Page 120 of Hawke

“He’s smelling you,”my wolf said. “He isn’t human anymore.”

I shivered as an icy breeze washed over me. How could he not be human? And what could that mean, not anymore?

“Then what is he?”I asked her.

“He has no smell, not even a human marker in his blood.”

“You are certainly no help. What does that even mean?”

My wolf shook her head, as if she couldn’t tell me at the moment. She lowered her head, still accessing.

All the while, Shane accessed me, looking my body over. “God, Delilah. What are you wearing? Have you worn rags since you left me? Are you that stubborn?” His lip curled into a smile. “Here, I brought you a gift, despite your leave of absence.”

He pulled a Dior and Chanel bag from behind his back that happened to magically appear. “Chad brought these from the car. Inside, you will find things for a shower, undergarments, clothing. Be quick, Delilah, you have eight minutes. You are lucky I am not coming in there with you, but I have more information to beat out of your friend.”

I took the bags reluctantly. And when Shane smiled, a fang appeared from his mouth.

I gasped, falling into the door jamb of the bathroom.

This made him straighten his back even more. It must have lit a fire in his ego, because he chuckled darkly. His eyes sparkled with mirth as he leaned his forearm over my head. Shane smiled down at me, now exposing both sharp fangs.

“Yes, my little wife, I have been busy while you’ve been away. But don’t worry, you will join me soon and be bonded to me instead of that dog.”

Shane took off his black leather glove, exposing a long, grey fingernail. He wrapped it around my blonde hair and pulled it toward him. He smelled it and frowned, dropping it to my shoulder.

“But first we will get rid of this wet dog smell and…” He pushed the loose t-shirt away from my shoulder bearing the mark on my skin and hissed.

He grabbed my neck, pulling me off the ground to meet him in the eyes. “You fucked that wolf, didn’t you? Let that mutt fuck the pussy that was always mine, huh?”

I grabbed around his wrists, nails digging into his skin. I tried to will my claws, the black ones I’d used just minutes ago to scale the tree.

But they never came. I couldn’t break into the cold barrier of his skin.

“Where are you when I need you!?”I screamed at my wolf.

When the world looked bleak, when my vision was going dark, he let go, setting me down on my feet and pulled me to his chest. He no longer smelled of rich, expensive cologne. He smelled of—nothing.

No shampoo, no natural or artificial smell. He smelled empty.

My wolf was warily tilting her head. Her lip curled, showing her fang. “He does not smell like a vampire, but he shows signs of one,”she snarled. “I do not understand.”

“There you are, great timing,”I snapped at her.

Shane petted my hair, his nose delving into the roots of my hair as if trying to smell my original scent.

He patted me gently on my back, his claws detangling my hair.

“I’m sorry, Delilah. I shouldn’t have done that–I just, well.” He patted my back again, pulling me away. “You had some wild oats to sew. No matter. We will get this taken care of. You have not shifted, I’m assuming?” He raised an eyebrow.

I shook my head quickly, not wanting to be strangled again.

Why did I feel so small around him? After two years away from him? It wasn’t like I remembered a lot of what he’d done, but just his presence was so suffocating.

He turned his back, the deep, heavy cloud retreated, and the air returned to my lungs.

“S-Shane?” I weaved my fingers together, my head hanging lower than I intended.

God, I hated this.

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