Page 12 of The Wolf's Appetite
I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry.
Then, he moved.
He pushed off the wall with slow deliberation, like a predator closing the space between him and his prey. And that prey was me.
His steps were measured, unhurried, but as he stalked closer, I felt like the air had been sucked out ofmy lungs. My entire body went on high alert, and every nerve ending sparked, awake and burning with awareness.
And Gods help me, I hated how my body responded.
The dim lighting caught the lines of his scarred face. The hard edge of his jaw was so very masculine, and the broadness of his shoulders told of how powerful he was.
And his eyes… his eyes had this sheen or torment behind them like he was holding back so much violence, but it burned too brightly to be hidden.
But beneath all of that, I saw the confusion that he fought with. It did in me, too. He didn’t understand why he couldn’t just walk away.
I shouldn’t want this. I shouldn’t wanthim.
But I did, and right now, I didn’t want to fight it.
When he stopped a foot away, his heat seeped into me. I knew the truth. Whateverthiswas between us, it was only getting harder to ignore.
And I was on the verge of breaking in two and letting it consume me.
7
LENNOX
The walls of the estate felt like they were closing in on me. It was as if the weight of something I couldn’t name had its hands wrapped around my throat.
The sight of her–the scent of Aisling–had this primal, intense feeling rising up in me and I couldn't control it. I felt like I was losing my fucking mind.
I had to get out, had to breathe air that wasn’t heavy with the scent of her. It made me want to tear my skin from my bones.
I squeezed my eyes shut, but all I saw washer. Her soft curves and sharp tongue. Her sweet aroma that still clung to my senses.
There was no way I would find peace tonight. Not inthese halls. Not in my ancestral home. And yet, she was all I could think about.
I left through the side door, boots crunching on the gravel path as I stalked toward the woods that bordered the estate. I sensed the sentries around the property, silent guardians watching over the royal family—my family—ever the ready to tear out the throats of those who posed a threat.
The moon was high, casting silver light over the dark shapes of the trees.
I’d spent countless nights out here since the accident just trying to gather my thoughts and figure out what the fuck was happening with me.
But since the day I woke up and realized my wolf—the one part of me that had always been there—was gone, I’d felt nothing but this hollowness.
I clenched my jaw so tight my teeth clashed together. My hands curled into fists at my sides as my frustration tried to break the surface and dominate the last shred of control I had.
No’ tonight, fooker.
I pushed that anger back, and instantly, the silence inside me remained a black void where my wolf should’ve been.
The sentries stayed silent and hidden in the shadows, no doubt sensing my rage. I moved farther into thewoods, my boots sinking into soft earth, the night air cold on my face.
The scent of pine, moss, and damp soil filled my nose, and I breathed in, letting that cool air coat my lungs. Being out here—surrounded by nature—had always been so…familiar. I’d felt at home out here as much as I did in the castle.
But now, I felt lost. This all felt foreign.
I didn’t know how long I walked, but when I stopped, I was in a small clearing. I closed my eyes, lifted my face to the night sky, and tried again—willedhim and myself—to rise up and take control.
