Page 26 of Alpha Chained

She moves closer, and I take a deep breath. God, she smells good. It’s been a long time since I scented freedom, but I imagine this must be what it’s like. I think of a sea of blooms beneath the full moon, and the wolf in me prowls restlessly. I squeeze my eyes shut.

“Are you okay?” she asks.

“Sure,” I lie. “Roll on your side. I’ll settle behind you…if you’re comfortable that way. How is your arm feeling?”

“It’s sore…but better.” Her voice is hoarse. I hear her swallow as I press up behind her, sliding an arm over her waist. The urge to pull her tighter to me is riding me hard, and that would be a mistake. Because, yet again, I’m feeling a tugging in my balls. And the last thing I want to do is scare the hell out of her by having my cock pressing up between her butt cheeks.

“You good?” I ask. Her hair is soft and fragrant against my face. It tickles slightly, but I really don’t care.

“I’m… Yes. I’m fine.” She doesn’t sound very convincing. “Just…don’t get any ideas, okay?”

“I’m not that desperate, Raura,” I tell her.

Oh, you poor deluded bastard. You are totally that desperate.

“Okay,” she says in a small voice. She’s still so tense I can feel it radiating from her.

“Talk to me,” I tell her, hoping it will help her relax. And suddenly I realize that I want to hear her voice. “Tell me about what the world is like out there.”

The world out there.

Fuck. I can barely remember it anymore.

“The world out there?”

“Yes. What is it like now?” I’m not just trying to calm her. I crave details about the life I lost.

“It’s okay, I guess. What do you want to know?”

“Anything. Tell me anything.” I hold her closer, burying my face in her hair. “Tell me what your days are like. Your life. Who do you speak to? What do you do?”

There’s a pause, and then she says, “Alright…” Her words begin to wash over me in a soothing flow as I soak in the tiny details – the books she reads, the daily chores, the trips she’s made to the human cities, and how curious she finds them. I take it all in, my mind storing every little fact.

And I’m in trouble.

I know it more clearly than anything I’ve known in a long time.

The way that I want to hold onto the sound of her voice…to hold onto her… It’s all a mistake.

I’ve faced Death a thousand times in the past years, but suddenly, this feels like the most dangerous thing I’ve ever done.

This feels like something that is really going to hurt me.

Chapter 11

Raura

I’m floating on a cloud, and it feels sublime. I’m warm and safe, and the world is wonderful. Taking in a deep breath, I nuzzle closer into the warmth against my face.

And then I stop.

Because my cheek is pressed up against a firm slab of muscle that is definitely not a freaking cloud.

My eyes flash open, and I stiffen. Riot is on his back, and I’m curled up against his side. At some point, I’ve rolled over and snuggled up against him. I’ve draped an arm over his chest, and my knee is hooked up over his thighs. He must have tugged the covers over us during the night because the bedclothes are up over my hips, but my bare breasts are mashed against his ribcage.

Oh….shit!

This is not good.