Page 12 of Demon Rejected
4
Mountain Man
I knew this girl was trouble from the moment I saw her for the first time.
My people and I kept these mental institutions under close surveillance. They used them as cover to find and use people like us. When my men sent me her file, I was sure she was one of the last fire wolves that still lived. Maybe even the last. I checked her file. The fire was like a burning trace from her childhood to this day. Nothing about her indicated she was mean or evil—just a young girl, scared and alone with abilities she didn’t understand.
Only my treacherous body reacted to her the moment I saw her picture. She was everything I found attractive and considered beautiful in a woman. Brave, strong, a redhead, and damn, she was crazy. I always had a soft spot for the crazy chicks.
I gave up on women long ago, especially on crazy redheads that sneaked nights into my dreams and made my body burn with need and desire in a way it should not, not for my protégé, not for a young wolf that was confused and had lived a life that left deep painful scars on her soul. I told myself I would get over it, that as soon as I met her, my stupid infatuation with her would come to an end. I was wrong, damn, so wrong. The moment I saw her in that hospital bed, strapped down, hurting and bleeding, I knew something in my heart broke. I was ready to burn down heaven and hell to keep her safe. When all these feelings swim close to the surface, I pushed them down again. She looks cute, even wearing my clothes that are way too big on her. No, Matt, stop, don’t be an idiot. Whatever my crazy mind painted for a few minutes, this was impossible.
She holds the knife wrong. I can smell her fear and adrenaline all the way. Her eyes sparkle, blue in blue like the sky on a clear summer day.
She’s just another girl I saved and will train. Another girl is going to get a chance to make her own choices. I never had a problem staying away emotionally from my protégé.
My job is to teach them how to fight and how to understand their wolf beast. Then they get to choose if they want a so-called normal life or join us in our efforts of defeating them, the bad guys. She’ll soon be strong enough, but letting her go in her present condition is suicide.
She isn’t even sure that she is a wolf. From what I read in her file, she talked about a wolf made of flames during her childhood, but she stopped when she turned twelve. It’s understandable no one believed her, and she was smart enough to adapt and change her story to something that worked and gave her the smallest amount of grief.
Her hands shiver, and her skin is clammy. If I show her what I mean, maybe then she will understand how special she is.
One by one, I opened the buttons on my flannel shirt and, just for a second, I had the feeling that there was a spark of interest in her eyes. No, no, no, this is just a teacher-student thing. I need to show her who I am, what I am. Shifting comes easy for me. It always was. All I have to do is take a deep breath and allow my body to melt into the right shape, the shape of an enormous grey wolf with green eyes.
Everything happened so fast in just one heartbeat.
I shifted, and she put the knife to her throat and pushed down on that soft white skin of hers. Just a second before, her eyes looked lost, glazed over and scared as if everything was too much for the Little Flame.
No, no, no!
Instinct took over. I had to save her. It was what I had to do right that second. I jumped toward her and landed on top of her. Then, in a blur of motion, the knife flew away from her throat. The cut was not deep. It was only superficial. I nudged her and licked the blood away to allow her healing process to kick in. Because she’s a wolf, the tissue started to knit together right then and there, under my own eyes. It was incredible to watch.
My dear silly girl, she was so scared, so broken. She fainted as my wolf licked her clean of the blood. Her breathing was calm and regular. Good.
I shifted back, a bit self-conscious about being naked next to her, but the ground in the mountains is not the best place to lay down. The last thing she needed was to get cold.
Scarlett was light as a feather. Her body felt as if it belonged in my arms, my muscles coiled and my cock stood up. No, please, no. My wolf started howling inside me.
Mate, mate, mate!
I never believed the legend that said that there is just one wolf out there for each of us. One other wolf that is perfect, that you are perfect for in all aspects and that this wolf is your mate. What I felt now for her was the mating bond. I was ready to do everything it took to make sure she was happy.
My sweet girl pressed her forehead against my naked chest. The things she did to me just by existing made me dizzy with desire.
No, Matt, you must help her, not seduce her
My wolf was anxious to do something. The best thing that I could do for her was be here and try to give her time. Unfortunately, there is no therapy for wolf shifters. Scarlett is strong. I feel her fire.
As I walk her back into the cabin, I tuck her into bed and lay my sleeping bag next to her on the floor. I have another cabin down the stream. I left the other students alone here and went to sleep there, but I can’t leave Little Flame. She is so fragile and scared.
Before laying down to relax, I put on a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. There is no need to put boxers on. I’ll just go commando. I’m a shifter, and most of us are warm most of the time. Little Flame should also be warm but, as I touch her hand, she is freezing.
What did they do to her in those labs?
I hate waking her, but she needs to drink and eat to recover. Our wolf does the work, but the wolf needs fuel, and food is fuel. Before waking her, I heated a spaghetti and meatballs dish I made for today and put some in a bowl. Her hands shook so hard, she couldn’t handle a normal plate.
My fingers touch her shoulder, and I shake her softly. “Little Flame, wake up."
Her eyebrows cringe in a cute gesture. She tries to hide her face into the pillow. Darkness took over the sky. The fire burned inside the fireplace.