Winter Wolf

Chapter 25

Lily stood in front of the door and took a shaky breath. She knew he was right there. She glanced to the lock and stared at it as she gathered her nerve.

She knew her heady scent was strong in here... she debated if she could even keep him away from her long enough to talk.

Lily took a moment to let her thoughts accumulate, she was trying to sort them out which was proving harder than it should be. The consuming want of her body was making her mind fuzzy.

But she was determined to do this. To tell him what he put her through... To hear it from him what he really wanted from her. She needed to know.

She was tired of being used...

Lily swallowed hard and pulled the lock with a loud thunk before she lost her nerve. She quickly backed up nearly to the opposite wall and pulled the sheet tighter around herself.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Had he not noticed? Lily took a nervous breath. She was sure he was there... he should have heard her unlock it. Yet the door remained closed.

Lily nearly took a step toward it, but stopped herself. She didn't want to be that close to him if he did open it. The nervousness inside her was making it hard to breathe.

It felt like an eternity passed with how tense she was, before she heard the handle scrape, and the door inched open just barely.

"Lo? Do you need something?" Dena asked her. Lily sunk against the wall a bit, disappointment hit her hard.

Did he leave thinking she wanted something else?

"I..." Lily felt suddenly awkward.

"I changed my mind." She said, hoping she'd get her meaning without her having to say it. She heard her growl at something as the door slammed shut a second later, making Lily jump.

She stared at the door with wide eyes, but just as she was about to rush over and lock it, it opened again just briefly and slammed behind him. Lily pressed back against the wall completely as he locked it. Her gaze was first drawn to his glazed eyes.

He was looking at her like every bit of the predators they truly were deep down.

Lily noticed right away that he was trying not to breathe. He was tense, almost shaking slightly. She felt her own inner self reacting so strongly to his. Wanting him to soothe her...

She immediately understood his struggle.

They just stood there for a moment in a tense stand off as Lily tried to make her body listen. Why did she seem to lock up around him? But right now... she was trembling with something other than fear.

Her gaze trailed just as hungrily down his body as he was looking at hers.

But when he moved forward just slightly, Lily quickly gained back her sense and put a hand up.

"No." She said firmly with a shaky breath.

"I... I need to say some things." Lily clarified. Tristan was staring at her hard, his breathing uneven.

"I... I can't go through this all night. I need you to help me through it... But... it doesn't mean I want you." Lily said firmly, even as her voice was shaking. The intensity in his gaze slackened some.

Clearly that had an effect on him.

"I don't trust you. I don't know if I can ever trust you." Lily said as she gripped the sheet tighter. He took a shaky breath, and she could tell he was trying to gain control of his wolf.