Page 54 of The Wolf's Appetite
“It’s been too long since I ran,” she finally breathed.
I knew what she meant. The shift. The release. Thatpart of us needed the forest and wilderness in the way humans needed to breathe.
I stood and held my hand out to her. “Then, let’s run, lass.”
We stepped outside into the night, the chill biting at our skin. I pulled her in close and kissed the top of her head. The moon was full, the air crisp, and I closed my eyes and took it all in.
Aisling’s gaze caught mine, and we smiled at the same time. I wanted to see my mate shift. I wanted to see her run free and wild in the woods. I took a step to the side and sensed her wolf rising at the same time mine did.
Bones broke and realigned, muscles tore and reformed, and then the ultimate rush came as claws and fur and canines punched through.
We stood side by side in our Lycan forms, and I gently butted my head against Aisling. Gods, she was gorgeous.
Her Lycan form was lush, strong, and the golden shade of her wolf was one of the most beautiful things I’d ever seen. She rubbed her body against mine and playfully nipped at me. And then she was off, tearing through the woods like a bullet from a gun.
My paws hit the ground hard as I gave chase, the brisk air slicing through my lungs, the forest whipping past in a blur of shadow and moonlight.
We ran until the world disappeared, and the only thing I focused on was the sound of our breathing and the steady thunder of our hearts. We ran until the burn in my muscles and lungs consumed everything else. Adrenaline rushed through me, and if I’d been in my human form, I would have laughed in happiness.
She was fast, and although I knew I was faster, I let her lead the way, allowing her to be just far enough that I had to push harder to reach her.
But my excitement overtook me, and when I finally caught her, it was in a clearing where the moon spilled down and cast a silvery glow over the forest. We stood there on all fours, chests heaving, pleasure pouring out of us. I could feel how happy she was, how free she felt. I bumped my muzzle against hers, and she pressed back, our fated mates bond humming between us like a living thing.
Right now there was… just us.
And it was fucking perfect.
35
LENNOX
We didn’t shift back right away. We stayed in our wolf forms and just walked through the woods, our paws crunching the fallen leaves and snapping the little twigs.
I’d never taken time to just enjoy my surroundings. Even as a child running with my triplet brothers, we roughhoused, attacked each other, but never just enjoyed nature.
The clearing was quiet, and I let myself enjoy being with my mate. We didn’t speak. We didn’t need to, not when being together was enough.
Aisling’s golden coat brushed mine as we stood shoulder to shoulder, staring over a large outcropping that overlooked the Highlands. Our hearts beat the same rhythm. But it was getting late, and I was still onalert with everything going on. I wanted her safe and secure, so I glanced at her.
I tipped my boxy head away from the clearing, and she understood what I meant. Side by side, we padded through the woods, our paws silent despite our size, and headed back to her cottage.
By the time we reached her home, my breathing had evened out, and the adrenaline from the run had faded. On the porch, we shifted in unison, the power and energy crackling around us until we stood naked in our human forms.
Aisling’s hair was tangled from the shift, her cheeks were flushed from the exertion of the run, and as I stared at her in all her incredible glory, I knew she’d never looked more like she belonged to me than in this moment.
She met my gaze with a little curve of her lips before stepping up to me. I curled my hand around her nape and pulled her in close, kissing her long and deep, slowly and thoroughly.
We kissed for so long that I overheated, sweating as my cock throbbed and dug into her belly, pre-cum smearing along her soft, warm skin. When I broke away, I sucked in a lungful of air and groaned, “Ye’re gonna make me fooking lose it, Aisling.” My voice was low and rough, dripping with need.
Her lips were swollen from our kiss—from the wayI’d devoured her. Her smile was slow and sexual, and she shocked the hell out of me by sinking to her knees.
“Lass?” My voice cracked.
Now kneeling before me, her eyes locked on my cock, all thick and long and ready. The shift had left us with raw, primal energy coursing through our veins. But now, it was something else entirely.
Her breath came in short, hungry pants as she leaned in, her tongue darting out, just barely grazing the tip of my cock. I hissed through clenched teeth and tangled my hands in her hair.
“Fook,” I muttered, as she opened up for me, inch by agonizing inch. I was always the one in control, but right here, right now, Aisling was the one with the power. Her mouth was warm, wet, and impossibly tight as she sucked me with a hunger that made my knees weak.
