Chapter 2 Chapter: 2

SAMMY

My wolf growls again. Although there's definitely indignation at Blondie's so-called order, it's not anger or violence I'm sensing from her.

His voice is deep, smooth, and hypnotic. It slides over us like a warm embrace, making our fur stand on end, like sinking into hot water after being out in the cold for too long.

He's gorgeous.

Tall. Six-three, maybe six-four, with broad shoulders. Long golden-blond hair frames his angular face, and thick dark lashes accent the most stunning golden-yellow eyes I've ever seen.

And holy hell, he smells incredible.

Sandalwood, pine, and rain.

My heart pounds against my ribs as I breathe him in. Goosebumps race over my skin, and an overwhelming urge to bury my nose in his hair crashes into me.

My brows scrunch together. My wolf still can't figure out what he is. She circles him curiously, and oddly enough... he lets her.

I'm almost certain he isn't a wolf. But if he isn't, then what the hell is he doing traveling with a pack of wolves?

That sandalwood scent is seriously messing with my wolf's senses. Beneath it lingers another scent. Something cold, dark, and ancient.

I honestly can't quite place it.

That strange underlying scent is the only thing stopping my wolf from throwing herself at him and claiming him as hers. It makes her wary.

Thank God for that.

She lifts her snout and takes another deep sniff.

Instantly, we're even more confused.

He smells like...

A vampire.

No. That can't be right.

What would a vampire be doing among wolves? Their sworn enemies?

Two of the wolves behind Blondie shift back into their human forms.

Tall. Completely naked.

If I were human right now, I'd probably be uncomfortable. Don't get me wrong. I'm not shy. Never have been.

After shifting with my brother enough times, I learned pretty quickly that modesty isn't exactly something wolves can afford. I've also seen enough of the male body for it not to faze me anymore.

I've had human boyfriends back in high school.

Yeah...

I even made it to third base with a few of them. Werewolves are naturally sexual creatures, so the male anatomy isn't exactly unfamiliar territory.

It's honestly a miracle I'm still a virgin.

At nineteen, I still haven't gone through my first heat, which I've heard is much later than most she-wolves.

But damn.

These definitely aren't human men.

Or my ex-boyfriends.

They're built like Greek gods.

I should probably stop staring at their cocks. It's not even sexual. I'm just...Curious.

My wolf, on the other hand, watches them like they're potential threats she needed to watch out for. Nothing more.

A loud growl jerks me out of my open-mouthed ogling. “Shift,” Blondie growls again.

This time his voice carries the unmistakable authority of an Alpha. Which only confuses my wolf even more. There's something different about him. We just don't know what.

She watches him cautiously as he steps closer. Instantly, that delicious scent crashes into me again.

Sandalwood.

“Mate,” my wolf growls inside my head.

I freeze.

What?

No.

Absolutely not. There's no fucking way.

Denial crashes through me so hard it nearly knocks me over.

“Let her out, gorgeous,” he drawls.

My wolf actually yips. The traitor; she's obviously flattered.

I know I don't have much of a choice. There's no way I'm taking down three wolves and... whatever the hell he is... on my own.

I expected my wolf to refuse to hand back control. We're a team. Apparently not. The traitor slips away without a fight.

She doesn't care about the danger. She doesn't care that I hate the idea of living in a pack. All she wants is our mate—the other half of our soul. The one destined to love us and protect us.

The moment I shift back, I suck in a much-needed breath. The irritation I'd been clinging to evaporate the instant my eyes locked with his.

The bond snaps into place. A powerful force slams into me. My entire world shifts.

Suddenly, nothing exists except him...

Me...

And the undeniable pull between us.

My soulmate.

We stare at each other for what feels like forever. Then I blinked.

“Hello, beautiful,” he growled.

A second later, he's moving, so damn fast he's nothing but a blur. He slams into me, pinning me against the tree behind me.

One hand buries itself in my hair.

A helpless groan escapes me as he buries his face in the crook of my neck, breathing me in. It feels like forever before he finally lifts his head.

Then his mouth crashed onto mine, silencing whatever I was about to say.

Heat floods my body.

He kisses me with raw, unrestrained hunger. My traitorous mouth responds instantly, opening for him as I eagerly meet his kiss, sucking on his tongue while my fingers bury themselves in his long golden hair.

He groans.

The sound vibrates straight through me. He presses me harder against the tree, lifting both my legs around his lean hips as his tongue tangles with mine.

A deep snarl rumbles in his chest before he kisses me all over again.

Snowflakes pelt us. I don't even notice.

I gasp, arching into him, kissing him back with equal desperation.

A loud throat clears behind us.

Both of us freeze. I'd completely forgotten we have an audience in the heat of the moment.

“Look away, fuckers,” he growls without taking his eyes off me.

“And miss free live porn?” one of the gorgeous dark-haired wolves snorts. “Not a chance.”

My mate shoots him a murderous glare before deciding he's beneath his attention.

“What's your name?” he asks, his deep baritone vibrating straight through my core.

“Sammy. Samantha.” I swallow. “You're my mate. God... this shouldn't be happening. You're my mate and dang it... Why are you hot?”

The words tumbled out before I could stop them. I bite my lip to stop myself from my word diarrhea.

