Page 31 of The Wolf

“Can you stay with me tonight?” My voice is barely a whisper when I try him once more.

His expression shifts, the softness replaced by a firm denial. “It’s too dangerous,” he replies in a clear warning.

Despite my best efforts, I can’t hold back the disappointment, and I spend the rest of the day pouting.

As I descend the narrow spiral staircase to the underground level, flickering orbs of blue light seem to weaken the lower I go. I’m wearing only my long robe over a sleep chemise, the stone is cool and wet beneath my bare feet. Each step reverberates with an eerie echo, the silence amplifying the distant sounds of dripping water and the faint creaking of the ancient structure.

Finally, I reach the basement and step into the dungeon, a vast chamber lined with cold, iron-barred cells. A chill envelops me, more oppressive down here, tinged with the scent of damp earth and rust. Aurora doesn’t reach here and shadows cling to every corner, deepening the gloom. The thick air feels charged with an unsettling energy, almost haunting.

That’s where I see Alex, locked in one of the prison cells and chained securely to the mossy stone wall.

“What the fuck are you doing?” I hiss at him,my voice sharp and barely controlled as I take in the beast before me.

The cold dampness of the cell clings to my skin, heightening the tension building between us as he sniffs the air and gets a whiff of my scent.

A low growl escapes him. “Julia, go away!” His voice is raw and animalistic, a sound so guttural that I hardly recognize it. He always has this gravelly distortion, but now he sounds far moreotherworldly, borderline menacing, like he’s barely restraining something dark within him.

“No!” I snap, feeling defiance course through me—He’s still my Alex, for fuck’s sake!

Ignoring his warning, I step deeper into the cell, the heavy iron door creaking as it swings shut behind me. I walk inside, my heart pounding with each step, as I close the distance between us to get a closer look at him.

His fur is all bristling and disheveled, standing wildly on end as if charged with electricity. His massive form looms over me, larger than I know, every muscle tense and coiled, ready to spring. He seems 8 feet tall to me, perhaps even more, but the ceilings are too high for me to estimate precisely.

“Please, I can’t control this.” His words are a strained rasp, an edge of desperation in his tone that battles with primal needs.

“You don’t have to…” My voice suddenly wavers as I meet his gaze.

He looks right into my eyes, and I’m caught off guard, startled by the flash of crimson that cuts through his stare. His blood-red eyes burn with a fierce intensity, an unsettling reminder of his true nature. An instinct awakens inside of me as it finally clicks in my brain that he’s a fuckingpredator.

He scares me.

My first impulse is to flee, my body tensing, ready to bolt. But the reasonable part of me knows there’s no hiding from him. His form fills the space, leaving me with no escape. And maybe that’s for the best—running from him would probably only trigger his hunting instinct. There’s certainly no way in hell I’m surviving this if he chases after me.

Unsure what’s going to happen, I take a cautious step back. Trying to mask the fear pulsing through me, I even out my breath and steady my heartbeat. But my mind races—wild,frantic thoughts crashing into each other—and all I can think is:If he comes after me, I’m done.

A deep roar rumbles from his chest. He must sense my mood, and I’m damn sure it only adds to his excitement. His eyes gleam, dark and feral, as he lowers his posture, getting ready to pounce. The shackles around his wrists are silver, yet they do little to hold him back. Nothing can stop him now. With a savage yank, he rips one hand free, the chains snapping with a harsh, metallic clang as he reaches for me.

As instant regret settles in, I conclude that coming here was probably the stupidest thing I ever did in my life. My pulse is wild, a rapid thrum in my throat, but I force myself to focus, reminding myself of who he is beneath the beast. He would never hurt me, no matter what. I’m sure of it.

His claws dig into my arm, breaking my skin and causing me to bleed. As the warmth of my blood pools under his sharp grasp, his eyes glow more vibrant red, as though he gets into a craze. Yet, the adrenaline is so high, pumping through my whole body, that I can’t even feel any pain. All I feel is his unyielding grip, holding me there as he pulls me closer.

He frees his other hand, and just a split second later, I’m in his tight embrace, lifted off the ground as easily as a feather. I can feel his raw strength, every muscle taut and hard beneath me. He bites into my neck, his teeth deep in my skin in a possessive manner, as a euphoric grunt leaves his throat. At the same time, he rips my favorite sleepwear to absolute shreds, silk and lace fabrics giving way to his razor-sharp claws as if they were nothing.

A protest rises in my throat, but it dies just as quickly. Who am I fooling? I don’t want to protest. That’s what I came here for, after all.

I’m left completely bare and exposed to his hungry gaze as his eyes devour every inch of me. Slowly licking his mouth,his fangs glisten with saliva, his tail flicking behind him. The anticipation is killing me, but the fear continues to ripple through my body.

Tossing my arms over his broad shoulders for support, I circle my shaking legs around his waist, pressing my body tight against him. We don’t align quite the way we usually do, which confirms his current form as bigger than what I’m used to.

Everything is bigger… and I mean,everything.

I can feel his cock rapidly growing between us, stretching upright across my belly, hot and solid as it starts to throb. A pang of panic races through my mind at the sheer size of that thing, but my body ignites on fire with lust.

I surely won’t be able to take him.The thought teeters between the opposite sides of the spectrum. I’m both terrified and aroused, sucking in a ragged breath.

“You really shouldn’t have come here,” he tells me, the tone of his voice dark and ominous, charging the air.

Yeah, no shit.

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