The Beast of Fox Hill

Thirty Eight

Four days passed and I came to realize Cassander had either bluffed about forcefully taking me back to his neck of the woods or he came to his senses knowing I would not be happy if he dragged me away.

Regardless, I had a wonderful few days away with Liam. He showed me every corner of his kingdom and told me many stories of his past lives. After the scene at the ball with Cassander, many vampires greeted me with open arms and smiles, saying I was a badass for sticking up to an alpha wolf.

It did feel good to stand up for myself, but on another note I felt an ache growing inside me, a longing to be back by Fox Hill. It had become my home and I was starting to become homesick for the forest and small trailer I lived in.

"Looks like the wolves backed down," Liam said with a chuckle as he greeted me in the kitchen. I had been sitting alone with a glass of orange juice when he came into the room, his usual warm smile on his face.

"I guess so," I chuckle. "I'm a little homesick though," I admit. Liam chuckled back, but a knowing look filled his face.

"That's a mate bond for you. A few days away kills, so I've heard. It will only get worse when he marks and mates you," he said. The way he said it seemed crude and dirty.

"I am sure that won't happen any time soon," I state.

"It will if Cassander's beast has anything to do with it," he says, his eye brow raising slightly.

"Why do you say that?"

"It's common knowledge that when it comes to mates, the wolf side is in control. It is a primal instinct to mate and mark, and his wolf will succeed as soon as it can. It will take you by force if you wait too long or it feels the bond between you and Cassander is threatened. Top the cake off with the fact that Cassander is an alpha and you have a mixture of trouble," Liam explains, or rather warns.

His words of warning stayed unsettled in my thoughts. I knew the mysterious bond between me and the alpha wolf made me feel differently and by instinct made me desire him, but I certainly was not ready to be mated and marked to put it lightly. I definitely would not hesitate to leave him for good if he lay a single unwelcome finger on me.

"Try not to fret over it, Jas. Eventually, your own desire for Cassander will take over and you will go willingly. Unfortunately, you being a human causes some strange circumstances. We can't be sure how you or your body will react with changing chemicals due to the mate bond," Liam says.

"Do you always speak so formally?" I chuckled as I tried to sway the conversation.

"I'm almost two hundred years old. It's quite hard for me to start saying hip things like you younglings do," he laughs at me as I scrunch my nose up.

"It is not my fault you're ancient," I tease.

"Hey now, I'm not ancient, I'm younger than I've ever been!" he says and we both let loose deep belly laughs.

We chat for a bit over breakfast and after a while we settle down. The ache for home returns to my chest and stomach once more and Liam immediately notices my internal discomfort.

"You about ready to head for the hills?" he asks with a light smile. I purse my lips and nod, knowing the draw to Cassander and Fox Hill was inevitable.

"Very well, we will be off within the hour," Liam says as he stands from the breakfast table.

I stand as well and we walk together to Liam's room. I change into the clothes I arrived in that have been cleaned by Liam's staff and Liam gets freshened up in the bathroom. Liam comes out from the bathroom having changed into his usual suit and tie, always wanting to look formal in public.