Page 50 of Fated to the Lone Shifter
I dart past an old oak, trying to find my bearings.
Twigs snap behind me. My heart skitters, and I whirl around—but I’m alone.
I spin to continue my getaway, only to run right into a goddamn freight train. A warm wall of muscle and heat.
Noah.
I smack into his chest with a grunt, my hands instinctively grabbing for balance—and finding him instead. His arms are already around me, tightening, not letting me fall.
“Running won’t save you from the truth,” he says.
I'm not sure which truth he is referencing, although I can't argue the point.
“You followed me,” I pant, struggling for control over my breath and my body.
“Of course I did,” he growls, his voice more beast than man. “This isn't over.”
He says nothing. His eyes blaze in the moonlight, almost glowing. They look feral. Hungry.
I try to back away, but he pulls me tighter.
And then it happens. He kisses me.
It’s not gentle. It’s raw, consuming—an explosion we’ve both been trying to outrun. My fingers thread into his hair, and his hands slide down my back, anchoring me to him like I’m the only thing keeping him sane. The forest fades. The mission fades. All I know is his mouth and the fire inside me that answers it.
Noah’s kiss is relentless, his lips demanding, his tongue a storm against mine. I’m pressed against him, his heat searing through my clothes, his hands gripping my waist like he’s afraid I’ll vanish. My pulse roars in my ears, drowning out everything but the hunger between us. I claw at his shirt, desperate for more, for skin, forhim.
His breath comes ragged as he lifts me, my legs wrapping around him, and he backs me against the oak, the rough bark biting into my spine. His mouth trails down my neck, teeth grazing, sending shivers through me. I arch into him, gasping, my nails digging into his shoulders. His hands slide up my thighs, under my skirt, and I’m trembling, on the edge of something wild and uncontrollable.
But then he stops. His forehead rests against mine, both of us panting, the air thick with unspoken need.“Not yet,”he growls, his voice hoarse, before setting me down, his touch lingering, leaving me aching and desperate for more.
The forest around us feels alive, the ancient symbols beneath our feet glowing faintly, as if feeding off our unspent desire. Noah’s eyes, still feral, lock onto mine, and I see the struggle inthem—the same battle I’m waging inside. We’re both teetering on the edge, craving release but held back by something greater than ourselves. The mission. The truth. The magic that binds us.
We break apart, gasping for air.“Why?”I whisper, my voice shaking.“Why stop now?”
He doesn’t answer with words. Instead, his hands move to my face, his thumbs brushing my cheeks, his touch tender despite the raw need still thrumming between us.“Because this isn’t just about us,”he murmurs, his breath warm against my lips.
His words send a jolt through me, sharper than his touch. I’m an awakening fire witch, and he’s a wolf shifter—two forces of nature colliding, neither fully in control. The forest seems to hold its breath, waiting for us to decide what comes next.
Noah steps back, just enough to break the spell but not enough to sever the connection. His chest rises and falls with effort, his muscles taut under his shirt. I mirror him, my heart still pounding, my skin still humming with the ghost of his touch. The air between us crackles, charged with unspoken promises and unfulfilled desire.
“We’re not done,”he says, his voice low and dangerous.“But we’re not rushing this either. Not when there’s so much at stake.”
I nod, though my body screams in protest. Every nerve ending aches for him, for the completion of what we started. But deep down, I know he’s right. This isn’t just about lust or even love. It’s about power, destiny, and the ancient forces that have brought us together.
The forest whispers around us, the wind carrying the scent of pine and earth. I feel the pull of the symbols beneath my feet, a faint warmth spreading through my veins. Noah’s gaze softens, and for a moment, the beast in him recedes, leaving only the man—strong, vulnerable, and as lost as I am.
I swallow hard, my throat tight with emotion. His words echo in my mind, heavy with implication. What comes after isn’t just physical release—it’s a bond, deep and irrevocable, that will alter us both forever. When we finally give in, it will be more than sex. It will be a claim, a surrender, a merging of souls.
And for that, I’m ready to wait.
The forest exhales. Noah’s hand tightens around mine, and I squeeze back, our silent agreement hanging in the air.
“I knew,” he says, his forehead pressed to mine, “from the moment we met, that you were special. And that you were hiding something. But this…..” It’s as if his words trail off.
But his lips aren't moving. The words are inside my head.
I stumble back. “Did you just—?”
