Page 21

Hana

M y ears are ringing all over again from the gunshot. Making everything sound dull and fuzzy again.

What’s even more troubling is the way my pussy feels, like it’s on fire from where Vuk ripped his knot free. Pushing myself up to my knees, I whimper when thick, warm fluid drips down the sides of my legs. Fluid I hope is only Vuk’s cum, and not blood.

“Stay down.” He pushes me to my side, then gently nuzzles the side of my face. He lets out another quick burst of the purr he used when he knotted me, and it helps soothe away some of my hurt.

As soon as he crawls over me with a predatory grace, I scurry over to a rocky outcrop, tucking myself behind it where I watch as he stalks toward the entrance of the cave. Even though I can’t see them, I know his eyes are bright as he scans for danger.

I don’t need to guess who shot at us.

Vuk makes short work of tearing down the crude barricade he piled in front of the entrance. Reminding me how much stronger he is than a human …

Because he’s not a human. He’s a lycan .

Oh my God, I just fucked a werewolf. And he bit me under the full moon.

Despite the humid warmth from the thermal pool, I begin to shiver at what I’ve done.

Vuk is completely fixated on the caves entrance as I quickly gather my clothes.

My thermal undershirt is ruined, so are my panties and bra, but my flannel and jeans are fine.

My pussy is still throbbing, and I do a quick sweep of my fingers to make sure I’m not bleeding.

Sagging with relief when my fingertips come away wet, but not with blood.

Staying tucked behind the rocks I dress quickly, wrinkling my nose at having to go commando under denim.

Keeping my eyes on Vuk’s shadow, I duck from the safety of the rocks long enough to grab my boots. I’m shoving my foot into the second one, when another gunshot has me dropping to my belly and covering my ears.

My thoughts immediately go to Vuk, hoping the shot missed him as I pop my head over the rocks in time to watch his massive body bolt out of the cave with an ear-splitting roar. The moment he drops out of sight another gunshot echoes through the night, followed by an eerie silence.

He’s fine. I tell myself as I scramble to the front of the cave. He’s faster and stronger than the hunter. Peeking out from around the entrances edge, I scan the darkness for— there .

Vuk and the hunter are probably a hundred yards away.

The hunter’s right arm hangs uselessly at his side.

Waving his left arm around wildly, the gun’s dark metal glints under the moonlight as he slowly circles Vuk.

Even from here, I can see the wild look in his eyes and the flash of his white teeth with his unhinged grin.

My lycan merely watches, his body tense as he pivots to keep the hunter in his sight. Prepared for whatever he might do. From the cave I can see the hunter’s mouth moving, but they are too far away to hear what he’s saying.

The hunter lunges. His movements are slow and uncoordinated compared to the way Vuk’s arm snaps out. Wrapping his much larger hand around the weaker human’s wrist, he lifts the hunter up until his toes are touching the ground. Keeping the gun pointed to the sky and away from the cave.

The hunter reminds me of a puppet, the way he’s barely balanced on his toes as he kicks out, trying to sweep Vuk’s legs out from under him.

He’d have better luck trying to take down an oak tree.

After several useless tries, the hunter changes tactics and twists his body, stepping backward to try to flip the much larger monster over his shoulder.

There is a small part—like teeny tiny—that feels bad for the hunter.

These moves might work with humans, but Vuk isn’t anything like a human.

And the hunter is clearly delusional if he thinks he has any chance of winning a fight between them.

Injured as he is, he’s in no shape to do more than bleed on my lycan.

When his martial art moves fail, the hunter lets out a loud howl that carries all the way to the cave.

With Vuk still holding him by one arm stretched over his head, the hunter lifts both legs off the ground and kicks out at Vuk.

The blow lands against his hip, with enough force Vuk loosens his grip, and the hunter drops to the ground.

He pops right back up. It’s so fast it looks like he suddenly reappeared.

Slowly, he lifts his arm to aim the gun at Vuk and my heart jumps into my throat.

Opening my mouth, I start to scream for Vuk to watch out, but he doesn’t need my warning.

His body is a blur when he launches himself at the hunter.

Except, just before Vuk’s giant form would have barreled into him, the hunter steps—no, he glides to the side—and Vuk crashes to the ground behind him.

The hunters maniacal grin is gone as he slowly turns to face Vuk. His eyes have changed to a frightening black that bleeds over his entire eyeball. Demon eyes.

Vuk is already back to his feet, his eyes narrowing to slits of gold as he stares at the hunter’s sudden change. Glancing down at his hand, Vuk tosses the gun aside.

Without taking his ink black eyes from Vuk, the hunter crouches low. Holding out his hand, crooking his fingers at my lycan.

Wait. Was he faking this entire time? Was he really crazy?

His right arm still hangs limp at his side as his lip curls up into a sneer.

He says something to Vuk that makes my lycan bristle, then with a burst of speed I couldn’t have expected, he attacks.

This sudden change takes Vuk by surprise, and he stumbles back when the hunter slams his fist into his stomach, but he isn’t taken off guard for long.

Now the fight between them is well matched and I catch myself holding my breath as I watch them alternate attacks. Despite the hunter’s much smaller size and injury, he’s quick on his feet and the punches he lands have much more strength behind them than they should.

In a move that almost looks like he can fly, the hunter manages to get behind Vuk.

He grabs a handful of hair and this time when he tries to sweep Vuk’s legs out from under him, the move works.

