Page 25 of Wild Fated

I stood and walked to our makeshift shelter, ducking under the branches. Lana followed, and we rolled out our mats, then lay down on the pine needles, our bodies just inches apart.

I stared out at the dark sky, the branches above us swaying in the wind. My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, but one kept surfacing over and over. I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to relax. Lana's breathing slowed, and I finally allowed myself to drift into the darkness.

I slept like a rock until a sound pulled me back to consciousness. It was faint but persistent. A shuffling, fabricagainst fabric. I opened my eyes, and my breath hitched. Lana was still next to me, her back turned.

I frowned, my brain still foggy from sleep. I reached out, my hand hovering just above her shoulder. She was shivering. The air was cold. Biting. But it didn't affect me the same way. I had more body mass, and whatever else made men heaters and women ice cubes.

I couldn't just lie there and do nothing. My wolf growled, and before I could second-guess myself, I closed the distance between us. I slid my arm under her head, pulling her against my chest.

Lana tensed, and I felt her breath hitch. "Destin, what are you doing?" Her voice was barely a whisper, sending a shiver down my spine.

I swallowed hard. "You're shivering."

"I can take care of myself."

Her ears were ice cold against my arm. "I'm cold,” I lied, hoping she couldn't hear the thundering of my heart.

She was silent for a moment. Then she let out a soft breath. "Fine. If it helps you sleep."

I lay on my side, my arm wrapped over her hip, my body pressed against hers. I felt the contours of her form through the thin fabric of our clothes. Her scent was intoxicating. I inhaled deeply, my pulse quickening.

Lana adjusted, and her socked feet slid up between my calves. She sighed as my warmth spread through her, and I stifled a groan. I closed my eyes, trying to keep my hips back far enough that she wouldn’t feel what was happening below the waistband of my pants.

I exhaled, and my lips brushed the shell of her ear. Her heartbeat quickened. Her emotions spiked. She wanted me. Even without my psi abilities, I could sense it in the way herbody responded, in the way her breathing hitched every time I moved.

My wolf growled, urging me to press. But I couldn't. Not without her explicit consent. No matter how badly I wanted her, I wouldn't cross that line.

The tension in her muscles, the way she was holding herself back, drove me mad. I waited for her to do something, anything, but she only curled deeper into herself.

My wolf clawed at my insides. This was torture. Holding her like this, knowing I couldn't do anything about it. I wanted to run my hands over every inch of her body, to taste her skin, to hear her moan my name. Then, when I dropped her off at the site in the morning, I wouldn’t have to think about her. To imagine her scent every damn day.

My annoyance grew with every breath she took. Every second that passed without her turning toward me. I was pissed that my wolf was in a frenzy for her. I was a rogue shifter. I lived in the wild and didn't answer to anyone. And here I was, lying next to a she-wolf with her feet between my legs. I was getting whipped before I’d even had a taste, and my wolf was all in on it.

Then I was pissed that she wouldn’t put me out of my misery. It wasn’t her fault, but it was late. My blood wasn’t circulating properly in my head, and I had to blame someone.

I finally closed my eyes and accepted my fate. I was going to lay there with my balls in a vice grip.

At least Lana had stopped shivering.

Chapter

Eleven

Lana

Iwoke to warmth and weight. A heavy arm draped over my waist, and the solid wall of a body pressed against my back. I sucked in a breath, my heart hammering in my chest. Everything inside me stilled. I’d slept like a baby. In his arms. All night long.

My skin tingled where Destin’s arm touched me, but it wasn't just that. The night before flung itself back into my memory, and my body was keenly aware of the place where his lips had accidentally brushed against my skin the night before. How he’d pulled his hips away from me, his breath heavy against my neck.

My wolf stirred, restless.You’re too stubborn for your own good.

My eyes widened.This? This is the moment you decide to talk to me again? You’ve been silent for days.

I was giving you time.

I almost laughed out loud.Time for what?I moved my hips, trying to extricate myself without waking Destin, but it was liketrying to move out from under a boulder. My movement only made things worse. His arm tightened around me, pulling me back against him. I froze as his body pressed even closer, and I was suddenly very aware of every muscle, every inch of him. The way his hips were now very much pressed against my backside.

My heart stuttered, and blood rushed in my ears.

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