Page 50 of Thicker than Blood

“I do. Long story.”

“Apparently I have time to hear it.”

He leans back, dragging a hand through his now messy hair. I’m sweaty and sticky and he still looks like a model.

“I was bitten by a wolf during a full moon rut ages ago.”

“Uh-huh. You realize that explains nothing to me, right?”

I feel his smile against my cheek. “Right, apologies. It’s very dangerous to have sex with a were or a wolf shifter during a full moon.”

“A were?”

“Werewolf. Slightly different species from a shifter. A werewolf is affected by the moon cycles and has no control over their shift, whereas a shifter is like a vampire in a lot of ways. In control. For the most part, anyway.”

“So you fucked a…?”

“Wolf shifter. He was desperate and I was reckless back then. I thought I could overpower him if necessary. I was wrong. I unleashed his desire for a mate and he bit me. In response, I bit back, and well, our blood mixed.”

“So you got his knot?”

“And he got my taste for blood. Fortunately, those are the only traits we borrowed from each other.”

“How do you know?”

“It was a huge problem. We went to see a mage to ensure nothing else changed. We underwent a most disagreeable ritual to ensure the wolf could still mate. He could.”

“Wow.”

“I admit though, the knot is infrequent and unpredictable. It’s been decades since it last popped up. Maybe a century.”

“Oh. Does that mean something?”

“Great question. I have no idea.”

Now I have a hundred more questions. “Does it hurt?”

“Oh no. It feels incredible. You are so tight around it, involuntarily clenching and releasing. Does it hurt you?”

“No, I just feel full. Stretched.”

“Mmm.” He nuzzles my neck. “Can you smell us the way I can?”

“Smells like sex.”

“Sweet and floral, like a crisp spring day?”

“No. Just cum.”

Elias chuckles. “You are such a treat. A wondrous surprise for me tonight.” He slides his hands up my torso, cupping my chest before tweaking my nipples. “Could I tempt you to stay? We cango to my room and I can spend days upon days feeding and fucking and knotting you until you can take no more.”

The desire to say yes is so strong I’m tempted to bite my tongue again, but that would just turn him on even more. I need to say no. This can’t be an ongoing thing. Right? But maybe if I stay it still counts as just once, and then I can say I only broke the rules one time. Oh shit. Wait. Enyo is here. He knows. Oh gods, he knows. What if he tells Meredith? What if he thinks I’m wrong? What if?—

“Shh,” Elias whispers. “My gods, your brain is working.”

I blow out a shaky breath. “I want to stay, but I should leave.”

“Ah. I haven’t convinced you of the beauty of breaking rules that don’t matter. Perhaps I’ll try harder next time.”

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