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“I need to hunt before it gets any darker. Stay close to the fire, but I won’t be far if you need me,” he called over his shoulder as he strode away without looking back.
I expected Wulf to follow, but he stayed where he’d flopped beside the fire. I had the feeling De’drik’s sudden retreat was because I’d made him uncomfortable, and something inside me twisted.
Just because others of his kind had mated with humans didn’t mean he had any interest in us.
Inme.
But I’d seen how his body responded to me.
Not knowing what to do, I remained seated on the grass. I couldn’t help remembering the glances I’d gotten of his erection, and while it was hard to believe it could fit, knowing other humans had managed made my core seep with slick, as if preparing me to take on the challenge.
Did I want that? I’d never been touched, and with the way my life was going, I wasn’t sure I’d ever have the chance to find an alpha. Should I take the opportunity I had and see if De’drik was interested?
But what if it was only an uncontrollable biological reaction and he had no desire for me?
Watching the last of the light fade away, I let out a sigh. The only way to know was to make my interest known and see what happened, but I wasn’t sure I was brave enough.
“Why can’t life be simpler?”
Letting my eyes drift shut, I listened to the sounds of the forest, but jerked when something cold and wet touched my arm. My eyes flew open to spot Wulf sitting beside me, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth before he nudged me again.
Heaving out the breath I’d sucked in, I lifted my hand to his head, scratching around his ears as he closed his eyes in bliss.
“Your ears are soft, but I’m not sure they’re as soft as De’drik’s,” I whispered.
Wulf licked at my fingers, pulling a laugh from me as he wiggled around to get me to keep petting him. Wolves sometimes came too close to the town and the alphas would go out hunting them, but I’d never seen one. Despite how tame he seemed, something about the shape of him and the way he moved told my instincts he wasn’t a pet. The look in his eyes said he was something wild, no matter how sweet he seemed.
De’drik had the same look. The air of something dangerous, tempering itself for the benefit of others. To try to fit in and appear civilized.
I wasn’t fooled. De’drik was nothing like my cousin William, or any of my aunt’s fancy visitors. Even the few alphas I’d met didn’t seem as dominant as the monster. There was something undeniably rough and harsh about him. Something that made me feel small and weak, yet protected and safe at the same time.
Movement caught my attention, and I lifted my gaze to see De’drik striding toward the camp. A shiver ran through me at the sight of his broad shoulders, the memory of his gentle touch making my cheeks heat as I forced my eyes away from him before I looked down his naked form.
Clearing my throat, I stood, ignoring the tingle between my thighs as De’drik closed the distance between us.
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
My voice was a bit breathy, and I hoped he attributed it to tears and not the direction my thoughts had gone, though there was no way for me to hide the smell of the slick coating my folds.
“If you need to eat any plants you will have to prepare them. I haven’t learned how, but they can cook with the meat if you want them.”
Keeping my head down so he wouldn’t see my flaming cheeks, I gave a short nod and turned to where I thought I’d seen familiar greenery. By the time I had found and pulled up a couple carrots and cleaned off the worst of the dirt, he had already skinned and spitted what looked like a pair of rabbits. Wulf chewed on a bit of bone by his side, and I couldn’t help thinking how domestic it seemed.
And how nice it would be to spend each day like this.
Chapter Eleven
De’drik
Icouldn’t get the memory of her hand on me out of my head. As innocent as it had been, my thoughts were anything but, and after alluding to what could have happened if I was less than honorable, I’d had to get away before she noticed my reaction to the thoughts.
The hunt helped me get myself under control, and there was nothing less arousing than skinning and gutting rabbits, but the way I caught her looking at me threatened to break my tenuous grasp on my control.
Shooing Wulf away when he begged for scratches, I waved to Ivy.
“Bring it here.”
I studied the two things she held that looked like enlarged roots. I knew some of the plants the omegas grew in our clan came from underground, so perhaps they were. Meaghan had mentioned humans could live off of plants when necessary but preferred to eat meat as well, so my chest still swelled with pride when she inspected the rabbits I’d prepared.
