18

G E O R G I E

✿

We had exited the dining room and crossed the entrance hall, which was lit by beautifully ornate candelabra. As we walked out of the palace onto the arcade, I said quietly to Beau, "Leave Isaac alone."

Beau, walking down the narrow aisle with me, was dressed all in black today. His T-shirt flapped gently from the gusts of wind that blew through the open arched pillars. "He follows you around like a lovesick lapdog that you can boss around at will."

We passed through one of the arched pillars. The deserted training field on which we were now standing was spacious and stretched to the beginning of the forest.

"That's not true," I said simply. I was tired of arguing with him. My energy reserves were not enough for that. All I wanted now was a hot shower and a warm bed.

Beau snorted. "Why are you even defending him? Doesn't he have balls to do it himself?'

My black boots got wet from the damp grass. "Beau, cut it out," I said, at the end of my nerves. I was done. First we quarreled this morning, then pirates came to our territory. I found out that I had to leave my hut. The cabin that embodied my home. my independence. My self-gained freedom. And now he wanted to discuss Isaac with me? I sighed wearily. “Isaac is my friend, okay? And he is important to me.”

Beau said nothing more and quietly led me across the training field into the forest. He was angry.

Incorrect.

He was angry and jealous. But I didn't know which of the two was jealous, because the wolf shimmered in his eyes. Who was I looking at? The wolf or the man? Because Beau was so much a wolf that it was almost impossible to separate them.

Without giving it much thought, I trotted along beside him. Thanks to the werewolves' night vision, I was able to find my way around in the dark.

The way to his hut was silent. I didn't have the words to have a proper conversation and I didn't want to voice the questions that were racing through my head.

Why do you insist on wanting me as a protégé?

Why does the cut on my cheek bother you?

Why did you forbid Isaac to help me?

Why, why, why. I had so many questions on the tip of my tongue and yet I didn't have the courage to ask them.

I stopped in front of his house with my lips slightly parted. The rustic house, which blended in part with the rock face that jutted out behind it, was crafted from a mix of stone and wood. It was just as rough and wild as Beau herself.

He opened the door. "After you."

As soon as I could marvel at it from the inside, my fascination grew. It was more of a cave than a house.

I roamed his open-plan, one-story apartment, which had no dividing wall. I liked that too. I hated locked rooms. In my apartment I always left all the doors wide open for fear that they might suddenly be locked. I could already see my hands jerking at the hinge. My nails breaking trying to get out. Fists banging wildly against the wooden door.

I shook off the cruel notion and continued to roam his house. My fingers slid over the gray wall that merged into the rock face at one point and as they ran over the slightly uneven stone wall I was amazed that it didn't feel as rough as I first thought. You wouldn't dig into it.

The living room was spacious, as was the adjoining dining area. It was furnished in a very spartan and masculine manner, no item too many. And there were big windows everywhere. As soon as the sun would rise, it would be flooded with light and bright.

I stroked the slate gray dining table top. A colorful bouquet of flowers that looked as if they had been freshly picked stood on it in a light-colored vase.

These were clearly traces of a woman.

Beau cleared his throat and I turned to face him. He was still standing in the entrance.

"It's very nice here," I said.

"You can take the bed." He indicated the rear sleeping area.

When I saw the large double bed, my diaphragm tightened. I bit my lip to distract from the tingling in my stomach. "Oh, and where do you sleep then?"

"I'll take the couch."

I looked at the brown leather sofa. While it wasn't exactly tiny, it definitely wasn't long enough to lie on comfortably and relaxed for its size. "I don't mind taking the couch if you-"

"I'll take the couch," he interrupted impatiently. "Do you need anything else?"

I shook my head. He distanced himself from me. Yet again. The mate band pulled painfully between us.

He must have felt it too, because at that moment he said, "I'm doing a lap. You should go to sleep."

My fingernails dug into my palm. I wanted to be strong, but I feared my demons would return if he left me alone. "You go?"

He looked at me as if an answer to my question was superfluous.

The fear was on my neck. "But it's late and emm...I...well..." I got caught up in my own words.

"What?"

I clasped my hands together. Squeezed her tight. "Will you come back?"

"You are my protégé Georgie," he simply replied. "You'll be fine as long as you're in my territory."

"Okay." I nodded. So it was the wolf who wanted my safety after all. Dominant wolves were jealous and possessive. But not the man in Beau. How could I have even thought that he cared about me? How could I have thought that he would realize how upset I was from this morning? How could I have thought that if I needed him, something would change?

The tingling in my stomach stopped. Would I ever reach the man behind it? behind the wolf? Behind his barely contained anger?

Then let your charm play.

Blair's words spat around in my head. And it was the moment I decided to put a stop to my resurrected demons, at least for a brief moment, and focus on what really mattered. my mate My soulmate.

