Page 43 of Marked By Moonlight
“Why is it affecting me so much right now? And why don’t you seem to be affected?”
“Because we spent so much time together today. Any male you spend this much time with is sure to cause this reaction in you. But soon, it won’t take this long for you to have these feelings. Soon, it will be only a matter of minutes with another male before your lust overwhelms you.”
Fuck, I’m not going to make it a month. And I have no idea how I’m going to learn to shift. We spent a whole day training, and I’m no closer to figuring it out than I was when we started.
“And you?” I spit out, cracking my eyes to look at Emeric, concerned that he might be affected now. That he might have just as strong an urge to kiss me as I do him.
Emeric smiles brightly with his kind eyes as he tucks a loose strand of my hair behind my ear.
I shiver at his touch, but he doesn’t take things further. He doesn’t lean in to kiss me. He doesn’t draw our bodies closer together.
“You never have to worry about me being affected by the curse.”
I frown. “Why?”
He shakes his head, staring off with a faraway look on his face. “It doesn’t matter. What matters is teaching you how to shift.”
I roll my shoulders back, trying to control my feelings as well as Emeric can. But I can’t help but wonder why he isn’t affected by the curse.
“Why are the vampires and witches cursed? I always thought it was just the wolf shifters after the Wintermoon pack member rejected their mating bond,” I ask, trying to change the subject.
He raises an eyebrow at me. “No one knows for sure the details of the other species’ curses. The wolf shifters were the first to deal with the wrath of the gods. But shortly after, the witches and vampires angered them enough to have their own curses inflicted upon them.”
“What are their curses?”
He shrugs. “Everyone is secretive about the details. No one wants to give another species the advantage of knowing their weakness.”
The sun dips below the horizon, and the sky quickly begins to fade into darkness.
“You told me that your eyesight at night is the only heightened sense you have, correct?”
I nod.
“Good. Then we will start practicing at night, see how good your eyesight really is. If it’s not as good as a wolf shifter, then we’ll see if we can improve it with practice, see how much you can control it. From there, we can see if we can get any other senses or flickers of you being more than just a human girl.” Emeric stands up.
“I am more than just a human girl,” I snarl, joining him at his side. The attraction immediately vanishes as soon as he calls me a human girl.
His eyebrows shoot up in my direction, and he bites back a smile. He did it on purpose to get rid of my lust, so I can’t stay mad at him for long.
Suddenly, his head snaps up. His body becomes still as a statue, and I know he’s listening to something.
“Get inside the house and lock the door. Now!” Emeric barks his order at me.
Before I even take my next breath, a sandy-colored wolf with crystal blue eyes and a golden hue is running toward the outer wall. My eyesight sharpens as I look toward the wall, but I don’t see anyone other than Emeric. But I know we are under attack. It’s most likely another male that scents me and thinks I’m his mate.
Fuck, I need to get inside.
I start running toward the house, following Emeric’s order. I search the windows, looking to see if Ambrose is going to come bursting through one to help Emeric with whoever is attacking. I know Emeric is a beta, and that means he’s plenty strong, but that doesn’t mean he’s capable of fighting off another alpha or multiple pack members at once if they decide to attack.
The windows are empty as they’ve been all day. I’m three feet from the door when I dare to turn to see who is attacking and if Emeric can take them or if I need to find Ambrose.
My feet stop when I see them—white fangs, black clothing, and speed that is unmatched as they surround Emeric.
Vampires.
“Ambrose, Emeric is being attacked by three, maybe more vampires in the backyard. He needs your help. Now.”I try to tell Ambrose with my mind, but the emptiness that returns tells me he either didn’t get my message or is too far away to help.
I take three more steps and reach for the door handle.
