Page 24 of Blood of the Fallen
“Thank you.”
For the next few minutes, I wandered around the camp, getting used to its layout. The distant gurgling of the river caught my attention, and I distractedly veered in that direction. I threaded through a narrow path surrounded by tallgrass, my fingers lazily brushing against the stalks as I listened to the birds and watched the darkening sky.
When my steps faltered, I stopped and realized I had shifted into my wolf form without meaning to.
Odd!
Why had that happened?
An instant later, the combined scent of the triad hit me. It was a unique musk that mingled with the aroma of pine and fresh air. They were nearby. I listened carefully and caught the sound of splashing water. I followed down the trail and, through the thick grass, spotted the three wolves swimming.
I watched them circle around and submerge their heads several times. I sat on all fours, keeping quiet and peering through the grass.
You’re spying,a sensible voice said inside my head.
The white wolf dunked his head in and disappeared under the water. I waited for him to pop back up, but there was no sign of him, not even ripples on the surface. A minute passed. Another. I rose slightly, worry seeping in.
Close to the shore, several yards away from where Kall had disappeared, a splash drew my attention. I expected a wolf head to slide out of the water, but a human one did instead. He started to push out of the water, first his broad shoulders, followed by dinner-plate-size pecs, washboard abs, and… the rest!
My heart thundered at the sight of his perfection. I bit my lower lips, and the action made me realize I’d shifted back to my human form, but I couldn’t worry about that, not when I was getting my first glimpse of a naked man. And what a glimpse.
Kall stood bare from head to toe on a sandbank, lifting his head toward the retreating sun.
Resisting the urge to push aside the stalks of grass for a better view, I watched him, my eyes nearly jumping out of their sockets.
I had seen anatomy books in the Academy’s library, but none of them had prepared me for this. Everything about his body was pure virility, his muscular thighs, and tight buttocks, the rippling muscles of his chest and abdomen, the mouthwatering V that dipped toward a path of hair and ultimately to his…
I swallowed thickly, shame burning in my cheeks as my entire attention focused on the powerful, straight length of him. A thrilling wave swept from my core and spread across my body. My nipples tightened, aching.
I want you!The thought—wild and possessive—issued forth before I could stop it.
Kall’s head snapped in my direction. His eyes narrowed, searching the thick grass.
Instinct took over. I turned and ran my first few steps human, then my wolf was trotting away, leaping over fallen logs and dodging trees at a prodigious speed.
I ran without direction, shedding my shame. I’d been spying on Kall while he was bathing, what had I been thinking? I should’ve turned away the moment I realized what was happening, but I had been hypnotized.
Coming to a stop in a small clearing, I shifted without thinking and walked to the base of a wide tree. I was about to sit when the white wolf appeared.
Damn!He’d followed me.
Kall shifted mid-step and marched in my direction, a predatory expression on his handsome face. For an instant, his naked body flashed before my eyes, but thankfully, this time the shift brought back his clothes: tight leggings, a buckskin vest that left his muscular, tattooed arms bare, and perfectly crafted boots.
He halted a mere step away from me and propped his arms against the tree, caging me in. I noticed that his right eye didn’t look as cloudy as before, but the realization flew out of my mind almost as soon as it came. He searched my face with unwavering intensity. I expected him to shame me for being a peeping Tom, but I should’ve known better.
“Did you like what you saw?” Kall’s voice rumbled in his chest.
“I… I didn’t mean to… spy on you. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have.”
His eyes narrowed. “Umm, are you sure you’re sorry?” He licked his lips, green eyes falling to my lips.
A breath trembled out of me. My entire body quivered. Slowly, he lowered his lips to mine. He was a mere millimeter from kissing me when my stomach clamped up with revulsion, a wave of nausea jolting through me.
Kall froze. His eyes widening, he stepped back.
“You still despise me,” he said, something between a statement and a question. “Your vow stands.”
I shook my head as the vow echoed inside my head,This, I swear to you, I will never be yours.
