Forgotten Wolf

17 Revelations

"Are you afraid of me?" Chris asks, his voice laced with pain. He's not even looking at me, probably afraid of my answer.

Am I afraid of him?

No. He may intimidate me sometimes, but not scare me.

I place my hand softly on his arm to prove I'm not afraid as I shake my head no.

I feel him shift towards me on the log, but I just keep looking into the woods. His hand lands gently on my cheek and I subconsciously lean into his caress before catching myself. He turns me to look at him, his hazel eyes searching mine as he asks, "What is it then?"

"I don't know," I admit, trying to drop my gaze. I had no idea my actions had left him feeling like this; the guilt gnaws at me. He turns me back, clearly wanting more.

"You do intimidate me sometimes," I admit. "Your emotions are so volatile, and you're hard to read."

I struggle to put my feelings into words; I haven't even figured this out for myself yet. "You confuse me one minute, then make me feel safe and protected the next," I trail off. "I don't understand any of this; how you can stand out so much and break every boundary, and yet it's so easy to be around you sometimes," I say more to myself in barely a whisper.

It's frustrating the effect he has on me, and that's what scares me, not the man himself.

The realization is shocking; I feel my walls crumbling under his intense gaze.

I didn't want this, did I?

After what happened to me, I swore I'd never let a man have that kind of power over me again.

Yet here he is, making his way in, and I'm letting him. Why?

Caught up in my own world, I don't notice him closing the gap and bringing his lips to brush mine. The sudden contact is startling and I gasp, frozen in place. Before I can process what he's done, his lips find mine again. Soft yet firm, his kiss is surprisingly gentle. I sit there unmoving for a moment before my lips meet his, returning the kiss so naturally.

His hand moves from my cheek to the back of my neck, deepening the kiss once I return it. My hand slips up his chest, earning a deep growl of approval that causes a tightening in my core. As quickly as he started, Chris pulls back with a final light kiss, leaving me breathless and my heart racing. He looks down at me, eyes flickering between their regular hazel and a deeper brown.

Snap!

The sound of a twig breaking barely has time to register before Chris shoots up, taking me with him. In one fluid motion, he sweeps me behind him as he faces the direction of the sound. I hook a hand on his side to steady myself as I gain my bearings. I feel his low warning growl through my fingertips before it reaches my ears.

"Hey, Chris. I don't suppose you've seen a little elf roaming these woods, have you? I seem to have misplaced mine."

Another growl leaves Chris as he picks up the empty beer bottle and chucks it at Jace's head. He ducks, but Jude, who's right behind him, catches it. His eyebrow raises with a look of concern on his face.

I slowly step out from behind Chris. "There you are, little elf." Jace flashes me a knowing smile as his eyes zero in on my hand on Chris's side. Blush burns my face and I drop my gaze and step away from Chris.

"You of all people should know better than to sneak up on an Alpha," Chris snarls.

Jace is completely unphased. "In all fairness, I tried to give you a heads up, but I couldn't get through," he says, tapping his temple and grins. "Now I see why."