Page 25 of Lycan

He lowered his head and lifted his claws. He was about to swipehimfrom where he was impaled.

“Wait!” He froze. “Can you do that outside?” I struggled to push words out of my throat. There was already enough blood I would have to clean.

He only grunted and his long fluffy tail swished as he left through the broken front door.

He’d snapped the wood straight in half. Hopefully I could fix it, because if there was no door, then it would get too cold in here and . . . I squeezed my lips into a line and shut my eyes.

I curled on my side. Something to take care of another day. Pam’s still form flashed behind my eyelids. Everything had changed from one day to the next. My family was dead . . . I was alone. Utterly alone.

A wet touch on my cheek urged my eyes open.

Fenrir pressed his nose into my forehead and then a long tongue flicked across my cheek. I crawled to my knees and threw my arms around his wide, large neck, clinging to him. I fisted tufts of his fur, holding on like I could disappear into him.

His arms hesitantly snaked around my waist, flattening me to his chest. Hard enough for me to feel secure, but not fearful that he would pop me like a balloon.

His nostrils flared.

“Your scent . . .” he said gutturally. “You don’t need to fear any longer.”

He exhaled so hard it blew my hair backwards. I clutched onto him tighter, and a rumbling purr vibrated his torso. Soothing me. I no longer feared Fenrir. A human’s face, one I trusted with everything inside me, had been the true monster. At least Fenrir seemed to want to care for me. His version consisted of a lot of licking, but I couldn’t complain too much considering what I’d faced with Jason.

I started to slide downward, and I tightened my grip in his fur, clawing my way back up with my heels digging into his sides. His claws pricked my spine, tightening me to him—squeezing me to him. I rested my cheek against his fur.

Sharp teeth grazed against my shoulder. The rasp of them didn’t break skin. Goose bumps exploded down my arms. His pine scent flared my need more. I needed to be touched and held. To erase Jason’s touch.

“I need you,” I said, muffled against his fur. His purring stuttered, grip tightening painfully. “Fenrir?”

He’d become immobile.

Vulnerability coated my words, but I wasn’t sure he would be able to distinguish the emotion. By his stiff reaction, I doubted it. I ran my palm against his side, rubbing my fingernails into his fur. He jolted as if electrified back to life.

“I will do as you say,” he said gruffly.

Those were words he had not uttered. Until now, it’d been whatever he wanted and that was that. A fresh wave of emotion swelled in my chest. A mix of exhilaration, relief, and something that felt an awful lot like affection.

“Get me away from here,” I mumbled, poking a finger in the direction of the stairs. I kept hold as he followed my guidance. The stairs groaned in complaint under our weight, but they held, sturdy and strong. The hall was wide, but still his large body rubbed against both sides, and he had to lean forward to avoid his antlers scratching up the ceiling.

“That’s my room.” I craned my neck. He bowed low enough that I would have been dangling from his neck if he didn’t hold my lower body against him. I wiggled until he set me down.

He settled on all fours, slowly inching his way around the room, sniffing. He rumbled with pleasure. “Your scent coats your den.”

He peered at my drawers, lifting an elongated hand and poking it with a long sharp talon. A rasp of his nail later and then there was a long line in the wood.

“You have to be gentle.” I pursed my lips and hurried to his side to grab his arm. Fenrir kept turning his head side to side as he scanned every inch of the room. Even if I couldn’t read expressions on his face, his confusion was clear. I bunched his fur. He turned his large head toward me. I tugged him until he began following me to the bed.

“Lay down,” I murmured. Fenrir stiffened.

“I will not be bound,” a crisp anger filled his tone. And the slightest panic. I took a step back. The people he’d been hell bent on killing had irreparably hurt him. Based off his reaction, something I’d said reminded him of it.

“I will never, ever bind you, Fenrir,” I whispered. “Or hurt you.”

The stiffness melted away from his body as he watched me and he finally lowered.

He was able to lay flat on his back. Although my bed was big, his legs still dangled from the edge. My lips twitched.

“I’m going to get on you. Is that okay?” I inched forward, hesitating.

He only grunted.

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