Page 39 of Forbidden Wolf

His cheek rested beside mine. “I can get you to safety, Tasha, far from the clutches of Castus. You could make a home for us.”

“It’s just a house unless there’s love in it.”

I had learnt that a long time ago from my parents. They stayed together because it suited them. Neither of them gave a damn about each other. They’d provided the mandatory two children and lived separate lives. Since they were married, neither of them had to enrol in the breeding programme. Our house had never been a home. Both my parents loved me in different ways, but they’d never created a place Kimber and I felt safe. It was just a place to leave their stuff and beds that were comfortable instead of the military issued bunks.

Levi showed me that I didn’t need to suffer the same fate.

His hands under my arms lifted and manoeuvred me so that I straddled his hips and faced him. His hazel eyes bored into mine.

“For the past few years, I have planned for us being together. I have bank accounts, and even bought some land that we can build a home on with a forest at the back of it for cubs to play in. That plan still needs time to fulfil, Tasha. We were never supposed to be here together at this point in time. We need to take this interlude as a blessing.” His forehead rested against mine, his eyes closing. “Please, Tasha, don’t make this more difficult.”

“I don’t want to go back, Levi. Castus took Kimber away because her gifts emerged, and he finds ways to try and force me into his bed. His touch repulses me.” I shivered, wrapping my arms around him to hold on for dear life.

His growl vibrated deep inside me to calm my soul. “I want to rip his fucking head off.”

It was only when he held me that I discovered what I’d been missing. Physical contact. No one had hugged me since Levi left. Vampires were not affectionate creatures. Occasionally my father patted me on the back as he walked past.

Levi eventually lifted me over his shoulder and made his way down the tree, then placed me on the ground. He took my hand in his and started to forge his way through the forest.

“We need to get to higher ground to try and get a signal,” he muttered, holding his phone up with his eyes narrowed on the screen.

I’d forgotten the beauty of nature in the chaos of war. Since there was no one here to watch me, I allowed my gifts to expand and embrace my surroundings, losing myself in the freedom of being myself again. I sat under a tree while Levi fiddled with his scanner, attaching a cable between it and his phone. How did it still have battery power? Mine was lying in the bottom of my wardrobe in my room back at base because I never used it anyway.

He spoke into his phone. “Radar? Yeah, it’s Levi. Listen, I need you to set up a full scan of all the warzone areas. We’re looking for a huge spike in that signal you picked up to try and find the source of what’s out here. I’m tracking something at the moment, so won’t be back for a few days. No, there’s no need to send the team. I can move quicker alone. I’ll check in again tomorrow.”

Every word cut through me with physical pain, so I closed my eyes to pretend he wasn’t talking about leaving me again. Deep below us there was energy moving about in waves. I needed to steel myself against the emotions that were tumbling around inside me. I couldn’t let Levi back into my heart again because he would destroy me this time.

“I can feel them moving under the ground,” I said.

“Gotta go, Radar. Stay safe.” Levi crouched in front of me, his hands grasping mine. “Can you hear them?”

“No, just sense them. Like when there were swarms of insects in the rainforest. There’s so many of them, Levi.”

“If they’re hellspawn and actually come from Hell, then they need to have a way of getting here. Do you sense anywhere they may be coming through?”

I hadn’t even gotten that far in my contemplations of the situation.

“Like what?” I asked, opening my eyes.

Levi shrugged. “Can you hear them clearer in certain areas, or do you sense their energy stronger? Anything to give us a place to start.”

My chest heaved as I sighed and closed my eyes, trying to tune into them.

“I tend to sense them when I’m not thinking about them,” I said. “Would their entrance or gateway or whatever not be closer to the mud that they live in?”

“Maybe some, but if they have ranks such as Master, I’ll bet he doesn’t want to be anywhere near that slime. Tunnels could allow them to move between locations in the different flooded areas.” He sounded like a strategist, who spent hours planning attacks and retreats.

“What happened to you?” I asked, smoothing the wrinkle on his forehead.

“Too much death. I only thought I knew what war would be like. Seeing someone you care about die kills something in your heart.”

Did he find someone to love after me and lose her? I wanted to ask but the lump in my throat didn’t allow me to voice my questions.

Pushing myself to my feet, I stared down at myself in horror. Mud was caked on me from my feet to the middle of my waist. My fingers moved to my hair, finding knots of tangles. I never took much pride in my appearance, but right now, I felt dirty and unattractive. In my head I had imagined that magical moment in Paris when our eyes met again. Never did that fantasy include Levi finding me half dead and my hair stuck to my head in mud.

My cheeks heated and I paced through the forest. Any female wolves I’d seen over the years were tall and beautiful in their human form, with fabulous hair and breasts that bounced as they ran. I was short and lacking every asset they possessed in abundance.

I jolted when Levi’s hand wrapped around my arm and spun me to face him. He glared down at me.

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