Page 18 of Untamed

His rough word heats my core, and I can’t tell if it’s wolf-me or human-me that’s turned on. Probably both.

He licks the side of my wolf’s face and then takes off, speeding through the woods. She runs after him, nipping at his legs playfully. He’s fast and strong, but she holds her own, staying right with him. Her chest feels like it’s going to explode as they race through the forest. They bound over streams, calling out their freedom into the night with howls of satisfaction.

When they tire out, Jonah leaps at her, nibbling playfully. They wrestle for a little while, but my wolf is as much of a hussy as I’ve always wanted to be. She doesn’t play for long, it turns into something more. Nuzzling and soft cries emanate from deep within her throat. She’s practically melting in heat, panting with need.

Jonah stands over her as she’s sprawled on her back, her coat mixing into the grass. He sinks lower, resting his body on my wolf, licking her face until our hairy muzzles are gone, and Jonah and I are wrapped in each other’s arms, kissing like we can’t control ourselves.

His tongue delves into my welcome mouth, and I moan low in my throat as the world around us disappears. He lowers his hips into mine, and if I hadn’t become completely coherent before, I am now.

His cock presses against my entrance.

We both seem to realize it at the same time, and he scrambles away from me, crawling back on all fours until he stands. My gaze drops to his dick, and I stare for an awkward amount of time. I’ve never seen one in the flesh. Hell, I’ve never even been kissed until now.

He cups his erection, hiding it from my view. “Kinsey.”

His hard voice breaks me out of my spell. I sit, my bare ass sinking into the grass now, but all I can feel is his lips on mine, begging for more, nudging for more.

And I fucking liked it. Hell, I fucking loved it.

My wolf is watching with bated breath, and a part of me wishes Jonah and I were both in that form where there isn’t all this extra baggage between us.

“You should turn away,” he huffs, avoiding my gaze like he’s trying to protect my innocence.

“Why?” The only thing I plan on doing is standing and wiping the grass off my ass. “We’re mates, right? It’s not as if seeing me like this is wrong.”

“What we just did was wrong,” he replies.

I flinch.

I have to admit, that one fucking stung. My first kiss. My firstanythingwith a guy. Of course it was wrong because it involved me. I swallow the hurt threatening to pour out.

When you’re a wolf, you can do whatever you want until you’re mated with someone. Then, you’re stuck with that one person. In school, I’m well aware that my wolfpeers had relationships. Like with Nathan’s and Mia’s mates, it was fine for them to have a relationship. You’re just supposed to forget about them when fate pairs you with someone else. Lots of times, you end up with the person you were with, but not always. I envied my wolfpeers for that bit of freedom, that rite of passage of being a teenager. I’ve never made out with a guy, and the first time I do is with my mate who doesn’t want me.

The area behind my eyes heats, tears pricking. I’ve been so good throughout all of this, but I’m at my limit.

“What are you even doing outside the school?”

My hackles rise, and I get to my feet. “We’re allowed to go for a run.”

“Outside the perimeter?” he asks, still pointedly not looking at me.

I know because I can’t take my eyes off him. His chiseled chest and abdomen muscles. His throat working as he tries not to peer my way. The sharp line of his jaw and cheeks. His mussed hair from just shifting is sexy as hell. “I didn’t know I was outside the perimeter.”

“You are,” he barks. “You’re damn near Brixton.”

My eyes widen. I hadn’t realized Brixton and Greystone were that close. “You’re attending there?” I ask even though it should be a no-brainer. It’s where Lunar shifters go for post-primary education. I’d be attending there if I wasn’t stuck at Greystone.

His shoulders tighten. “Yes, partly. Most of my training is with my father, though.”

My wolf whimpers, and a bit of it escapes my human form and fills the air between us. Finally, he turns toward me. He lets his stare drop, taking in my human form briefly before meeting my eyes and not letting them budge. All I needed was that short perusal for my body to heat again and then I say the dumbest thing anyone has ever said in the history of humans and shifters. Hell, I’ll even throw in aliens, but it’s not fair that I’m internally freaking out, and he’s ignoring me. “That was my first kiss.”

Jonah blinks. His lips part, and instant embarrassment hits my cheeks. For a split second, sorrow bleeds from the green specks in his eyes until they harden up again. “It shouldn’t have happened. We can’t control ourselves in our wolf form.”

“Shouldn’t have happened?” It comes out far more hurt than I want. “Our wolves are our truest form.”

“Says the girl who only shifted for the first time a couple of days ago.”

“Youonly shifted for the first time a couple of days ago, too, asshole,” I snap. His eyes flash. But I’m not backing down from him. I did enough hiding and retreating at Lunar, I’m not going to do it here, too. And especially not in front of my mate. I take a step toward him. “Besides, you think I’m beautiful.”

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