Page 2 of Bond & Protect

As she bites down on her bottom lip, I notice her heart is hammering like a war drum. Is she being secretive because I’m a stranger? That would be smart, but then she has done a lot of things tonight that I wouldn’t consider self-serving, so I have no idea.

“Mila,” she finally admits quietly. “That’s my name.”

She’s being truthful. I can feel it emanating from her core. But saying her name aloud seems to cause her anxiousness to shoot up quite a bit. I wish I knew why. But all I can really do is try to put her at ease.

“Well, I’m Elias. It’s good to meet you, Mila.”

As I dart my eyes her way, I can’t help picking up on the intense way that her nipples stand to attention through her thin shirt. My mouth runs dry. I try to get my brain back to focus on what is important here. Like the fact that something definitely isn’t right. But how can I when she’s drawing me in with her beautiful, curvy body that’s crying out for attention? Even in the warmth of the night, her nipples are showing themselves clearly.

Suddenly I don’t care much about anything else except backing her into a corner and taking her––claiming her mouth with my own, running my hands all over her peaks and dips, burying myself deep inside her so I can make her scream with pleasure. Because I’m sure I could make her growl with bliss, making noises that she’s never made before…

Stop it, I yell at myself as I glance away rapidly. This isn’t me doing the gentlemanly thing, is it? This is me perving all over her, just because she’s stunning. Behave, Elias. For God’s sake.

But now that she’s caught my attention, it's like I can’t let go. I keep looking her way, noticing every shift of her hair in the wind, twitch of her hands, and intake of her breath. It’s like she’s prey, and I am on a hunt. I’m addicted to her, she’s a drug, and I need a hit. Now.

“Have you lived here for long?” I ask in a strangled tone of voice, trying my best not to keep getting lost in these wild impulses. “I don’t think I have ever seen you around before, Mila?”

She half nods, half shakes her head, which obviously doesn’t really give me anything. But then she hasn’t been the most chatty the whole time, has she? Is it because she’s picked up on how I’m feeling, and I’m making her uncomfortable? I would hate that.

“Do you like it?” I continue, desperately trying to get her to talk. I need something.

“The town?” she asks with a slight frown. “I don’t know. I guess so.”

Fuck, this isn’t helping me at all. Now I’m getting drawn in by the intensity of her aroma––and it is intoxicating. I don’t know if I’m ever going to be able to let her go when she’s making me feel like this. It’s like lightning bolts of desire shooting through my whole body.

“I suppose it isn’t… you know, as great as a city,” I continue, almost stammering my words because of the impact she’s having on me. “There’s much less to do.”

The itchier my wolf becomes to mate with her, the less I can think straight. Despite her being only a year or two younger than me, from what I can sense, I can tell she’s a virgin. I know humans don’t go into heat, but I can scent her own attraction to me between her legs. And that scent of pure, unclaimed arousal is driving the alpha in me wild. I don’t know how I can control myself any longer. My whole body is twitching with the need to act on this desire. For both of us.

“Well, this is me,” Mila suddenly declares in a much too bright tone of voice. She gestures with her hand to show me the building behind her. “Your Good Samaritan duty is done. You’ve got me home safe and sound. You can go about your business now.”

There’s so much that I want to say, but with a thick ball of emotion lodged in the base of my throat, I can’t get any words out. Probably for the best. I don’t want to do something stupid like kiss her senseless. If I start kissing her, then I don’t think I’ll ever stop.

“Right, well, goodbye then.” Awkwardly I lift up my hand. “See ya, Mila.”

She smiles softly. “Thanks, Elias. Maybe I will see you soon.”

It’s agony to back away from her, but I know it’s what I need to do. Not only so I don’t act wild with this woman I’ve only just met, but also so I’m not late to the meeting. I put a lot at risk if I do that. I need to get to the rendezvous point sooner rather than later.

But I can’t shake off the feeling that I really do hope that me and Mila bump into one another again. That mysterious woman has me absolutely captivated. I don’t think I’ll forget her any time soon. It’s not often that we get a beautiful, captivating newcomer like this.

Although if we do bump into one another again, I don’t think I can trust myself to keep away. I absolutely had to tear myself away this time around, and I feel like a part of me has been left behind with Mila––a piece that I need to claim at some point. But for now, I need to focus on the here and now. I have to have my head in the meeting. This shit is serious…

I make it to the rendezvous point just in time, and all lustful thoughts flee out of my mind the moment I spot the Agent I’m here for. He’s a shadowy figure, dressed all in black, and basically covered from head to toe. This mysterious pack-less shifter is known only as Theo, although I’m sure that’s not his real name. He just doesn’t look like a Theo to me.

“What do you have for me?” I ask quietly. I know Theo doesn’t like loud chat.

In fact, he doesn’t like to talk at all, which is why he only hands me a small slip of paper. I already know that the contents of my mission will be inside, but it’s always vague. I want more.

“Do you know what I’ve got this time?” I ask before I even open the paper. “Any clues for me? I hate how cryptic it always is, don’t you? Like, just be clear already…”

But Theo says nothing. He shoots me one dark gaze before he flies forward, shifting into his wolf form so he can race through the forest without drawing any attention to himself. He’s weird. I shake my head, a little bemused, finally peeling the note open. What a weird night.

45° 7’25.87″N 123° 6’48.97″W

I study the coordinates for a couple of moments, trying to work out what they might mean. Obviously this is somewhere I need to go, but I want to work shit out first.

Nothing. I get nothing.

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