Page 58 of Bewitched By the Werewolf
“No, it’s okay Ryder. I was released and moved on. I’m not on the best terms with my family because of it and might have an unorthodox life because of it but…but I always assumed what I saw were monsters. Beasts who attacked humans on purpose. Who were dangerous, and people needed to be warned about. But now…” She sighs and looks up at me with sad eyes, her shoulders dropping. “Now everything is different. Meeting you and learning about shifters had already started to sway my beliefs. Knowing that you were that shifter I saw so long ago, andeverything was a random accident? That you had no ill intention towards humans, and it was a fluke? It changes things.
“I had always operated under the assumption werewolves were bad evil creatures lurking in the dark just waiting for their opportunity to strike. Everything I believed was wrong and…honestly, I feel stupid for believing such things for so long without ever considering an alternative. It’s all so confusing now.”
Her forehead falls to my chest, and she lets out a deep exhale. I wrap her safely in my arms and hold her close. She’s not the only one confused. However, with every passing day we spend together my mind clears. I still have no idea how to confirm if Tess is my mate or not, short of attempting to bond with her and finding out if it worked or not. I’m also caring less and less about proving it and caring more about being with her.
Shifters constantly function off of instinct, and mine keeps telling me this is right. Tess is right, and I will do anything short of exposing Snowberry to be with her.
Leaning back against the headboard I pull the quilt from under us and wrap us both in it. I’m not particularly picky about being nude but I know humans can be and Tess’s skin has begun to cool.
“What do I do now?” she mumbles against my chest.
“For now, we’ll sleep. Maybe have sex again when I can’t resist you any longer, and then I’ll show you everything you haven’t seen of Snowberry. And after much persuading of the sexual and flirtatious kind, you’ll realize how amazing Snowberry is and decide you want to keep it our secret.”
Sliding my hand around her neck, I splay my fingers through her hair at the base of her skull and stroke my thumb along her jaw and pulse. Unable to resist, I lean down and place a lingering kiss to her lips, savoring her whimper of pleasure.
“Then maybe I can persuade you to stay longer,” I admit against her lips.
“Weren’t you the one just days ago demanding I leave town immediately?” I can feel her smile against mine and know she’s teasing. She knows I don’t want her to leave.
“That was before, this is now. Things change.”
Her smile falters and she closes her eyes, leaning into my hand and sighing. “Yes, they do.”
What she doesn’t realize is just how much more they’re going to change. I wanted to tell her all about the other non-humans beyond shifters, but with the revelation of our intertwined pasts, I feel it’s better to wait until after a good night’s sleep and maybe a few more orgasms.
Tomorrow Tess is going to wake up in an entirely different town than the one she knew today. I just hope it won’t be the thing to finally push her over the edge and away from me.
“Wait,” Tess pops up from her reclined position on my chest and stares at me wildly. “I saw youtwenty yearsago when I wasten.There’s no way you were also ten at the time. How old are you?”
I chuckle and press her head back down to my chest. “Remember how I told you shifters live longer?”
Chapter 32: Tess
I wake up from a deep sleep and stretch without opening my eyes. My body aches in all the good ways. I feel a strong arm slung over my waist tighten as I move. Ryder sleeps next to me, never more than a hands distance away. It’s like now that we’ve crossed that boundary into something sexual, something more than acquaintances, he’s never very far from me. I think, he thinks, I’m going to run away at any moment. He couldn’t be more wrong.
Now that I know the truth about that night so many years ago, I look at shifters—and him—in a new light. In one night he rewrote my history and somehow, I got it all wrong. I don’t want to leave, I want to know more. I need to know every truth he promised.
Plus, the sex is fucking amazing. Thank god I’m on the pill because there was a lot of cum. I don’t think there’s a condom in existence that could hold that much in. Not to mention it wouldn’t fit over that knot of his. I’m amazed at my own body for being able to take it. I’m thankful it could, because that is an experience I want to repeat.
Ryder stirs next to me and forcibly pulls me flush against him.
“And where do you think you’re going?” His voice is husky and sleepy, his hair adorably disheveled, curling around his ears and over his brow. I push a lock away so I can better see his sleepy silver gaze as he watches me expectantly.
“No where, just stretching out the kinks from last night’s workout.”
He groans approvingly but doesn’t loosen his hold on me. It’s cute and I like seeing the many sides of Ryder. Before all he showed was his stoic stern sheriff persona. Who knew beneath that lay a giant cuddly teddy bear who can fuck like a beast?
“Would you like a morning work out? I think we can squeeze one in,” he offers.
“Jeesh, you’re a sex addict you know that? I need a break, or my lady parts might never work again from exhaustion.”
“Well, we wouldn’t want that now, would we? Perhaps a hot bath then?” he offers instead.
“Now that, sounds heavenly.”
Ryder runs us a bath and joins me, acting as my recliner and personal body washer. His hands are gentle but strong working out any knots in my shoulders and basically massaging me into a puddle of goo. After, we dress, and he leads me to the kitchen for some breakfast and coffee. It’s not as good as Tobias’s but I give him a pass. It seems he’s a simple kinda guy and doesn’t even have creamer in the fridge, just milk. Coffee with milk it is. Ryder drinks his black and I can just imagine him arguing with Tobias about drinking something more interesting.
“If I remember correctly, I believe last night you said you were going to show me all of Snowberry’s secrets.”
