Page 20 of Sass Me

If she got out of this alive, and by alive she meant with her sanity intact, she was buying a vibrator for every room in the apartment.

Fleur paced back and forth in front of the door, stopping to listen every few seconds. Was he groaning her name?

That hit her low in the belly and a wondrous tingle zipped between her legs.

Oh, Artimis help her.

She backed away from the door, and even though it was the middle of summer pulled out her long-sleeved flannel pajamas from the bottom drawer of her dresser. The green and white striped ones with teapots shaped like old English cottages all over them. She’d gotten them at a white elephant Christmas party. They were the unsexiest thing she owned.

She put them on, covering her nakedness and already feeling better. Yeah. Nobody would want to touch her in these ugly things. Not even herself.

She crawled into bed and pulled the covers all the way up to her chin. Stiff as a bored, she laid there, straining to hear, and then chastising herself for trying to listen to see if Steele was still getting it on in the bathtub.

She just needed to close her eyes and go to sleep. The evening had her completely exhausted, and morning wasn’t even that far off.

The scenting ceremony was tomorrow and she didn’t want bags under her eyes and the yawns when her wolf mate-to-be came sniffing around.

The prospect wasn’t half as exciting now, as it had been a few hours ago. Must be because she was so tired.

She tossed and turned, pressing her legs together to stave off the need that continued to grow.

Eventually she drifted off and began to dream.

Fleur was running through the forest, practically flying over the ground. An excitement she’d never felt before spurred her on and a giggle spilled out of her.

Sexual energy zinged through the air, playing with her senses. The forest had a musky erotic smell, and even the wind tasted sweet, like whisky or wine. She must be at the scenting ceremony.

Yes, glowing eyes were chasing her. Her wolf’s eyes.

“Catch me if you can, mate.” This must be the wolf-link Jordan and her other friends had told her about. Except didn’t they use it when they were in wolf form. She wasn’t a wolf.

“Oh, I’ll do more than catch you, little flower.”

She wanted him to catch her, but not too easily. That was half the fun.

He was behind her, and closing in. She put on a burst of speed, but he didn’t follow. Wait. Where did he go?

Fleur slowed and circled back. No way her wolf would lose her scent.

In an instant, he popped up in front of her. Sneaky bastard. His green eyes burned into her soul. She gasped and turned to run away.

Something big and strong, but soft and gentle, encircled her.

“Now you are mine,” the wolf said.

She was. And he was hers.

But, there was something wrong. Something that didn’t quite feel right.

She turned back to her wolf and stared at him. His muzzle and furry ears were...ugly. This couldn’t be her mate. The face she was looking at, the scent of him, even the feel of his body against hers were all wrong.

She didn’t feel even the slightest bit of attraction to the wolf. Except there was a familiarity in his eyes. They were the only thing that felt true.

It was as if her mate was hiding behind a mask.

“Why are you hiding from me?”

The wolf growled, and it resonated deep in his chest, the sound vibrating so deep. “I’m right here, flower. But, you don’t want to see me.”

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