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Chapter 9
“I’m a normal person,”I answered, but Oryn lifted my knuckles to his nose, sniffingthem.
“Fire. Burnt wood. Makes the hair on my arms stand on end.” Yet his fingers intertwined with mine. “How did you make my wolf retreatagain?”
My attempt to focus left me fogged as my focal point remained on our joined palms, and the desire to snuggle closer, crawl into his embrace, and have him tell me again how I was hisagain.
Heavens, what was wrong with me? How could both Nero and Oryn drive me wild? Or did all wolves have this effect on humans? Oryn rubbed the back of my hand with a thumb, reminding me he waited for ananswer.
“I’ve always been able to amplify the strength of herbs, but I don’t understand why my touch affects you. If it helps, that’s a good thing,right?”
He nodded and a lock of his black hair draped over his face. I reached over and pushed it aside, but he caught my wrist and inhaled my scent. “The sweetest flower floats behind the electric scent. It calls to my wolf, but it shouldn’t.” Oryn dropped his hold and drewaway.
“Why not?” The same magnetic pull I had with Nero now lulled me to Oryn as if a cord kept us together, and the distance between us ached deep in my chest. My attraction made no sense, but I kept trailing afterhim.
He jerked around, stopping me in my tracks near the entrance, the lagoon in the cave rippling from the waterfall about fifteen feet away. “Because we’re from different worlds. As a human, even with magic, you’re not supposed to affect mywolf.”
An icy breeze from outside brushed against me and goose bumps coated my skin. “But you felt something, right? Just like me.” I raised my voice over the cascade. And like withNero.
“I can’t offer you anything,” hereplied.
Stiffening, I crossed my arms. “I’m not asking you for anything. Just trying to understand what’s happening to us.” I turned away, fire hitting my cheeks. Who did he think he was? Heavens, I came across as a desperate girl instead of reining in my emotions, my urges. Everything in the Den twisted me inside out and shoved aside logic. I loved order and rational thinking, but I seemed to have left those back home. And just thinking of my store and Santos had worry slithering through my stomach. Was he okay? And I’d let Bee down by not supplying her wolfsbane in time. And how would I ever make it homealive?
Sunlight glinted through the watery curtain, and for a few moments, I mistook the place for tranquility. The explosion of grunts and barks from outside killed thatfantasy.
“We’re not going anywhere for a while,” Oryn said as he retreated into the cave, taking a seat next to thefire.
With a long exhale, I stood there, frustration worming through me. “I need to gethome.”
“Goodluck.”
His response had me tensing, and I spun to face him. “What is your problem? Is it me—because I’m ahuman?”
“I don’t know you,” he snapped, “but you helped me break out of my wolf form and for that I’ll get you back to mycabin.”
Chewing on a hangnail, I studied the way he never blinked while holding my stare. Was that how he dealt with everyone… intimidating them into submission? “Can you take me to the human borderinstead?”
“No. We won’t make it that far with my pack in attack mode.” He ran a hand through his long hair and turned away, facing the fire. “The wolves out there are my family and I don’t want to hurt them if possible, so I’ll do what it takes to avoid that.” When he spun around, his expression hardened. “Your touch. Would it work on mywolves?”
“No idea. I didn’t even know it would help you. My ability amplifies herbs and has never impacted a person before.” Except he wasn’t a normal person, but a wolf shifter. “Who knows? Itmight.”
“Once it quiets outside, I’ll capture a wolf and bring him to you to try.Deal?”
A sudden coldness tightened around my lungs. “Wouldn’t you be giving away our location? What if it bitme?”
“We’ll do it outdoors once most of the wolves leave. Until then,rest.”
I joined him and warmed up by the flames. The silence turned awkward despite the fact that earlier I’d been contemplating jumping into his arms like a crazed horny beast. This wasn’t me in the slightest. I didn’t kiss boys on the first date, let alone allow them to get me to hang from the ceiling while they brought me to orgasm. My cheeks burned at the memory. This might be normal for wolves—fight and have sex day in and out. Though the latter wasn’t too bad if all the shifters resembled the three I’dencountered.
With a deep inhale, I glanced around at the space at the rear of the cave. “Is this place your getaway? Your specialplace?”
He twisted toward me, a brow arched, and only then did I realize the double meaning behind my words. “This is my private sanctuary. You’re the first I’ve broughthere.”
“Ah, nice.” I took in my surroundings. “Explains why you’ve got nodecorating.”
“Only humans need objects to feelfulfilled.”
“Hey,” I said. “That’s not true. Sometimes objects carry sentimental attachments. Like the red cloak my grandma left me, but it got torn. Every time I used it, I swear I sensed herpresence.”
