Page 27 of Forbidden Wolf

“Fuck off,” I muttered and received another deep laugh.

“But seriously, I need to capture one of these things and see exactly what they are,” Levi said in quiet contemplation. “They’re slaughtering us out there and if this war has taught me anything, it’s that knowledge has a power of its own.”

I peered up at him. “How did you find me?”

His jaw tightened and his arm tugged me closer to him. “I felt your pain.”

“What happened to us back in that forest?” I had walked away from him miserable into a life I no longer belonged to. He’d changed me more than I could ever confess.

“No idea, Tasha. I was hoping you could tell me ten years from now in Paris.”

His blood soothed the pain and my eyes fluttered closed again, my hand grasping his dirty shirt. I would worry about being naked later.

When I opened my eyes, Levi was still holding me, and it was light outside. His chest rose and fell regularly, his breath heavy on my cheek telling me he was asleep.

Holding my side, I struggled to my feet. I was so weak that I had to lean against the wall to support myself while my head swam, and my vision moved in and out of focus. My legs wobbled even as I held onto the wall to try and manoeuvre myself around the cave toward the entrance. The sun was high overhead, the shadow of the rocks at the mouth of the cave making huge patterns over the floor.

I was just about to creep outside when a strong hand gripped my arm and dragged me back. “Tasha, the sun’s out. You need to stay in here with me until dark.”

“I need fresh air.” The world felt like it was closing in around me and I was slowly beginning to suffocate.

He stared down at me, his brows knitted together.

“My clothes…” My voice trailed off as another wave of nausea and weakness swept over me. I prised his hand off my arm and pressed my head against the cool wall.

Levi moved outside and returned a few moments later with my clothes that were washed and drying outside. I pulled the remnants of my outfit on before sliding down the side of the cave wall and peering outside. He’d been my lover ten years ago but made no indication that he wanted to revisit that summer romantically.

His gaze flicked over me before reaching my face. “We need to talk about what’s hunting us out there.”

“No idea what it was. I only felt it.” I shrugged and pulled my knees up to my chest. “Everything happened so fast.”

His head canted to the side. “You’re different.”

“Life tends to do that,” I mumbled, my eyes on the floor.

The intensity in his gaze was too much. In my head, Levi had remained the same. The man standing watching me was a stranger. Lying alone in my bed, I used to imagine our reunion in Paris. The twenty long, lonely years would disappear in his embrace. We would never make it to twenty when he’d become a different man after ten years. All that was left was an emotionless stranger.

I needed to be alone, not watched as if I was prey. “Thanks for saving me, Levi. I need to get back to my unit. Whatever is out there is killing my friends and family. and I need to help.”

“You need to heal,” he said, his eyes flashing amber as his wolf emerged.

“I’m fine,” I lied.

His hand formed a fist at his side. “You always were a terrible liar, Tasha. There’s still toxin in your blood. If you return to battle, you’ll be dead in an hour.”

The old Levi would have tried to coax me to stay. The new Levi’s tone was hard and cold. Ignoring him, I searched for my boots, wincing as I bent down to tug them onto my feet.

His fingers gripped my chin to force my gaze to his.

“What part of what I said did you not understand?” he demanded.

Straightening, I held his angry gaze. “All of it, because you’re being an obnoxious dick.”

It was only when my fantasy crashed around me that I acknowledged how much it had meant to me, keeping me alive over the years. Twenty years until I saw Levi again… Fifteen years… Ten years… Now that hope lay in a pile of ash at my feet, burned by his cold attitude and harsh words. Everything became too much, my emotions too raw.

“Fuck you,” I muttered, a treacherous tear escaping to trickle down my cheek as I tried to push my way past him.

The man was made of steel because he wouldn’t move, his hands clamping down on my arms to hold me in position. Had he gotten bigger since I last saw him?

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