Page 28 of Demon Rejected

If this was just work-related, why was my heart beating inside my chest like a small bird going crazy inside a cage?

Matt spent his time in the smaller cabin that was a few yards away, so close to me and still so far.

That evening I did my best to look nice. Stepping out of the shower, I looked at myself in the mirror. My long legs are strong and toned now, capable of running and sprinting, strong pistons that propel my body. My arms have lost that softness they had. The muscles look defined and, damn, if that isn’t the outline of a pale six-pack. My hips are still round and feminine, and my breasts look round and full. My hair grew like crazy as a result of this healthy life. It was always thick and shiny, floating around my shoulders. During the last few weeks, my hair grew to the middle of my back, turning into a thick blanket of cherry red hair. It was the same shade as fire when it’s about to fade, or as the sky when the sun melts behind the horizon.

I was weak before. Now I am strong and capable. My fitness is so much better, but Matt taught me all these dirty fight moves I’m ready to use if needed. A few weeks ago, I would have been unable to throw a punch. Now, not only can I throw a decent punch, but I can follow through with a nice kick and make sure to smash my enemy’s nose. A man with a bleeding nose will be a man that chokes on his blood and can’t breathe, and that’s fucking distracting. Matt made me break his nose a few times to prove his point. I know it hurt him, even if he doesn’t want to admit it. He took it like a champ. He would grumble something about knowing how it feels and how it sounds when you break someone’s nose.

Matt purchased some girl stuff for my bathroom. I had a brush now and the possibility to fix my hair. Sweats became my new favorite outfit. I still refused to think about what the next step will be after my training is over.

Matt kept talking about how easy it would be for me to shift now that I had a firm grip on my fire magic. The Fire Wolves are the stuff of legend and myths. We are a mix of magic and beast, while most shifters mix between beast and human.

He was waiting for me, holding on to a blanket and a bottle of wine.

“You did so great. It’s the moment for us to celebrate your birthday. What do you think?"

“I’m nervous. What if I can’t shift?"

“Don’t you feel the moon caressing your skin?"

“Hm." I’ll be damned, I felt horny as hell, but I’m almost sure it was the wrong thing to feel.

“Do you feel any change at all?"

“I’m stronger, faster. I feel as if I can take on whatever is out there."

“Just enjoy the night. Allow the moon and the elements to talk to you."

“I didn’t suspect that you were a Hippie man type."

Matt’s green eyes threw daggers towards me. I smiled, and the look softened into a warm glow.

“We’re shifters. Our beast is part of nature. This is why the human part is closer to nature too."

I bit my lower lip.

* * *

Matt

The last few weeks were crazy for me. I can’t count the number of times I jumped into the freezing pond to cool myself off. Knowing that my Little Flame was so close to me made me incredibly horny, and the fact that my wolf called out that she is our mate wasn’t helping. She was not experiencing the call the way I did because she never shifted. As a Fire Wolf, she had three different parts--human, magic, and beast. The moment when the beast wakes, it's going to be overwhelming for her too.

Then we will have a problem.

A hard problem.

Each time Scarlett bit her lower lip that way, I wanted to throw her on the ground and pound that attitude out of her. My Little Flame had a damn attitude, and that would bring lots of trouble to this sweet girl, and for me, because I would fight heaven and hell to make sure that she’d be safe. She’s angry, she’s stubborn, and she’s so much more fragile than she looks. I did everything I could to offer her the tools she needed to deal with her fears, but I couldn’t erase eighteen years old fears in a few weeks.

As she walked next to me, her arm brushed against mine, and it sent wild shivers like a strong current through my entire body. We walked toward a small clearing filled with the pale light of the Mother Moon. Chills would freeze an average human, but we’re shifters and we can deal with the cold. I love autumn, the dry leaves, the steam covering the mountain, the earth that prepared itself for the cold season, everything agreed with me.

Scarlett sat next to me on the blanket. She laid back and watched the moon and the sky.

“It’s beautiful,” she whispered as I opened the wine. I am not a big drinker, but a good drop of wine can warm my soul now and then.

Damn, man, she’s eighteen, only eighteen. I had to remind myself that again and again.

If I had asked, Scarlett probably would tell me about former boyfriends, but just the thought that another man touched her made my hackles stand up.

Seeing her, smelling her, I couldn’t accept the thought that another was being allowed to touch her the way I did, even if it was just for sparring. Each time she moved, her scent wafted up into my nose and it melted my brain, turning me into this hormonal mess. If I would feel that she doesn’t want me, then it would be easy. I never forced myself on a female who didn’t desire me, but I had to refuse my need and her desire with her.