AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Not again.
This time, though, there’s no cloud of debris. No flying glass and concrete.
ETHAN: Leah, what’s going on?
LEAH: The van. Oh, God, Ethan, the van’s gone. I can’t find Belle.
Bodhi jerks his head toward the resort as if to say, “Go”.
The other wolves cautiously approach Bodhi and I sever the connection with Leah. Running as hard as I can, Rex falls into step beside me. Skidding to a halt at the bottom of the hotel steps, I shift to human form and spin in a circle, desperately trying to catch Belle’s scent.
A cloud of smoke rises about a hundred metres into the forest from what looks like a service lane. My gut twists and ice fills my veins.
I want to say she wouldn’t have, but I know in my heart, I know she would.
Where is she? “BELLE!” I scream, looking past the pitying faces who stare in horror between me and the flames barely visible through the trees.
No, it can’t be true.
We didn’t get this close to fall at the final hurdle. Rex rests a hand on my shoulder to stop me as I take a step in the direction of the burnt out vehicle. I wince and shrug out of his grip, his fingers touching my burns unbearable.
“No, don’t,” he says quietly, but I can’t speak as the pain from his touch threatens to let the darkness hovering at the corners of my vision take over. I’m hanging on by a thread but I need to know.
Shrugging out of his grip, my feet start moving of their own accord, needing to see her. At the edge of the trees, heart pounding, I’m battling to stay on my feet, grief already threatening to bring me to my knees.
My wolf whimpers.
Not with sadness, but with need.
“Ethan? Ethan!”
My heart picks up and every cell in my body electrifies as her beautiful voice fills my ears. Spinning, I crumple to the ground when I see her running toward me, barefoot, her dark hair and gold silk dress flowing behind her, my chain still around her neck.
She’s here. We’re both here.
Belle hesitates, suddenly looking unsure as she halts just out of arm’s reach. Her hazel eyes glisten, and she swipes at her face, trying to hide her trembling lips.
“Are you okay? I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Ethan. Please, can I just hug you? I need to touch you. I need to feel for myself that you’re okay, even if you never want to see me again, just let me…”
She never gets to finish that sentence. I grab her and pull her onto my lap, burying my face in her neck and cupping the back of her head in one hand.
“Belle. My Belle. I thought I’d lost you.”
Rocking with her in my arms, my hands roam over her, checking for injuries and to make sure she’s really here.
“You’re hurt. How bad is it?” She can smell the blood and she pushes away to assess the damage, her delicate fingers skimming over the wounds covering my body. “When I heard about the explosion, I thought you were dead.”
Belle sobs into my shoulder but I cup her chin and lift her face to mine, pressing a soft kiss on her lips. “I’m here, little mate. It’s over.”
Her eyes sparkle when she hears me call her “mate” and my wolf rumbles, pleased to see her reaction.
“It’s over. Do you hear me? I’m not having any more of this rejection. The minute we can get out of here, you’re taking that back and I’m putting my mark right here,” I kiss her neck. “Okay?”
I growl possessively, wishing everyone would fuck off so I could show exactly how serious I am.
“Okay.” Her whispered words make me hard and I briefly wonder whether anyone would notice if I hitched up this thin gold dress and buried myself in her right now.
“Fuck, Belle. I need you. Take it back, take back the rejection,” I demand and she squirms in my grasp as I lift her, wrapping her legs around my waist. Pressing her to a tree, I rock my hips into her, my hard cock rubbing against her needy core. I can scent her arousal, her body clearly on board with my plan to waste no more time.