His lips curve into a slow smile, his golden eyes glowing. “Where are you from, Samantha?”

The question crashes me back to reality.

Dad was right.

The mate bond is no joke.

“Around,” I answered vaguely.

Now that my brain is functioning again, I'm mentally calling myself all kinds of idiot. I can't believe I completely lost myself over a mate I wasn't remotely prepared for.

How's he supposed to take me seriously after I practically threw myself at him like a bitch in heat?

My lips still feel swollen. Without thinking, I lick them.

Big mistake.

His gaze immediately drops to my mouth. He leaned in. About to completely destroy what little sanity I've managed to recover.

“Whoa.” I threw both hands against his chest. “Cool down there, hot stuff. Let's take things slow, yeah?”

It suddenly dawns on me that I'm completely naked. My legs are still wrapped around his waist. My back is against a tree.

Instantly my face heats up, and I try to wiggle out of his hold while simultaneously shoving him back with both palms flat on his chest.

“Um... do you think you could put me down?”

His answering frown—and the possessive growl rumbling in his chest—tell me exactly how he feels about that idea.

Too bad.

I don't wait for permission.

I quickly slid out of his arms and put both feet firmly on the ground before backing away to put some much-needed distance between us.

The way Blondie looks at me makes me tremble. My nipples tighten. His gaze drops instantly to my hardened peaks.

He growls. Then, without warning, he strips off his shirt, closes the distance between us, and drapes it over my shoulders.

“Cover up.”

Unfortunately for my self-control, my eyes immediately drift to the feast on display.

Broad chest. Defined abs. A trail of pale blond hair disappearing beneath his pants.

My mouth goes dry. His pleased growl snaps me out of it. I quickly shook my head.

Get it together, Sammy.

A warning growl sounds. I glance up to find Blondie standing between me and the other men and me, shielding my naked body from their view.

Thankfully, none of them are looking my way, despite the other wolf's claim.

“Cover up,” he repeats.

This time it's an order.

Yeah...I don't appreciate that tone, but

I silently slip my arms into the shirt and button it up.

This guy seriously thinks, because he was my mate and probably an alpha he gets to order me around? He's about to learn the hard way just how wrong he is.

“Come on,” my mate says, resting a hand against my lower back as he gently guides me forward. “Our car's close by. We can talk on the way to my pack.”

Fuck. The word pack was like a bucket of cold water. All the tingling and fluttering feelings vanish, leaving the reality of my situation behind.

I'm not going anywhere with him. If I go with him, I'll be leading the people hunting me straight to him.

Not to mention everything I've worked toward would disappear beneath the weight of the mate bond.

My thoughts. My choices. My entire life would revolve around him. I'd be trapped in a pack forever.

And if anything ever happened to him...

I'd spend the rest of my life broken. I've seen what losing a mate did to my father.

I don't want that. Not ever.

I'm only nineteen, far too young to be mated. I already have enough problems.

I can't risk him.

“Wait.” I step back. “We need to talk.”

My wolf whimpers in protest. Blondie turned, frowning. “We can talk in the car,” he replied. “It's freezing out here.”

“No.” I shake my head.

“We need to do this now.”

His gaze suddenly drops to my feet. “Fuck,” he muttered. “I'd forgotten you don't have shoes.”

I blinked, staring down at my feet. The snow is cold beneath my feet, but as a werewolf, my body temperature runs much higher than a human's.

Before I can protest, he's already crouching before me. He brushes the snow from my one foot, slips off his heavy combat boots, and gently puts them on me; then he does the same with the other foot.

I swallowed.

I look ridiculous, but my feet are warm. It's honestly one of the sweetest things anyone has ever done for me. Ever.

“What about you?” I asked.

He smiles softly. “I'm a male.”

Then his eyes find mine. “Besides... you come first. Always.”

The sincerity in his voice leaves no room for doubt. He means every word.

I swallow hard as my stomach flutters.

Something uncomfortable settles deep in my chest at what I know I must do.

“So…” I clear my throat awkwardly. “Sorry... What's your name?”

I was so overwhelmed I never even asked.

I tuck my hair behind my ears nervously.

He flashes me a cocky grin. “Lucien.”

“Lucien,” I whispered, rolling the name on my tongue.

A possessive growl rolls from his chest. I raise a brow, but keep going when he says nothing.

“You seem like a really good... um... wolf?”

I still have absolutely no clue what he is.

“Handsome. Hot. And wow... You can kiss a girl right out of her panties.”

The words spill out before I can stop them.

Loud laughter erupts behind us. Shit, I forgot about our audience again.

Lucien only smirked.

Stop that, I snapped at my wolf.

She has an annoying habit of mixing her thoughts with mine until they accidentally come out of my mouth.

She only snickered. Completely unrepentant.

“What I'm trying to say is…” I straighten my shoulders. “I'd like us to postpone this whole mating thing.”

His smile dropped off his face. I forced a smile. “Maybe... sometime in the future?”

“There's really no need to rush.”

The deadly silence that follows is immediate. The darkness settling over my mate's face tells me exactly how he feels about my proposal.

And judging by that look...

There isn't a snowball's chance in hell he's agreeing.