Page 38 of Forced Knocked-Up Mate

Maybe she just enjoys antagonizing me.

She leans forward to reach the very top edge of the bench, and her jeans pull tight across her round ass and wide hips. At the same time, the clip falls out of her hair, and the long, curly waves cascade across her shoulders and tumble around her pretty face.

She makes a small sound of annoyance and straightens up, gathering her hair in her hands and pulling it back behind her head. With quick, short movements, she twists it into a knot and fixes it back in place with a clip.

When she reaches up to tie her hair back, her blouse rides up, exposing a strip of pale skin across her belly. The fabric stretches across her breasts, pulling the buttons apart and showing me just a hint of a white bra edged with delicate lace.

Suddenly, she looks up and notices me watching. Her deep blue eyes seem to darken as her mouth twists in a frown.

She’s so fucking cute when she’s angry.

“What are you looking at?” she asks.

“Nothing,” I say, my voice flat. “I was just wondering if you were done fucking around with your beauty routine so we can go.”

A sigh that sounds more like a growl rumbles in her throat. “Yes, we’re finally done. I’ll just get my bag.”

I turn my back before she’s even finished speaking and walk through the back door, going to wait by the car. I can’t stand still, so I pace back and forth, my anxiety rising by the second.

“About time,” I growl as Lucy comes out to the parking lot. “I thought you were in a hurry?”

“I’m too tired, Peter,” she says, her voice dull and defeated. “You can keep fighting with me if you want, but I’m done for the day.”

Her words cut into me as if they’re made of broken glass. My chest aches with pressure, a rising force of tension that feels like it will break my ribs if I don’t scream to let it out.

I clench my fists and get in the car, staring silently out the window as I try to control my emotions. I feel all kinds of bad right now, and a lot of it is from the way Lucy just spoke to me.

She admitted defeat. And it made me feel like a complete prick.

As she drives through the slowly darkening streets, I realize the feeling inside me is mostly regret. And there is some part of me that wants to apologize.

Fuck that! I spent the whole day trying to please this woman, and then all I got for it was a big load of crap piled on me! She should apologize to me!

The pressure in my chest starts to build again, and it begins to feel a lot like panic. I’ve felt like this plenty of times—usually right before I jump headfirst into a fistfight and come out of it battered, bloody, and no wiser than when I went in.

Thankfully, the house comes into view, and I keep my shit together for another few seconds while Lucy parks the car. My door is open before the car has even stopped moving. I turn my head towards the nearby hills, immersing myself in the fresh scent of pine and ice that blows from the peaks.

“I have to run,” I say, my voice tight as I try not to yell.

“Well, I’m getting in the shower. I’m not delaying my relaxation time another second on your account, so don’t expect me to go for a hike just to oblige you.”

“I’ll push against the edges of the spell,” I say through gritted teeth. “I wouldn’t want to inconvenience you any further, my lady.”

She glares at me, and I stare right back. The pressure between us almost ignites as we wait for each other to speak, but then she just turns around and goes inside.

Lucy’s house is at the end of a small cul-de-sac. There are a couple of quiet streets between her backyard and the first mountain trail. I go through the garden, past the big tree and out the gate. It’s dark enough that I won’t be seen, so I shift right away and trot through the streets.

Immediately, I feel a sense of deep anxiety. My wolf doesn’t want to leave her, even for a second. No matter how hard I push towards the nearby trees, my animal won’t let me go further than a few blocks.

I put all my effort into an all-out run towards the forest. I refuse to believe I’m trapped here, with her.

I have to be able to undo this!

My paws slap the concrete, and my muscles tighten as I force myself to keep running. I keep my eyes on the mountaintop, imagining myself flowing through the forest like a savage shadow, a living expression of primal force. With every last scrap of my energy, I embrace my wolf and try to leave my humanity behind.

A terrible howl rips from my throat as my paws skid hard across the gravel, stopping so suddenly the pads rip open and leave trails of blood on the road. I stagger backwards, staring up at the mountain with desperate hope even as my heart tugs me back towards Lucy.

Whimpering softly, I drop my nose to the ground and trot back the way I came until I get to Lucy’s backyard. I stare at the window on the backdoor, a little square of yellow light that looks warm and welcoming.

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