The Wolf Within (Book 1 of Wolf Within Series)

A Cute Hunger

**Dakota's POV**

Thanks to my inner battle, I was too slow in trying to touch that perfectly shaped body and missed.

Instead, I touched the blanket immediately at Lia's side.

She stopped playing with the control panel and looked at me, a smug smile on her lips, "Everything ok?"

UB: SHE IS DARING US HB! Look at that smile!

WB: Goddess, I can't believe that's our mate. Let's do this now.

HB: STOP IT! GO. READ. NOW. We are not going to have sex with her. We've talked about this before: we just met and it's way too soon.

AB: Are we having... Sex? WE CAN'T DO THAT! We aren't clean! We aren't ready... what if she doesn't like our body? What if we smell funny? What if our stomach hurts? Oh no... our stomach hurts. We can't do this now!

HB: Great, now look what you made us do.

AB: We need that blanket!

In my anxious panic I nabbed the blanket from the bed and replied, "Perfect, I'm just really cold." I wrapped the blanket around my shoulders and darted over to the stairs, completely terrified of, and yet still certainly into, the prospect of pursuing Lia on a physical level.

Seated at the top of the stairs with one of the old books in my hands, I turned to a random page. As I flipped through the pages, pretending to read the content, I carefully watched Lia walk to a hidden closet and dress herself. With every movement of her body, a different set of tantalizing muscles flexed and relaxed and I couldn't keep my eyes off her. My mouth grew dry as I watched and then she turned in my direction and I quickly snapped my head back to the book.

"It's getting pretty late," Lia called up to me as she walked to the base of the stairs. "Did you eat while you were at Strega Tali's?"

"I didn't," I admitted, "but I'm not all that hungry right now." In perfect irony, my stomach betrayed me with a massive growl which the animals outside could have heard.

Lia doubled over with laughter and, after a long moment, said as she walked back to the small panel, "I'll have something brought up."

"Sounds good." I replied as I chuckled to myself. "Oh!" I called out to Lia, "Can you check with Al to make sure Silvy is with her?"

"She is definitely with Al, do you want me to have her bring Silvy back?" Lia asked as she played with the panel.

"It's alright." I answered, "I'm sure Silvy is having the time of her life with Al. I have a feeling she likes her better than she likes me now." I chuckled again as I went back to the book.

"You best be prepared," Lia laughed, "You might end up having to share custody of that little kitten."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, Al has this notion that," she paused as she looked at me, "if you should join our pack, we are going to initiate Silvy as well." Her eyes looked hopefully up at me as if I might say right then and there that I would abandon the world to join her here.

While I wanted nothing more than to give in and say that would indeed be the case, I still had so much to learn, and figure out. "You know," I hesitated, it was clear that we didn't know much about each other, but the thought of being without Lia after these past couple days felt so empty and sad. With the desire to stay with her, I continued, "you might need to prepare an initiation for Silvy as well." I smiled in return.

Lia's eyes brightened with overwhelming excitement that it felt like her 'inner puppy' came out. "You mean..." Her voice drifted as she waited for my reply.

"I mean," I started, "that I'm leaning more and more to staying." I smiled as I nonchalantly went back to reading, knowing, full well, that I wanted nothing more than to be part of her life. However, I was also highly aware of the life I would have to leave behind to do so. "BUT," I continued, "there are a lot of things I need to figure out before I give you any kind of official answer."

"That makes sense." Lia replied as she made her way to the chaise lounge, she had slept on the night before. "Though I would be lying if I said I wouldn't be heartbroken if you chose to leave." She winked as she sat down.

"I'm starting to think I would be too," I admitted in a small whisper as I went back to the book in my hands.

"Dinner should be up here soon," Lia stated as she reclined in her seat, her eyes focused on me as she relaxed. "What did you think of Stega Tali?" She asked.

"She was really nice—," as I started, the elevator doors opened and Tess wheeled a cart of food in with a big smile on her face. A smell of smokey meat filled the air as she placed the cart next to the elevator doors.

"Dinner's here ladies! Now hustle up and grab some food. You're both skinny as rails!" She chided with a smile as she reentered the elevator and hit a button. "Honestly, I don't know how you to aren't starving all day." Tess laughed.

"Thank you, Tess!" I called out as I raced down the stairs to the food.

"You're welcome Hon," she replied as the doors closed.

Lia accompanied me at the metal cart which had two giant plaits situated on the top shelf and another two plates sitting on the bottom shelf. Underneath that, was a drawer which Lia pulled open to investigate. Apparently, the cart had a built-in cooler which was filled with small tubs of ice cream.

"OK!" Lia called out as she clapped her hands. She pointed to the top two plates and started, "I hope you don't mind, but I ordered us the same thing. So you can take either plate." She then gestured to the bottom shelf and continued, "These are the sides, I wasn't sure what you would like but you get first pick." She smiled as she waved her hand over the open drawer. "And this, is off limits." She stated as she hastily closed it, then paused and looked back at me with a small chuckle.

"I'm just kidding." Lia continued, "This is dessert. We have all the basic flavors of ice cream, we also have a few other options in here, since I wasn't sure if you liked ice cream." She smiled as she looked through the tubs, "We've got your classic flavors, then some fun ones like Moose Tracks and Dulce de Leche, frozen yogurt, and even vegan ice cream." She closed the drawer with some sadness as she said, "but alas, that is for after dinner."

"Where should we eat?" I asked as I looked around the room, searching for a space big enough to fit all of this food.

"Well, how do you feel about eating outside?" She asked as she started to wheel the cart over to the staircase.

"I would love that." I replied as I followed her.

"Great! Head on up their and I'll bring everything up." Lia instructed.

"No way!" I refused as I reached out to take some of the plates from the cart. "I will help you."

"We can't both take stuff up," she stated as she looked up to the walkway, "someone needs to open the door."

"Oh, right." I followed her eyes and saw a glass door at the opposite end of the stairs. Against Lia's instructions, I grabbed one of the big plates and situated that and two of the smaller plates on my left arm and made my way up the stairs. "I guess it's a good thing I have experience with this sort of thing." I called down to her as I approached the top of the stairs.

"I suppose so," Lia replied as she got the final two plates and followed me. 

** Author's Note: So sorry for the delay but here it is! We hope you enjoyed this chapter and I cannot wait to put up the next few! (Alas, my wife has reminded me that absence makes the heart grow fonder! So, dear readers, we will just have to suffer together!) 

Please vote and comment if you enjoyed! **