Page 24 of Red

Red bites her bottom lip before she asks, “Is it the same for you?”

“Hard to say, but I suppose it’s similar.” I run my hand down through her ribs. “When I first tracked your smell I was uncontrollable. It’s the primal instinct, you see. With the prey drive follows as stalk, chase, kill. And with a mate, thelatter changes to the need to breed.” I grab her waist and pull her nearer. “I know it’s not any excuse, but I couldn’t get too close to you right away because my desires would take over, and your safety was at risk. I had to wait until I was strong enough to trust myself around. So I kept my distance, yet it was impossible to leave you alone. Especially, since your fucking boyfriend was always around, testing my limits.”

“He isn’t my boyfriend, never was.”And he never will be.“We haven’t even done anything,” she explains like I didn’t already know.

“He wouldn’t be breathing right now if he touched you.”

Julia shivers. “That’s a little extreme, don’t you think?”

“You’re mine!” I growl, pads of my fingers dig into her hip as I press her body tightly to my mine.

She stares deeply into my eyes. “You want to breed me? Is that what being amateis about?”

“Yes and no.”

“Can you elaborate?”

“Bonded mates share an unbreakable soul connection that forever links them together. The urge to procreate isn’t exclusive, although much stronger in such case. But I’m not in any rush. I just got you all to myself, and believe me whenI say, I’m not ready to share you.”

She smiles at that, petting my head. “I’m on birth control.”

What a surprise awaits you, my dear.

“Hate to break it to you, but unless surgical, human contraception simply doesn’t work with my kind. And you certainly aren’t on any, either way.”

“No, I’m on a pill.”

“Julia, I can smell how fertile you are.”

“That’s impossible.” Her pupils dilate and she stills after she reaches to the nightstand.

11.

Prey

When I look at the clock on the end table behind a werewolf on my broken bed, I’m immediately snapped back to the real world and realize it’s Monday.

“Shit! I’m totally late for my check-in at work!” I jump out of the mattress and rush to put some clothes on.

“Quit,” he says, unbothered.

“I can’t just quit.”

“Why not? You don’t have to worry about money now, I’ll take care of you.”

I still don’t know how major of a part his animal side plays in his life, so I’m not exactly sure what he means bytaking care of me.But I don’t need his money if that’s what this is about. I’ve worked super hard to finish a good college andget a corporate job in Chicago that fulfills me.

“I’m sorry, but I need to log in,” I announce once I’m decent, grabbing my work laptop.

He sighs heavily, sitting down. “We don’t have time for this. We need to leave.”

“Huh?” I choke out.

He’s got to be kidding me!

“We can’t stay here, it’s too dangerous.”

I don’t understand what he’s saying to me. First, the breeding. Then, my career. And now, me moving? My mind is on a high cycle, trying to process things. Though, I haven’t even gotten over the fact that he isn’t human… Or that my stalker is real, and it’s him.

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