AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What did you think?”
“That was … crazy. And fun,” she said. “Thank you.”
Xander drove to the edge of a forest. They’d left the city, now in the rural countryside. They got out. “There’re a lot of things to experience outside the university, Willa. I can show you so much beauty.” He pointed to the mountains in the distance. An eagle flew by on the horizon.
“It probably sounds pathetic, but this is the most fun I can remember having. Ever.”
As much as he hated the sound of that, he was glad he was the one to show her what she’d been missing. Xander was a shapeshifter and often lived for thrills—from the hunt, to protecting his territory in his fur, to fast cars and living large in human society.
“Have you ever been camping? Hiking?” He held her hand and led her into the forest. The sun was quickly fading at this hour, and his wolf was coming alive. Once the moon was out, his feral instincts were sharp and ready.
“Never. My mom usually worked two jobs to take care of us and even that was never enough. We didn’t have money for vacations or extracurricular activities.”
He stopped after stepping over a downed log, staring right at her. “I’ll give you everything.”
It felt like the entire world went away, leaving just the two of them frozen in time. He pulled her closer, then traced her face with the backs of his fingers. “You’re so beautiful, Willa.”
“Xander…”
He leaned down and kissed her. Nothing like the kiss he wanted to give her, but a soft, gentle brush of the lips. He couldn’t risk scaring her off when they’d had so much fun today. Although he enjoyed running his luxury car dealerships and leading the Blackhawk Pack, this was different. He wasn’t alone, but felt connected, bonded. Having a mate was going to be a game-changer in his life. Just being near her made him feel a sense of completeness.
“That was nice,” she whispered. Willa reached up, her little fingers playing with the buttons on his shirt. His cock was hard, his wolf howling within him. Then she looked around and her potent desire shifted to fear. “We should probably head back to the car. How did it get dark so fast?”
He wanted her to feel at home in the forest, the same as him, but that would come with time. “Nothing to be afraid of,” he said. “Close your eyes and use your senses. What do you hear?”
She obliged him. “An owl!”
He loved the excitement in her voice. “And what’s that sound?”
“Tree frogs.”
“It’s relaxing. Beautiful.”
He held her close, stroking her hair as she continued to call off the songs of the night creatures. When a wolf howled in the distance, she tensed and clung to him.
“I’ve got you, baby. You never have to be afraid of anything when you’re with me.”
“Aren’t those wolves?”
“I can protect you from those too.”
Chapter Four
This had to be the strangest night of her life. Willa stared out across the horizon and believed everything Xander said. She didn’t know how that was possible. She also didn’t know how she could be feeling so relaxed in his company. Whenever he wasn’t touching her, the insecurity and worry came back quickly.
“So you can fight off wolves?” she asked, raising a brow.
“A whole pack of them.”
She giggled. “I don’t know if there’s a whole pack of them. It could be just one.”
“Have you ever seen a real wolf?”
“Only on television.” She sighed. “I think it’s time for me to be heading back. I have an early tutoring session with your son tomorrow.”
Not that Tyson was interested.
He was never forthcoming. Most of the time, she didn’t think what she taught him actually sank in.
