Page 50 of Wolf's Prize

In the back of his mind hung the threat of another pack member discovering what Kathryn was. Of her being at the mercy of the one who had betrayed them. A heavy weight settled in his chest. In four days hence, he must meet with the pack and update them on his progress with the tasks assigned to him. Kathryn’s scent on him would be difficult to disguise, and her existence would no longer be his secret. She would need all he could teach her and more. His determination to protect her burned as strong as his desire.

He slipped into the forest. Beams of moonlight pierced the leafy canopy and lit up the gloom. Two steps beyond the tree line, he caught her scent. Not the remaining trace from earlier, but the full power of her presence. Kathryn was here. In the forest. Alone.

His footsteps quickened. His fear for her safety, matched only by his lust, burst forth with a power that nearly drove him to his knees.

Damn the moon to hell.

His heart racing, he came to an abrupt halt at the edge of the clearing.

Merde.

Desire punched him in the gut, stealing his breath and momentarily stopping his heart. His nostrils flared, and his gaze devoured every inch of her. Whether by design or accident, she stood in a halo of soft moonlight, her hair tumbling loose in dark copper waves about her shoulders. The filmy chemise she wore billowed in the night breeze, hiding neither her shape, the hard points of her nipples, nor the hint of auburn curls at the crux of her thighs. Did she realize she was all but bare to his hungry eyes?

Hands clenched by his side, he planted his feet firmly on the ground. He would not, could not, go to her and scoop her into his arms. As much as he wanted to. As much as heneededto. Taking a deep breath, he reminded his heart to beat and his lungs to breathe.

“Kathryn.” He growled, his grip on his wolf treacherously thin. “It is not safe for you to be beyond the walls by yourself, especially at night.”

“I am no longer alone, am I?” A hint of a smile teased at her lips.

If she had planned on sneaking out, waiting for him in the clearing would have been counterproductive. No, Kathryn had something else on her mind.

“I thought I might join you this evening for a moonlit run. It does not seem fair that I should miss a chance to run as a wolf because you have been remiss in asking me to join you.”

Aimon’s eyes narrowed. Anne. She had divulged his little secret. He pressed his lips together. Kathryn stood there, too arousing for words, her eyes wide and her eyebrows arched in feigned innocence. Untouched and virginal, yes, but innocent? Right now, she was playing him. She had schemed with Anne.

It did not matter what her plans were. Aimon could not skip his run. Not after seeing her here like this. Not with the moon so close to full. He doubted she would go back to the keep if he asked, even ordered, her to. Dragging her back there and locking her in the training room was not an option, either. Anne would box his ears. He had no other choice than to take her with him.

Aimon gritted his teeth. He would keep his emotions leashed tight, take her with him, run her ragged, and leave her so exhausted she would not resist when he took her back to the keep. He could then return to the forest and run some more, burn away every shred of his pent-up lust until his body ached and begged for rest.

“Very well,” he said, struggling to maintain his composure. “We will go for a run together tonight. But from now on, you must promise me never to leave the keep on your own again, night or day.”

“Thank you.” Kathryn shot him a coy smile, a mischievous gleam in her eyes. Whatwasshe up to?

She reached down, grabbed the hem of her chemise and, in one fluid, unexpected movement, she pulled it over her head and dropped it to the ground beside her.

Merde.

He should look away. He should close his eyes, but he could not. He stared. At her pert breasts, with their dark areolas and pebble hard nipples. At the soft swell of her stomach, at the flare of her hips, and at the dark auburn curls that hid her sex. He licked his lips, his cock standing to immediate attention, and he strained against the impulse to move toward her.

She looked shocked at her own audacity. Her gaze settled on his erection, barely contained by his breeches. Panic flashed in her eyes, then she shifted from human to wolf, the fastest he had seen. As quick as she had revealed her naked flesh to him, it was gone, and he was left staring at her auburn-furred wolf. She spun away from him and ran. Kathryn had lost control. Her wolf was in charge.

“Merde.”

His wolf burst forth, clothes tearing and falling to the forest floor. He gnashed his teeth and stretched out his legs, racing through the trees to catch up with her. He had promised to take care of her, be ready if something went wrong. When it had, blinded by the vision of her naked body, he had reacted too slow. A poor excuse for a teacher, he was.

He caught up with her not far from the clearing. She did not try to outrun him and make him chase her, and some of the tension eased from his body. Kathryn had regained control.Thank the Lord.

When he fell in step beside her, she refused to look at him or acknowledge him. Her wolf had taken them both by surprise. His lips curled into a snarl. He would have a long talk with Anne when he returned. She would not take well to his reproach, would even berate him for challenging her so, but he could not have her jeopardizing Kathryn’s safety. The old cook’s meddling could have proven disastrous.

Aimon set a grueling pace—as much to wear himself out as Kathryn. He did not stop at the meadow as he did during training. He did not slow at ravines, at felled trees or at creeks. Aimon kept running, taking them several leagues from the keep before circling back. Not once did Kathryn leave his side. Had her loss of control frightened her? He hoped it would give her pause, lest she attempt something so foolhardy again.

And he would take the memory of her naked body with him, though it would be sure to plague his empty, lonely nights once her training had concluded. He doubted he would ever forget how she looked, her body bare, her pale skin flushed in the moonlight. It would be his blessing and his curse to have seen that which he would never have.

Entering the clearing, he found a spot away from her discarded chemise and sat down on his haunches, his back to her. If Kathryn were to leave the forest tonight with her innocence intact, he could not risk another look. The telltale sounds of her shifting reached his ears, then the rustle of fabric as she picked up her chemise. Good. Her common sense had prevailed. Perhaps now she would return to the keep without protest.

“Aimon,” she called out to him.

His ears twitched, and the fur bristled on the back of his neck, but he kept his gaze fixed on the forest in front of him.

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