Page 31 of The Wolf's Appetite
She stilled against me. I hadn’t told her about the threat we’d found. She just knew danger was close. But she needed to know the truth.
“The Therabus.” The tenseness in her body magnified, and the scent of her anxiety rose, its smell like acid in my nose. “That’s the threat. They’ve been sniffing around the property making their presence known without attacking. Yet.”
Aisling stayed silent, but she shifted up so she was resting against the headboard, the sheet pulled up to her chest as she silently watched me, waiting for me to continue.
“The Guard has been digging intae the old texts, trying tae piece together how and why they’ve returned.” I stared into her blue eyes. “We donna kno’ how long they’ve been here, biding their time and waiting for this moment.”
“And the vampires?” she asked softly. “They’re coming here, tae help fight?”
“Aye. Da called Adryan and the others in.”
She was quiet, her fingers trailing slowly over a scar on my ribs.
“And your wolf?” she asked softly. “Still silent?”
Pain throbbed under my skin. “Aye. Still silent,” I said gruffly. “But… something shifted tonight. It’s faint, like a whisper in the back of my mind. No’ him. No’ yet. But maybe a piece of him is stirring.” I smiled, feeling this warmth move through me. I was here with my wee thing, my pretty mate who made me feel things I never thought possible. Even without my Lycan, this–Aisling–was perfection.
“Even with everything happening, all the things we learned about being mates,” she murmured, her voice sweet and her cheeks flushing, “even with the threat… I’ve never been happier or felt safer.”
Gods… wasn’t that the truth. “But whether my wolf returns or no’, Ifeelwhat this is, Aisling. I’ll no’ let anything touch ye. I’ll never let ye go. Ye’re mine now. Fully. And nothing—Therabus, vampires, or hell, fate itself—will take ye from me.”
Her lips parted slightly, her eyes shining with emotion, with belief, and with the same fierce devotion I felt beating in my chest.
I leaned in and kissed her again—slowly this time, savoring this moment. Whatever war was looming, this would be a moment in time I’d cling to in order to keep my sanity.
When I pulled back, I groaned against her mouth. “At the end of all of this, my sweet girl, even if the world is about tae burn down, I’ll protect ye with my life.”
A fierceness washed over her face, and my cock got hard at how strong she was. “And I’ll protect ye with my life, Lennox.”
I smiled. “My perfect girl,” I murmured. “So strong. So gorgeous.”
I held her for the rest of the night because I knew sooner rather than later I’d have to let her go in order to protect her and everyone I cared for.
18
LENNOX
The fire still burned low in the hearth, casting lazy golden shadows across Aisling’s bare back. She was curled on her side, tangled in the blankets, her breathing soft and even.
I sat at the edge of the bed, staring at her in amazement this was my life. I had my mate even if my wolf was silent. He may never return, and for the first time, I didn’t care.Because I have my female and everything finally feels like it’s setting right into place.
I’d touched her. Claimed her.
And yet, the beast inside me—the one who howled for blood, who had clawed and snarled since the day I lost my wolf—was quieter now. Still wounded, still broken, but calm in a way I hadn’t felt in years.
I dragged a hand down my face, exhaling all myemotions that coiled tightly inside me. I wanted more time. Just a little more ofthis. But I knew Adryan and the vampires would arrive soon, and I needed to be present for the shitstorm about to happen.
With one last lingering look at Aisling, I gave her temple a soft kiss, careful not to disturb her, and got dressed. I was downstairs by the time the first knock landed on the heavy oak front door. It wasn’t polite. It was purposeful. A sound that said all civility would be left at the threshold.
An older Lycan male employed by the family opened the door.
Sebastian stood at the front, tall, broad, and cold-eyed. Beside him was his mate, Ada, a tiny, fire-eyed fae with her arm linked possessively through his. She looked me over like she was already calculating how many bones she could break if I even breathed wrong.
Small but fucking mighty. That was for sure.
Behind them, Adryan loomed like the blade of a longsword, and beside him was Kayla, his mate. Kayla was strong in her own right–I could sense that much—but being mated to a male like Adryan would have driven anyone fucking insane. And then there was Kane, Sebastian’s brother and Adryan’s cousin.
They brought an army of vampires who stood in the shadows behind them.
