Page 12 of His to Claim

“Neither one of us are,” I said absently, fiddling with the bottle of wine.

He chuckled in the same dark manner as he had before. “Yeah, well, things are different now. I’m not the kind of man you want to get to know.”

I wanted to ask why. What had changed so dramatically in his life, but what purpose would that serve? I wasn’t going to drag him into my life any more than he was going to allow me into his.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you, Stone. I just…” How could I be honest with him? He’d never understand.

“You have your chance to tell me now.” Stone’s words were a challenge.

My God. How was I supposed to tell him that I was searching for a nonexistent man, the mystery surrounding him sounding more like a horror story than the truth? What would he think of me when I mentioned my curiosity in an ancient lore regarding wolves? I bit back a bitter laugh, remembering passages in a book I’d read in one of the oldest libraries in New York.

“There is a legend, one grown of darkness and strife, rage and abomination. Creatures so powerful, they are feared above all others. Predators whose hunger knows no bounds.

The Wolfen.”

I’d been ten years old at the time, my love of all things scary keeping my imagination alive. I couldn’t get enough, reading every story about werewolves I could find.

Until the nightmares had kicked in, the fear becoming real.

What was even worse were the words on a paper I’d found in my mother’s possessions.

Wolfen.

I knew it held an entirely different meaning to her, a fear she’d never been able to explain. My curiosity had only increased since then, now more of a crusade.

Stone could never know I’d gone on a wild goose chase hunting not only my father but beasts of the night. In the process, I was investigating an actual criminal, one just as dangerous as a ravenous beast.

“All I can tell you is that my mother needed me, and she wasn’t happy with who you were,” I managed, hating myself instantly after issuing the words.

“Happy with me?” Stone snorted, shaking his head. “What the hell was wrong with a young man determined to get to med school?”

“This was a mistake, Stone. I was a stupid and naïve young woman back then. I’m not that any longer. I am a woman of means and I make the decisions for my life. We aren’t good together. I don’t think we should bother seeing each other again. Just let me know how much I owe you for the repair. You’ll get your money.” I knew the words were cold, but I was terrified of falling for him, losing my concentration and my drive. Maybe karma would allow us to meet again.

The way his eyes burnt into mine was haunting. He took a deep breath before walking close enough I could feel his heated breath.

“You know what, Vanessa? Perhaps you’re right. You did what you thought necessary at the time and I’m going to do the same.” This time, I heard the hard thudding of his boots as he moved out of the kitchen.

I slumped against the counter, my hand wrapping around the bottleneck. I was ready to pitch the damn thing against the wall. When he stopped once again, I forced myself to turn toward the door.

“I will offer to fix your car if you’d like.” His words were breathless, riddled with… lust.

“Just a few dents and scratches. I’m not going to worry about it right now,” I said quietly.

“Suit yourself. Nice to see you again, Vanessa. Take care of yourself.”

I pressed my hand against my lips as he finished the walk to the door, the soft click more like a booming thud in my mind. This time, he’d gone out of my life forever.

* * *

Beast

They called me the Beast, a vile and heartless monster. I’d often laughed at the insinuations, especially given those spewing the nickname had no idea how accurate they truly were. I enjoyed being a Lycan creature, even if the culture prevented my transformation into my true predatory self the majority of the time.

As if I followed useless rules created with man in mind instead of the almighty wolf. I snickered at the thought. No, I’d moved into the world of humans, for the most part keeping my hungers in check, my wolf satisfied with small game hunting.

There was nothing I enjoyed as much as the feel of the cool earth against my paws or the wind showering over me with scents of the forest. I also craved the lingering taste of blood spilling down my throat.

Given my work schedule, it had been far too long since I’d hunted, and my beast was famished.

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