Page 13 of Big, Bad Alien (Alien Wolf Tales #1)
CHAPTER 13
S carlett lay quietly on her makeshift bed, listening to the night sounds filtering through the windows as she bided her time. The fire had burned down to glowing embers that cast a faint reddish glow. She knew she had to leave but it was harder than she’d anticipated. Her heart ached at the thought of leaving, but she couldn’t stay here as his prisoner, no matter how much he intrigued her, no matter how much of a connection she felt to him.
A low moan drifted from the bed alcove. She froze, worried he’d caught her still awake, but the sound came again—distressed rather than threatening. The curtains rustled as he tossed restlessly.
“No… please…” His voice was rough with anguish.
Her chest tightened. She should take advantage of his distraction to slip away, but something in his broken tone drew her to her feet. She padded closer to the alcove, his shirt brushing against her thighs. The wooden planks creaked softly beneath her steps but he remained trapped in whatever nightmare gripped him.
“No!” The cry tore from his throat.
Before she could stop herself, she pushed aside the curtain. Moonlight spilled across his face, twisted in grief. His powerful body trembled as he fought whatever demons haunted his dreams.
Her grandmother would be worried sick by now. She needed to leave while she had the chance. But as another whimper escaped him, she couldn’t bring herself to abandon him to his nightmares.
He started to thrash beneath the covers, his powerful body twisting as if trying to fight off an unseen enemy. Moonlight caught the sheen of sweat on his skin, highlighting the anguish etched across his face. Another cry tore from his throat, raw and wounded.
She reached out, hesitating for just a moment before laying her hand on his shoulder. His skin burned beneath her palm, feverish and slick with sweat.
“Finnar,” she whispered, keeping her voice gentle. “Finnar, wake up. It’s just a dream.”
His muscles bunched beneath her touch, tension radiating through his massive frame. Up close, she could make out more words mixed in with the desperate sounds—“No” and “Please” and what might have been names, though she couldn’t quite catch them.
She squeezed his shoulder, speaking his name again, wanting to chase away whatever horrors plagued him. For all his strength and fierce demeanor, he seemed terribly vulnerable in that moment. Not the fearsome creature who’d captured her, but someone who’d suffered devastating loss.
“Wake up,” she urged again and this time he heard her.
She barely had time to register his eyes snapping open before his arm shot out. In one fluid motion, he yanked her onto the bed platform. Her breath caught as he pulled her beneath him, his mouth claiming hers in a fierce, demanding kiss.
The shock of it froze her for a heartbeat—the heat of his body, the desperate way he held her, the intensity of his need washing over her. Then her body responded, melting against him as she parted her lips to his searching tongue. The kiss deepened, becoming something more than comfort, something primal and urgent that set her blood on fire.
She was supposed to be leaving—she couldn’t do this! But his touch was everything she’d dreamed of and more. The feel of his bare skin against hers made her head swim, desire coursing through her veins with each stroke of his tongue. He kissed her as if he wanted to devour her, his hunger igniting her own. Her fingers twined in his hair as she arched against him, responding with equal passion.
When he finally broke the kiss, she gasped for air, her heart pounding in her chest. His breath came in ragged pants, his arms still tight around her. He stared down at her with those intense eyes of his, the blue almost swallowed by the black of his pupils, and her stomach clenched at the raw need she saw there. Need for her. A shiver ran down her spine as she realized she wanted this just as much as he did.
She didn’t care that she was meant to escape, that she was supposed to be running. She didn’t care that he was a Vultor and she was a human. All that mattered was the way his touch made her feel alive, desired, needed. His mouth crashed down on hers again and she opened to him eagerly, her fingers digging into his shoulders as he explored her mouth with his tongue.
His hand slid beneath her shirt, calloused fingers skimming over the curve of her waist, making her shiver with delight. He cupped her breast, teasing her nipple until she moaned into his mouth. She’d never felt like this before—wild and reckless and free. She wanted him to touch her everywhere, to ease the ache between her legs.
But as he shifted above her, the massive ridge of her erection lodging against her core, a flash of uncertainty pierced the fog of desire. This was all happening so fast. He was so big and powerful, dwarfing her completely. Panic flared in her chest and she pushed uselessly at his chest as she tore her mouth away from his.
“I can’t—” Her voice cracked, barely a whisper. “I’ve never…”
He immediately wrenched away from her. The sudden loss of contact left her dizzy, her lips still tingling. Her heart hammered against her ribs as she struggled to catch her breath.
A harsh growl ripped through the darkness. Her eyes widened as he staggered back from the bed platform. Moonlight streaming through the window illuminated his face, and her breath caught in her throat. His features had shifted, becoming sharper, more predatory. His usual icy blue eyes now blazed with a luminescent glow, and elongated fangs glinted as his lips pulled back in a snarl.
The sight should have terrified her. This was the monster from childhood stories, the beast that haunted the darkest parts of the forest. But her panic had subsided as soon as he’d released her, and now fascination overpowered her fear. This was still Finnar —the man who’d helped her clean his den, who’d shared meals with her, whose kiss had just set her soul on fire.
His tortured gaze met hers for one endless moment. The raw anguish in his expression made her reach out instinctively, but before she could touch him, he spun away. The door crashed open and he vanished into the night, leaving her alone with the echo of his growl and the lingering heat of his kiss.
She stared at the open doorway, her fingers pressed against her still-tingling lips. The stories she’d dismissed as mere tales whispered through her mind—warnings of the Vultor’s true nature, their ability to shift between forms. The proof had been right there in Finnar’s transformed features, in those glowing eyes that had fixed on her with such raw emotion.
Another howl pierced the night, further away this time. Her skin prickled with awareness, and she found herself drawn towards the sound. The urge to follow him into the darkness, to comfort him, was almost overwhelming. Despite his fearsome appearance, despite her momentary flash of panic, she’d seen the vulnerability in his eyes before he fled.
The cool night air brushed against her bare legs, reminding her that she wore only his shirt. But more importantly, reminding her that she was alone. Unguarded. The opportunity she’d been waiting for had arrived.
Her heart twisted as she glanced toward the forest. The kiss still burned in her memory, along with all the quiet moments they’d shared over the past two days. The growing connection between them was undeniable. Was that what had frightened him? Had he run because he felt it too?
She shook her head, forcing herself to focus. This wasn’t about Finnar or the way he made her feel. Her grandmother would be sick with worry by now. She had to leave while she had the chance.
Yet her feet remained rooted to the spot, her body refusing to move. Another howl echoed through the trees, mournful and alone. The sound tugged at something deep inside her, making her question everything she thought she knew about the Vultor. About Finnar.
Taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders. She couldn’t let these new feelings cloud her judgment. This might be her only chance to escape. Time to go.