Enter the Shadows (1st Edition) [SAMPLE]

Choices Are - 3 | ii

Even if she ran away her options remained the same. Death or the change. Those were the glaring options she had left. She could either become a werewolf, or she could, well, kill herself. Neither of them sounded pleasing to her; she wanted to live, and she wanted to remain human. The third option was the vampires. She had done some research based on some of the things Lochlan had told her about them. They were rich. Like filthy rich. The top tier of the society. They owned multimillion dollar companies, held high seats in government, and headed major charity boards. If she went into one of the five cities they controlled, Sven would not be able to hunt her there. That, however, would leave her at their mercy. It really was just a matter of the lesser evil.

"What are you thinking about?" Lochlan asked.

"Death or the change," Penny said thoughtfully.

He stood there looking down at the top of her head. He could feel her fingers along his skin as she rubbed Black. He had told her that Black was his spirit animal, but he hadn't explained all that entailed. Just as he couldn't explain the full extent of what he had on his mind now. Lochlan felt like he was being deceitful, but he was also very desperate. Tonight had been too close. If Marx had not been close by she would have been taken from him. He needed a fail-safe in case that were to ever happen. But if she knew what it fully entailed he knew she would say no. It was the only option he could think of, outside of changing her without her consent.

"There is something I could do to stop another werewolf from changing you."

Penny looked around at him. "What's that?"

"Do you trust me?" Lochlan asked.

"With my life."

Lochlan heard the truth in her voice, and his conscience started to nag at him. The way she looked up at him as if he was her savior. He was anything but. He was a man, not only a wolf, and he was flawed. He was selfish.

"It would involve you taking my blood willingly without any compulsion. And me taking yours." He knelt down to her level.

Penny couldn't hide her hesitation.

"The choice has to be made of your own free will, or else it will not work."

"You—your blood?"

Lochlan nodded.

Penny wasn't sure how to resolve the fact that the thought of it made her excited. She looked away from him feeling embarrassed. Already she could taste him on her tongue.

"It's your call."

She gave him a single measured nod, swallowing the nervous lump in her throat. He held out his hand for hers. She stared at it for a second before placing hers in his. How much further down the rabbit hole could she possibly go?

Eyes locked on hers kissed her wrist, right over her racing pulse. Lochlan knew the scent coming from her was not fear, it was an excited nervousness. Penny was aroused. His wolf reacted to the scent. Lochlan clenched his jaw, his mouth feeling full. He knew his eyes would be more wolf than man. That he would look wild, but she was not afraid. Slowly, reigning in his wolf, he prepared to do what was needed.

"This will hurt a little bit."

He ran his tongue over her pulse before sinking his teeth into her wrist. Penny gasped, but it wasn't because of the pain. Lochlan watched her reaction. He injected his venom into her, but only enough to leave a mark. Too much, and he could change her. Using his tongue, he lapped at the wound until it closed not leaving a scar.

"What are you doing?" Penny asked when he started to take off his shirt. She rubbed the throbbing at her wrists absently with her thumb.

He reached out his hand for her again, she didn't hesitate. He brought her closer to him. Penny watched as the nail on his right index finger elongated. With it, he scored a shallow mark across his chest right over his heart. Penny looked down at the thin stream of blood, then up at him. His teeth were all wolf. His eyes. His hair seemed to have grown.

"If it heals I'll have to cut myself again." Lochlan was desperate to feel her mouth against him. He had started something, and there was no going back. Not for either of them.

With her eyes on the wound, she slowly moved in closer. He held his breath waiting. Tentatively she used her tongue to lap at the red drops that were running down his chest. Before he could stop it he groaned. Her tongue became more confident moving up to lap at the shallow wound. One second. Two seconds. Lochlan lost all control.

Penny found herself pinned to the floor with Lochlan's lips crushed against hers. She didn't fight it. She gave back as fiercely as he gave. Their coming together was primal. It linked them in a way Penny didn't know. Was it deceitful of him to not fully explain? Yes. Did he regret it? Lochlan's hands tangled in Penny's hair, keeping her as he wanted, as he kissed down the column of her neck. Regret would have to take a backseat for now. Tonight he intended to make her his. He intended to make it so she would never want to leave.

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Author's Note:

What could possibly go wrong with this plan of his? Read on and find out how this little bit of drama unfolds.

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