Moon Bound

Chapter 37- He Scents the Beast Inside

Codrin awoke to find himself sprawled sideways across his large bed with Willa's warm body tucked into the crook of his arm. A soft sigh left her lips as she stirred in her sleep, sending her scent's sweet and spicy notes into the air around him. Like a punch to the gut, a desperate hunger hit him, twisting his stomach and making his gums throb painfully.

The familiar burn of the Pricolici flared in his eyes.

Codrin sucked in a sharp breath as a nearly uncontrollable desire heated his veins making his cock hard and his fangs elongate.

Much like when he'd found her in the bathroom ready to mar her porcelain skin, the sharp claws of fear gripped him, seizing his heart before sending it hammering into his throat, where it threatened to choke him. Thank the goddess she hadn't spilled her blood. He didn't possess enough restraint when it came to her, and the temptation to feed from her would have been too great.

Cold sweat broke out across his forehead at the thought. 

The gravelly growl of the Pricolici reverberated through his mind, urging him to quench his thirst at her carotid as another painful cramp seized his stomach. His cravings for her had grown stronger with each passing day, and the small taste he'd allowed himself hadn't been enough to quell it.

Fuck!

Gritting his teeth, Codrin fought against the Pricoloci's demands.

He would never be able to live with himself if he harmed her, and she sure as fuck didn't need another reason to feel frightened of their animalistic natures. Her trauma over her parents' deaths was deep, and he suspected there was more than just the tragedy of their loss contributing to it. She needed to continue embracing her wolf if they were to set her free. Willa was much stronger than she realized, and her wolf was close to the surface now, he could sense her calling out to his own.

Squeezing his eyes shut, Codrin focused on taking slow and steady breaths, trying to ignore the way his heart thundered in his chest and ears. He attempted to try and soothe the Pricolici with reassurances that they were close to making her theirs, but there was no rationalizing with it.

As his internal battle raged on, he fought a physical one as well, his muscles straining with the effort of keeping the beast at bay. Tremors wracked Codrin's body as he clung tight to his humanity, refusing to allow himself to succumb to his most primal nature. 

He had no way of knowing how much time had passed while he lay there fighting a very real battle of wills, but finally, the dangerous desires faded to the back of his mind. Codrin let out a long, shuddering breath. He wouldn't be able to rid himself of them completely, but it was enough for him to maintain his tenuous control.

He had trained himself over his long life to withhold from feedings until it was absolutely necessary, but the mate bond had awakened such a deep-seated need for every part of her it was nearly impossible not to give in to it.

The exhaustion from the evening's activities had clearly left him weakened. Willa had been insatiable, and he couldn't remember the last time a female had kept him up most of the night. Memories of their lovemaking tortured him, only succeeding in deepening his yearning. He tried to push those images back, too. It was no use. As long as Willa's naked body pressed against him, and he was surrounded by her tempting scent, his efforts would be in vain.

His cock twitched in affirmation.

Codrin glanced down at Willa, sleeping peacefully, completely unaware of the battle that had raged on right next to her. She rested her head on his bicep, and her backside molded into the length of him, making his skin tingle with awareness everywhere their bodies touched. The last low flames of the fire flickered across her hair, highlighting the auburn strands among the chestnut.