Zeff
The morning air was crisp, filled with the familiar scent of dew and the earthy aroma of the forest. My boots moved silently through the underbrush, the end of a grueling training session nearing as I patrolled the edge of the pack's territory. The sun was just beginning to rise, casting a soft golden glow over the reservoir ahead. My muscles ached in that satisfying way that only a hard run could bring, my mind clear and focused—until the unmistakable scent hit me.
Blackberries. Fresh, sweet, and overwhelming.
I froze, instinctively raising my head to catch the breeze more fully. The scent was too strong, too specific. And it wasn't alone. My senses picked up something else mixed in—a scent I knew all too well.
Liliam.
My feet moved before my brain could catch up, instincts kicking in as I tracked the familiar sweetness of her perfume mingled with the blackberries. As I approached the reservoir's edge, there she was, jogging along the path with her earbuds in, completely unaware of me. Her expression was calm, flushed from the exercise, but there was something in her face—dreamy, focused.
Curious, I strained my hearing. With my heightened senses, I could just pick up the faintest hint of what she was listening to. The narrator's voice was low and intimate, the tone unmistakably... spicy.
I stopped dead in my tracks, eyes widening slightly. She listens to *this?*
Heat rose to my face as my mind raced ahead of me, imagining things I shouldn't be. My wolf stirred within me, a low growl of approval rumbling deep in my chest as I envisioned myself as the alpha in that audiobook, pulling her close, my hands running down her body, her breath hitching—
Get a grip, Zeff! I shook my head, snapping out of it, but it was harder than I expected. She was just jogging. And she was too damn close to the pack's territory.
I sniffed the air again, catching more of her scent—strong, sweet, and with that undercurrent of something... more. Desire. It tugged at me in a way that felt dangerous. She had no idea how close she was to crossing a line. Not just the border of the pack's land, but the invisible boundary that I was barely holding onto right now.
The rest of the pack wouldn't be as understanding as I was, especially with a human wandering this close. A human who smelled like that.
I had to stop her before she wandered somewhere she shouldn't, but a part of me—an admittedly larger part than I'd care to admit—wanted to see her reaction when I interrupted her.
"What are you doing here?"
Her reaction didn't disappoint. She yelped, her eyes wide with surprise, and shoved at me instinctively. She stumbled, losing her grip on Shadow's leash, and I had to stop myself from grinning too much as I reached out, catching her before she hit the ground.
"Whoa, easy there," I said, my voice coming out more amused than I intended.
I could feel the heat radiating off her as her heart raced in her chest. She looked up at me, her breath catching, and I enjoyed every second of it. "Z-Zeff!" she gasped, clearly still trying to calm herself. "Damn, don't scare me like that!"
I gave her a teasing smile, taking in the way her flushed face glowed. Her eyes darted over me—she was checking me out, and she didn't even realize it. The tight spandex I was wearing didn't leave much to the imagination, and I knew she noticed.
Her cheeks burned even more, and I couldn't help but be entertained. She tried to compose herself, but the flustered look on her face turned me on more than I'd like to admit.
YOU ARE READING
Under the Sky
RomanceLiliam's life, defined by monotony and superficial relationships, craves genuine love and validation. This all changes when she meets the strongest Alpha in Montana, claiming to be her destined mate. Suddenly, she's thrust from her dull existence in...