Page 3 of Mates for the Rejected Wolf

He breaks out in to a small smile. “Well, this town would be so much safer for you without the Night Hunters here. So, if someone wants to get rid of them, I think we should join in.”

My heart starts pounding heavily, and not because I might have my freedom, but because if Griffin starts communicating with Fern and they work together, that brings me closer to her. That means I might even get to meet her. My possessive, needy side rushes to the surface in a way I have never experienced before.

I want her, I need her, and this is my chance to finally make my fantasies a reality. My head starts spinning with the possibilities. I don’t know what to do first, but all I can think about are Fern’s kissable lips.

“…of course, I will probably have to communicate with the Iron Mountain pack as well.”

“What?” I snap, wondering where Griffin is going with this now. “What are you talking about? Why do we need to get any wolves involved with this?”

Griffin narrows his eyes at me like he knows I haven’t been listening. “Because, like I just said, Fern is a wolf. She belongs to that pack, although she seems very distant from them.” He pauses thoughtfully for a moment. “It’s weird, especially since her father is an elder of the pack.”

I’m shocked. I didnotknow Fern was a wolf. All this time, I’ve been lusting after her as if she’s human. It’s really weird to find that she is not. I don’t knowhowI feel about her being a wolf, and the daughter of an elder at that. Maybe it shouldn’t change things for me, but, unfortunately, it does. I feel mixed up and confused now, like maybe I shouldn’t be interested in her anymore.

“But even if she isn’t close to the pack, we’re probably still going to have to go through them. With a bit of luck, they will be as interested in getting rid of the Nightshade Hunters as much as us.”

This is all happening too fast for me now, like the world is spinning out of control and there is nothing I can do to stop it. There is nothing I can do to make sense of my new reality. The reality where I am finally going to have a chance to get to know the woman I have been dreaming about forever, just to find out we might not be compatible at all.

“I…I don’t know,” I say, now wary of the whole situation. “I don’t think this is a good idea after all. I don’t think we should be letting wolves know I exist.”

“I can easily do it without letting them know you exist. Don’t worry about it all.”

But that doesn’t feel right either. None of it feels right. I’m I just need some time to think. I need some space to figure out what I want to do, because the moment Fern stops being a fantasy and becomes a reality, everything will change. Potentially not for the best. Am I really willing to sacrifice the one thing that makes me happy in this hell?

“Come on,”Griffin says with a grin. “Let’s figure out exactly what we want to do, and then we can start moving with our plan. Iknowyou might be a little worried about all of this, but together we can make this work. Wewillmake this work, trust me.”

I don’t know what I can do other than agree, even if it puts me on edge.

* * *

Fernis runningthrough the forest with an ethereal glow surrounding her, drawing me in. She’s like a siren, making me want to soar into the sky. I haven’t shifted into my dragon form, but then I don’t need to. Her magnetic pull is enough. More than enough. All I want to do is go to her.

The rational part of my brain knows this isn’t real, but it doesn’t matter. I’m enjoying it so much that nothing else matters. I just want to follow her. Wherever she is taking me, wherever she is going.

She spins around, giggling girlishly, flashing me that beautiful smile. I might have seen that smile before, but it’s never been directed at me. I’ve never basked in her warm glow like this. It’s absolutely wonderful, and I can’t help but smile back at her.

Eventually, we reach a clearing in the woods, and I tumble down to the ground. It isn’t exactly a gracious moment, but Fern doesn’t seem worried by that at all. She sashays over to me, swaying her hips, utterly intoxicating me. By the time she arrives at my side, I can’t wait to get my hands on her. All I want to do is feel her.

“You are…” I start breathlessly, unable to really form words. Instead of continuing to push myself, I reach out and take her cheek in my hand. The feel of her soft skin absolutely sets me alight. I feel like I’m doused in flames in the best way possible.

As I lean in, her hot breath tickles my mouth.I can’t believe I’m finally going to get to kiss her.My whole world is resting on this moment. I absolutelyneedthis, and I have a feeling I always will. Her eyes sparkle as they slide closed, and I canfeelthe intense chemistry surging between us. She is my dream girl, and I can’t imagine anything better than us being together, never to part. The closer I get to her, the more I want to be a part of her. I want to involve myself in every part of her existence.

My lips connect with hers and I feel the earth shift so it’s only me and her. I justknowno one else could make me feel like I was on top of the world like she does.

But then, just as I’m about to really relax in to this glorious sensation, something happens. Something that makes me feel very strange. Fur starts to sprout all over her, bursting through my fingers. I step back, sliding my hands off of her face as I almost recoil in horror. Because I don’t knowwhatto think about this.

She’s shifting, changing right in front of my very eyes. What she used to be is vanishing as she becomes something different. A wolf, her true self, a member of the Iron Mountain pack. As her animal side explodes free, all I can do is watch and admire her. I know I shouldn’t be looking at her in this way because she’s so different from me, and that is more than enough to keep us apart, but I’m pulled towards her anyway. I can’t help myself. I can’t resist her no matter how hard I try. I am still very intoxicated by her.

“You are beautiful,” I murmur, hoping she can hear me. “Even now.”

She waits until I’m close enough to pet her. Just as I reach out to run my fingers through her fur, she turns and sprints off, bounding through the woods, just out of my reach like she has always been. But that makes me smile. Watching her carefree nature just lures me in. I’m not even horrified anymore; I just want to know more, I want to peel back all the layers to find out what makes Fern who she is.

I wake up and realize that I really do want to work with her. Griffin has a good, solid plan, and I want to go along with it because not only will getting rid of the drugs be better for the town, but I will get closer to her. I can’t deny anymore that this is what I want. No matter who she is.”

It actually feels pretty good to make a decision, to know what I want to do next. Being indecisive doesn’t suit my dragon nature well. Especially not with royal blood running through my veins. I can feel a little stronger already. Fern makes me a better person. Even if it’s only in my dreams.

3

GRIFFIN

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