Page 19 of Billionaire Wolf Needs a Pilot
Her hair tickled my chin, releasing that vanilla scent that had become uniquely hers in my mind.Without conscious thought, I found myself burying my nose against the top of her head and drawing it deeper into my lungs, cataloging the subtle changes as her natural scent mixed with mine.The possessive satisfaction this brought was dangerous, a slippery slope toward feelings I couldn’t afford.
“Mom…” Felicity murmured in her sleep, her fingers clutching at my shirt.“Don’t go…”
The pain in those unconscious words tore at something inside me.I tightened my hold slightly, a wordless reassurance that she wasn’t alone.My thumb traced small circles against her shoulder, a soothing gesture I’d seen mothers use with children, though there was nothing paternal in how my body responded to her closeness.
“I’m here,” I whispered, the words barely audible.“You’re safe.”
She settled at the sound of my voice, her body relaxing once more.She had no idea what I truly was, what I was capable of.If she knew…
The thought was interrupted by a sound outside.My ears honed in on the intruder, the soft crunch of paws on snow, multiple sets approaching with predatory stealth.The wolves had come to investigate.I felt my eyes shift without permission, human vision sharpening to preternatural clarity that could pierce the darkness beyond the entrance of our cave shelter.
My muscles tensed, ready to defend if necessary.The instinct to protect Felicity was a primitive force, my wolf rising closer to the surface than I’d allowed in years.Carefully, I disentangled myself from her before moving silently to the cave entrance.
Four wolves stood in the moonlight, their breath fogging in the cold air as they studied our shelter.The alpha, a large male with silver-tipped fur, locked eyes with me instantly, sensing the predator that shared my skin.A low growl built in my chest, too quiet for human ears but perfectly clear to the watching pack.This territory is claimed.She is under my protection.
The wolf’s ears flattened briefly before he turned away, leading his pack back into the shadows of the forest.They would keep their distance now, recognizing an apex predator even in human form.The encounter left me unsettled.My own beast was too close to the surface, and the barrier between my human and animal sides was stretched dangerously thin.
I remained at the entrance, drawing deep breaths of frigid air to cool the fire in my blood.The moonlight bathed the snow-covered landscape in silver, calling to the wild part of me that longed to run free under its light, to shed human constraints and embrace my other nature.
“Tanner?”Felicity’s sleep-roughened voice pulled me back from the edge.“Everything okay?”
I turned to find her watching me from her place by the fire, hair tousled from sleep, eyes heavy-lidded but concerned.The sight of her, vulnerable, trusting, beautiful in the firelight, anchored me to my humanity more effectively than any discipline or meditation I’d practiced.
“Just checking our surroundings,” I replied, moving back to her side.“All clear.”
She nodded, making room for me to sit beside her again.Without hesitation, she leaned back against me when I settled, seeking my warmth as naturally as if we’d been companions for years instead of days.
“I heard something,” she murmured, her voice thick with lingering sleep.
My body stiffened briefly before I forced myself to relax.“Just the wind.Nothing to worry about.”
She hummed skeptically but didn’t press further.As Felicity settled against me once more, I could feel the slight tension in her shoulders.She might have accepted my explanation about the wind, but some part of her knew there was more to the story.The woman’s intuition was unnervingly accurate.Another quality that both impressed and concerned me.
“You’re a terrible liar, Tanner,” she murmured sleepily, her breath warm against my chest.“But I’ll let it slide, for now.”
I found myself smiling despite the danger of the situation.Even half-asleep and injured, she remained sharp, refusing to let me hide behind convenient excuses.Few people in my life had ever challenged me this way.Most were too intimidated by my position or my carefully cultivated aloofness to push past my barriers.
“Sleep,” I said softly, allowing my hand to rest against her back.“We have work to do tomorrow.”
She mumbled something incoherent but complied, her body growing heavier against mine as sleep reclaimed her.I remained awake, keeping silent vigil as the night deepened around us.My thoughts circled relentlessly, from concern for her injury, to plans for our survival, and increasingly, to the troubling way my wolf responded to her closeness.
The bond forming between us wasn’t just unusual.It was dangerous.My kind didn’t form attachments easily, especially not with humans.When we did, those connections ran soul-deep, primal and permanent in ways humans couldn’t comprehend.I had witnessed firsthand the devastation such bonds could bring when circumstances tore them apart.
Yet here I was, cradling this human woman against me as if she belonged there, my wolf already considering her ours despite my rational mind’s protests.The contradiction threatened the careful balance I’d maintained for years.
As she drifted back to sleep against me, I stared into the embers of our fire, wondering just how much longer I could keep my true nature hidden from a woman who seemed to see through every pretense I’d ever built.
Chapter 7
TANNER
I woke up first again.Dawn broke with painful beauty, pink and gold light spilling across the snow-covered landscape.Through the night, I’d dozed intermittently, always maintaining enough awareness to monitor our surroundings.Felicity still slept deeply, her face relaxed in a way it never was when she was awake and guarded.
I allowed myself one moment of weakness, studying her features in the soft morning light, the sweep of her lashes against her cheeks, the slight furrow that appeared between her brows even in sleep, the curve of her lips that had begun haunting my thoughts.My fingers itched to trace the line of her jaw, to discover if her skin felt as soft as it looked.
Instead, I carefully extracted myself from her embrace, making sure she remained wrapped in my jacket and the emergency blanket.She stirred but didn’t wake, curling into the residual warmth I’d left behind.
Outside, the morning air bit with crystalline coldness, clearing my head of the dangerous thoughts.I moved efficiently, checking our surroundings for any signs of the wolf pack or other predators before gathering more firewood.The snow had hardened overnight, making movement easier but still challenging.I calculated we had perhaps two days of rations left, supplemented by whatever I could hunt.After that, our situation would become increasingly precarious.
