doorway, and almost trip over them in the process, muffling a shocked yelp as they right me to my feet with a mumbled apology, and then look past me directly.

“Alpha … we have incoming.” It’s a low tense sentence and my heart stops beating. It shuts me up, my blood runs cold and I mentally try and calculate if it’s been long enough for Deacon and his pack to get here. It’s only been a couple of hours, surely it can’t be. My blood runs cold, cooling my jets, and dispersing my tantrum as seriousness makes me turn to look back at Colton standing in the room by the bed.

Colton mentioned attacks…. maybe it’s Juan and his men, or maybe it’s vampires. I feel instantly sick, my insides turning to dust, but Colton springs into action, the ever-ready warrior, the smile fading and the carefree dropping around his feet. He seems to grow taller, look stronger, his eyes turning to a low glowing amber as his expression calms completely. A born leader pushing everything else aside when faced with an actual threat.

“It’s showtime!” He sounds out confidently, those eyes burning brighter as he bristles up and gets ready to go out there and take down whatever threat is coming for his people.