Lusting A Wolf

chapter 9

Rafe had come back to his quarters to find an adorable sleeping Liesel curled up on his sofa, with the main menu of Moulin Rouge repeatedly replaying on the screen of his TV. Switching off the television, Rafe knelt beside the sleeping beauty. She looked so serene when sleeping; all signs of stress or worry wiped clean. Rafe gently slid his arms beneath her, lifting her up and cradling her to his chest as he walked into his bedroom. He wouldn't have her sleeping on a couch when there was a far more comfortable and preferable place to sleep. Placing her delicately amidst his furs and Egyptian cotton sheets, Rafe brushed her silky hair behind her ear and contemplated changing her into something more comfortable. He was sure she could wear one of his shirts as a make-shift nightgown. He was huge in comparison to her slender frame, and knew she'd be dwarfed in anything of his. 

Deciding she might feel offended by him undressing her in sleep – humans were so strange and constricting concerning privacy – Rafe decided against it, instead wrapping a thick fur blanket around her.

After pulling off his shirt and changing into a pair of loose navy sweatpants, Rafe slid beside his sleeping Liesel, pulling her against his stomach until he was spooning her. She unconsciously curled into his embrace, causing a sleepy smile to tug at the corner of his lips. 

*****

Liesel opened her eyes slowly, suppressing a yawn as she stared transfixed at the gauzy white material fluttering above her head. She'd never felt so comfortable and well-rested in her life. A cool breeze lazily caressed her calf as she stretched her arms up above her head, leisurely running her hands across the soft furs before her fingers brushed against something hard and warm. 

Startled, Liesel pulled herself upright and looked around the room. Slowly realisation dawned on her, and, recalling where she was, she turned cautiously to the source of heat beside her. Liesel pulled the furs tightly around her as her eyes trailed up the long, muscled form of the half naked man beside her. 

The furs were pooled around his hips, exposing Rafe's long, defined torso. He had a tanned arm pulled up underneath his head, and was breathing deeply in sleep. Liesel bit her bottom lip as her eyes soaked in the Adonis before her. A broad, muscled chest tapered down to lean hips. Her violet eyes sparkled with fascination as they followed the light dusting of dark hair leading from his navel to beneath the loose pants he wore low on his hips, and she gulped visibly. Reaching a tentative hand out, she ran her fingers across the marble hard display of abs, confirming her theory that she could probably jump on his stomach and he wouldn't feel a thing. He was incredibly warm, feverish even, and she wondered whether or not to open the windows further to let in some cool air.

A soft groan brought her logical mind spinning back, and she whipped her hand back from his body. Afraid she'd woken him, she didn't move a muscle as he stretched and rolled over onto his stomach. 

This time she couldn't help the sharp intake of breath as he exposed his back to her, eyes widening in shock as she took in the sight of his naked back. Four hideous looking scars graced his deeply tanned form from his right shoulder to the middle of his back. It appeared as if some animal had taken a chunk out of him with its claws, and she shuddered to think what creature could have possibly caused this kind of damage. Each scar was about an inch in width, raked across his back in one feral swipe. She couldn't stop herself from stretching out a cautious hand and running her fingers down across the ugly scar. 

Liesel was surprised by the rush of compassion she felt for him at that moment. The pain he must have gone through to receive these must have been unbearable, and in an attempt to sooth him she began to softly stroke the shiny, puckered marks.

She wasn't sure how long she remained like that, stroking Rafe's disfigured back. But soon enough, another soft groan broke the silence and her hand immediately faltered in its rhythmic movements.