Page 25 of Destined to the Lycan
My throat constricted when she instinctively raised her right hand to caress this side of my neck. She no sooner started touching me than she yanked her hand back, a mix of shock and guilt on her face.
I emitted a growling purr and stretched my neck in a way that made it clear she could go right ahead and pet me. There was something magical about our wolf form. People either feared us or immediately melted with the need to hug and pet us like they would with a dog. Even though their minds understood that we were still a person, the natural restraint one showed another individual just vanished.
Amara giggled and reached out for my neck again. Nine Hells, I could have died right there and then when the softness of her hand stroked my dark fur with a reverence that wrecked me. I wanted to feel her hands all over me, to be claimed as her mate.
My purring growl grew louder, making her bolder in the way she petted me. To my dismay, she pulled away too soon.
“Now I see why you offered for me to ride you. You’re as big as a pony, but prettier and definitely fluffier,” she said in an amused tone.
I made a chuffing sound in lieu of laughter. I rubbed the side of my snout against the back of her hand then jumped on top of one of the slabs used as beds. I settled down sideways. Amara smiled, then walked around the room, waving her hand in front of the runes below each sconce to snuff the magic fire.
The room fell into nearly complete darkness, aside from the flickering flame of the Wayfarer’s Candle in the middle of the table. Heart pounding, I watched my female come to me. Without hesitation, she climbed onto the slab and snuggled deeply against me. My chest constricted as a wave of affection and almost rabid possessiveness crashed over me. I wrapped mypaws around her, drawing her more tightly against me, my fluffy tail settling over her like a blanket.
A loud purr vibrated in my mate’s throat.
“Oh yeah, you’re far more comfortable than that slab of rock. I can get used to this,” she whispered.
Fate willing, she would.
Chapter 6
Amara
Wrapped in a divine cocoon, I grumbled in displeasure at the annoying motion trying to pull me out of the best dream I’ve had in far too long to remember. I snuggle more deeply into the softest pillow. The heat emanating from it warmed me to the bone.
Heat from a pillow?!
Even as that thought snapped me out of my slumber, a chuffing sound followed by a slow growl had me wide awake in a blink. Wide-eyed, I stared at the face of a giant wolf half a second before his massive tongue licked my entire face.
“Hey! You’re going to make me sticky!” I exclaimed while pulling my face away from him.
Remus emitted that chuffing sound again that I believed was his way of laughing in his wolf form then rubbed his temple against mine before releasing me. He deftly hopped down the stone slab that we had slept on. I instantly felt cold and bereft, not only to be deprived of his embrace, but also because his body literally radiated heat like a bonfire. The thought that proximityto me might be the cause had a swarm of butterflies fluttering in my belly.
By the gods, he was truly magnificent in his beast form. He stood well over five feet from the bottom of his paws to the tip of his ears, his snout at a height with my face standing up. His lustrous fur was a darker shade of his dark brown hair. His golden eyes starkly contrasted with it, giving him an almost supernatural edge. The fur around his neck was surprisingly thick. It didn’t compare to that of a lion but vaguely reminded me of the one from the Maine Coon cats.
My fingers itched with the urge to sink through it and to caress him all over. I nearly whimpered with need just at the memory of how soft it felt against my face as I slept snuggling with him. Had he been an actual pet, I’d be all over him right now. It kind of messed with my head that a man hid behind that beast form.
A man who believed me to be his soulmate…
He gestured with his head for me to follow before heading towards the exit of the cave. Intrigued, I tagged along, the bright light of the early morning sun blinding me as we stepped outside. He circled around a small outcropping of rocks, revealing a recessed nook where a couple of water barrels had gathered rainwater.
“Thank you!” I exclaimed.
He bumped the back of my hand with his snout then turned around and headed back inside the cave. I splashed some water on my face and performed some quick ablutions before rejoining him. To my chagrin, in that short time, Remus had reverted to his human form and donned his pants.
My ears burned with embarrassment at the naughty thoughts that crossed my mind as to what he might be packing inside his pants. Did he have a knot like canines or the standard equipment in his human form?
My gaze roamed back up his bare chest, appreciating the view. His body was sheer perfection. I didn’t fight the wave of possessiveness that swept through me. After all,hewas the one who claimed we were fated.
To my dismay, I looked up at his face to find him staring at me with a discreet smile laced with undeniable smugness. I averted my eyes, mortified to have been caught ogling him.
“I hope you rested well?” he said with a hint of amusement while putting his shirt on.
“Fantastically well, thank you. You’re the best pillow and mattress in the world,” I deadpanned.
He snorted. “That’s one title I never expected to earn, but I welcome it.”
We settled at the table and quickly ate more bread and dried meats with some fruits. We washed down our meal with some cider from a canteen, packed our stuff, and resumed our journey.