Vuk lands on his back with a deep groan and the hunter is on him in an instant.

Digging his knee into the lycan’s chest, the hunter lifts his arm over his head.

His fingers grip the base of a menacing hunting knife and the sharp silver blade glints in the moonlight.

My hands fly to my mouth with a sharp gasp.

Before I can stop myself, I rush out of the cave with a warning on the tip of my tongue.

But before I make it more than a couple feet, Vuk bucks under the hunter, sending the much smaller human flying.

Lifting his legs up, he arches his back and jumps back on his feet.

Upright, Vuk wastes no time. He dives for the hunter, who rolls out of the way, but not before Vuk braces his hands on the ground and pivots, kicking his legs out, slamming his feet into the hunter’s side.

After that, it’s hard to keep track of limbs and bodies. Vuk and the hunter are a tangled mess rolling across the ground. Each gaining the upper hand then losing it.

An arm lifts the hunting knife high into the air. The way the moonlight hits the blade makes it look like it’s glowing, before whoever is holding it stabs it down, hard and fast.

A scream rings out, followed by silence.

My heart gives a sickening lurch when the seconds stretch, and neither of them moves. A moan slips past my lips and, I can’t help thinking the worst as I race down from the cave.

As I run, I watch as one of them rise.

My chest squeezes around my heart, fearing the worst. Until I realize Vuk is the one kneeling. I let out a breath, and my steps falter with relief.

Slowly, he turns his body toward me.

His face is smeared with bright red blood. Beneath him, the hunter lies motionless with the knife handle sticking out of his chest.

My stomach flips at the grotesque sight and I turn my head away. I’m not normally queasy at the sight of blood, but I’ve never seen someone killed in front of me before, either.

My stomach twists and I vomit into a bush. When I finish, Vuk is standing over me. The white fur around his face and chest tinted red with the hunter’s blood, his breaths harsh and fast as he stares down at me with concern in his bright yellow eyes.

I should be horrified. I should run. Get as far away from this creature as fast as possible. The way he killed the hunter, I should be afraid that I’ll be next. But instead, my pussy pulses like seeing the enemy’s blood on my mate is the most erotic sight I’ve ever seen.

Where the fuck did all that come from?

Vuk’s nostrils flare and a low growl ripples from deep in his chest. The sound makes my stomach jump, but then it suddenly twists and turns into a cramp. It radiates from low in my belly until I’m doubling over from the pain. Wrapping my arms around my waist, I drop to my knees with a groan.

Oh no. What if I’m getting sick? Could it be from the other day? What if I didn’t cook the rabbit enough. Shit. The last thing I want is to be sick with food poisoning in the forest and in front of Vuk.

Before I can react, Vuk lifts me into his arms and takes me back inside the cave. At the edge of the pool, he sets me back on my feet and pulls my shirt over my head.

“Stop it! What are you doing?” I try to bat his hands away, but another cramp starts low in my gut. It increases in strength until I double over with a moan. My legs go loose, threatening to go out from under me.

Taking advantage of my weakened state, Vuk quickly strips me down, then lifts me into his arms and carries me into the warm water as another cramp ripples through my stomach on the heels of the last one.

What is happening?

He sets me on a natural rock ledge against the side of the pool and I curl into a ball while he begins washing the hunter’s blood from his face and body.

The warm water helps ease the cramps. Enough, at least, that I don’t feel like I’m going to be sick again.

But now my skin feels hot and tight all over, and my muscles are quivering like I just ran a 10k marathon.

Leaning back against the edge of the pool, I watch as Vuk washes away the last of the blood.

Admiring the way the water coasts his fur to his body, exposing deep grooves and strong muscles.

I drag my gaze over his powerful shoulders, across his thick chest and down his washboard stomach to his hips where his cock juts out from the patch of thick fur between his legs.

It curves proudly toward his stomach and my mouth waters as I imagine taking his length into it.

Curious what he would taste like and how much of him I might be able to fit .

I’m so fixated on him that I don’t notice another cramp is creeping up on me. This one comes on faster, twisting my abdominals into a tight knot. Letting out a gasp, I curl around my drawn-up legs while my body breaks out in a cold sweat.

Moaning in pain, I start to climb over the edge of the pool. I need to get out of here. I’m about to be very sick, and I don’t want Vuk to see me like this. I’m trying to crawl over the moss when Vuk’s arms band around my waist and he lifts me into his arms.

“No, please. I need some privacy,” I beg, but there is no fighting him as he switches places with me on the ledge and sets me on his lap. “I’m going to be sick, and you don’t need to see that.”

Vuk grunts, presses his nose to the side of my neck where he bit me. When he breathes in deeply, my skin begins to throb and tingle. And when he pulls back to look down at me, he looks… surprised. “Not sick,” he says. “Changed.”

My whole body goes still. Even the cramps ease for a moment and my heart starts to pound.

“What do you mean, changed?”

Vuk presses his face against the side of my neck again. When he teases his tongue against the bite mark, my breath catches as unexpected pleasure ripples across my skin. The pleasant sensation is enough to distract me until another cramp curls through my center. Reminding me what he said.

Gnashing my teeth, I reach over his shoulder, gripping a handful of the short hairs at the back of his head. Vuk yelps in surprise when I pull with all my strength, forcing him to look at me.

“Did you turn me into a fucking werewolf ?”