Well. Then I would try it in a different way. 'Can you at least lend me something? I have no other clothes.”

And these were really dirty. It was still the same black leggings and pink top I wore to practice this morning.

He crossed his apartment, opened the dark wooden chest of drawers in the sleeping area and handed me a large black shirt and jogging pants.

I went to him, pulling his clothes on me like they were treasures to protect. "Do you have a sweater too?"

"No." He closed the dresser and turned back to me. He eyed me as if I were some suspect animal to study. "You freeze at night?"

I shrugged and enjoyed his gaze on me. He stood in front of me. In his bedroom. His bed to our left. How about falling asleep next to him? His arm around me, his chest on my back. His breathing on my neck. And his warm, supple skin against mine.

"Will there be another answer or have you lost your tongue?" he teased me sarcastically. His eyes twinkled with amusement.

I blinked. He looked at me expectantly. "Yes. Yes, I'm freezing.' I reeled. After that, I turned my back on him and laid his clothes on the charcoal gray bedspread.

"What?" Behind me, Beau laughed. "You're the only werewolf in all of Semeera who's cold."

I stared at the long mirror that was in the corner and then at the clothes in front of me. "Hm, maybe." I murmured. Then I took a deep breath and put my hands on the bottom hem of my shirt. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?

Gathering up my courage, I slowly began removing my pink top.

Through the mirror I saw Beau tense. His muscles bulged. His face hardened. "What are you doing?" he said in a voice that had dropped octaves.

"Change clothes, what else?" I replied calmly. I stripped off my top and it landed on the floor. Now I was just standing there in my sports bra and leggings. I threw my hair over my shoulders to show my cleavage. Then I looked up and smiled at him through the mirror.

A thousand butterflies fluttered in my stomach as I met the brightly lit eyes, in which a hunger burned that struck me like lightning. Fingers trembling with excitement, I gently traced my torso, my hips, and my leggings. I slipped my fingers under the waistband of my leggings and pushed them down an inch.

"Stop!" Beau growled, his fists shaking against his body.

"Why?" I tilted my head. Met his intoxicated gaze through the mirror. "Don't be a spoilsport."

I pulled my high-waisted leggings down a little further. Exposed more skin. Then his hands were on mine, holding them tight.

"Stop that right now," he said, but the anger in it was being smothered by raw desire. His hands were hot, felt like heaven on my skin. He looked at me through the mirror, his face over my shoulder.

My lips curled into a smug smile. "With what? Please enlighten me.”

His eyes were drawn to my chest, which was heaving under my heavy breathing, like moths to a flame. As they attached themselves to my neckline, they darkened. He slowly let his shimmering gaze wander over me, taking in every exposed part of my skin.

"You want me to enlighten you?"

His hot gaze felt like leaving a burning kiss trail. I wished his hands would follow his gaze. His fingers stroking my skin. And then grabbed tight.

As if reading my thoughts, his grip twitched. “Then let me tell you one thing. You don't play with dominant wolves. And you certainly don't challenge them. Unless you're willing to finish the game to the end."

The sexual tension was thick in the air, enveloping us and making it difficult for me to keep breathing. We both knew what game this was about. "I won't stop if you don't either," I said breathlessly, then took a step back.

Before my back could touch him, however, he grabbed my waist and spun me around. My legs hit the edge of the bed.

"So this is what you want?"

I had to lean back to look at him. My hands gripped his upper arms. "Yes." I whispered.

He grabbed my chin. held it tight "You want something I can't give you."

"Then you want me to ask Isaac about it?"

His claws shot out. "If you want me to rip out his guts."

Our faces were so close I could feel his breath. "That would be a pity," I replied.

"See. Then stay away from him."

Heat shot right between my legs at his possessive gaze. My fingers dug into his skin, making him growl. "Let's see."

His hand, which was in my back, pressed me closer to him. He looked at me with a wicked smile. "You could get five extra pull-ups for that, you know?"

I wanted to kiss that smile. I wanted to yank him down and press my mouth onto his. I wet my lips. "I'll take that risk."

His eyes followed my tongue. And I knew he wanted to kiss me. That he wanted to stick out his fangs and dig into my skin. I read it on his face, felt it through the band. And that's exactly why I knew that something changed in him immediately afterwards.

He backed away. "See you tomorrow, Georgie." Then he let go of me and all I could hear was the door slamming shut as I flopped onto the bed. I smiled, hand on my chin, still feeling his grip.

That need, that burning hunger on his face. Beau wanted me. And not just the wolf in him. Those dark green burning eyes. Those were human eyes.

Oh Blair, you are a genius.

I stripped off the rest of my clothes, then slipped into his clothes, and then slid under his heavy covers, snuggled in his scent. I fell asleep calmly and had no idea of the shadow creatures that found their way into the Semerian coniferous forests that night.