At one point, I demonstrated a move where I pinned her against the wall.
Our bodies were pressed together, hip to chest. Her breath hitched, her eyes locking onto mine.
For a moment, neither of us moved. The closeness was intoxicating.
Her soft curves molded to my body. I could feel her warmth seeping into me, and the rapid beat of her heart against my chest.
“See?” I said, my voice low and rough. “You’re trapped. What do you do?”
She hesitated, her lips parting slightly. “I go for the eyes?”
“Good,” I murmured, my gaze dropping to her mouth. The tip of her tongue darted out to wet her lips. The sight sent a jolt to my cock. I groaned. “But you have to be quick. Don’t give them a chance to react.”
She nodded, her breath shallow. “Got it.”
I stepped back, forcing myself to focus. “Again.”
We repeated the drill, but the tension didn’t dissipate. If anything, it intensified. Every touch, every glance, every brush of our bodies sent a shock of lust through me. By the time we finished, I was wound tighter than a spring.
Ariel wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand. “I think I’m getting the hang of this.”
“You’re doing well,” I said gruffly. “But don’t get cocky. Rafe’s not going to play fair.”
She nodded. “I know. But I’m not going to let him scare me.”
Her bravery was both admirable and maddening. I wanted to protect her, but I also knew she wouldn’t let me.
“Come on,” I said, grabbing a towel and tossing it to her. “Let’s get cleaned up. We’ve got a long day ahead.”
Later that evening, we took a walk through the city, the cool night air a welcome relief after the intensity of the day. Ariel chatted animatedly about the book. Her enthusiasm was infectious. But as we turned down a quieter street, a familiar scent hit me.
My body tensed. Every instinct was screaming at the threat. “Ariel, stay close.”
She glanced at me. Her smile faded as she caught the edge in my voice. “What’s wrong?”
Rafe stepped out of the shadows. “Well, well. Brother dearest. Out for a stroll with your little human pet?”
The streetlight above us flickered, casting jagged shadows across Rafe’s sneer.
I growled and stepped in front of Ariel. My muscles were coiled and ready to strike. “Back off, Rafe. You’re lucky Dean didn’t finish you off the last time. He should’ve killed you when he had the chance.”
Rafe’s smirk faltered for a split second. His golden eyes flashed in anger. “Dean’s soft. Always has been. And you? You’re just like him. Weak.”
“Soft or not, Dean made you submit,” I shot back. “Tell me, Rafe, how does it feel to kneel before your older brother? To know you’ll never measure up, no matter how much of Violet’s dirty work you do? You’re her lapdog, but you’ll never be her favorite son.”
Rafe’s face darkened. His hands curled into fists. “Shut up!”
He lunged at me, his shift instantaneous.
Disheveled fur erupted from his skin in tufts.
Bones cracked as he took the form of a lean, snarling wolf.
I barely had time to shove Ariel behind me before I met him mid-air, my own body contorting in a burst of white-hot pain and power as the shift tore through me.
The world around me blurred and my senses sharpened as the bitter scent of blood and adrenaline filled my nose.
Our bodies collided with a clash of snarls, teeth flashing in the dim light. Between the three of us, Rafe’s wolf was the smallest, but he was spry. Worst of all, he was vicious, but Ariel’s voice cut through the chaos.
“Left side!” Ariel’s shout cut through the rush of blood. “He’s favoring it!”
My eyes snapped to Rafe’s stance. A barely perceptible limp. Dean’s handiwork from their last clash, I suspected. Clever girl, I thought before I lunged for the weakness.
Every snap of my jaws and swipe of my claws was a message. Dean should have killed him, and if Rafe didn’t back off, I was going to finish the job.
I clamped my teeth into the scruff of his neck, the taste of his blood flooding my mouth as I slammed him into the pavement. He yelped, thrashing, but I held him there, my growl vibrating through both of us. His whimpers tasted better than whiskey.
Ariel’s voice cut through the haze of battle. “Sterling!”
I didn’t let go. Not until Rafe’s body went limp beneath me. His whimper of submission was music to my ears. Only then did I release him, shifting back in a rush of heat that left me panting.
Rafe staggered to his feet, human again, as he clutched his bleeding shoulder. His eyes burned with humiliation. “This isn’t over,” he spat.
“It is for you,” I snarled. “Tell Violet her favorite attack dog just lost his fangs.”
He bared his teeth, human and weak, before limping into the shadows.
Rafe’s blood still coated my tongue. I spat onto the pavement, my hands shaking, not from the fight, but from the way Ariel was staring at me.
Her lips parted, sucking in shallow breaths as her chest rose and fell too fast.
This is when she runs.
But then she stepped forward. Her hands trembled as she brushed the gash on my shoulder. Her touch was light as a feather, but it burned hotter than the wound. “You’re hurt.”
I flinched. “It’ll heal.”
“I know.” Her thumb traced the edge of an old scar just above my collarbone. A childhood relic of one of Violet’s lessons.
Her gaze held mine. There was no revulsion in her eyes, only concern. My throat tightened.
I caught her wrist. “I’m fine.” My voice cracked. “You saw what I am. What I can do.”
She shook her head. “I’ve never seen anything like that,” she whispered. “You were incredible.”
I reached for her, pulling her into my arms. She fit perfectly against me, her warmth a balm for the wounded parts of my soul. “You’re going to be the death of me, Hayes.”
She laughed softly. Her breath tickled my chest in warm puffs. “Or maybe the reason you start living.”
I held her tighter, my heart pounding in a way that had nothing to do with the fight and everything to do with her.