Verum

twenty two

*I'll fix the formatting on this chapter someday. 

c h a p t e r 

t w e n t y      t w o 

e v e l y n 

When I next opened my eyes, I expected to be in my wolf form, possibly already chasing after Alexander or something like that.

What I wasn't expecting was to be naked, curled up on the floor of a damp cave, with Alexander's equally naked but much warmer body wrapped around mine. The sun was just coming up, light filtering through the mouth of the cave a few yards away. A heavy, coarse blanket was over our bodies to reduce exposure.

I sat up, shaking my head. Surely, this must be a dream. I swear I just blinked - it couldn't already be morning. I couldn't remember anything from the previous night - not since he ordered me to shift. Something was wrong.

I nudged Alexander nervously. He didn't even budge or make any noise alluding to waking up. "Alexander," I called, shifting back down under the blanket as a chill ran over my bare flesh. We needed to get clothes on. I pressed myself up against his side again, but lifted one hand to gently pat his cheek. "Alexander, please."

The massive man groaned, throwing one arms around me and rolling until I was underneath him and he was nuzzling his face into my ribs, his scratchy, unshaven jaw tickling me. I squealed out a giggle, tugging on his hair. "You're tickling me!"

"We've only been asleep for like an hour," he muttered. "You need more rest, little wolf."

"An hour?!" I repeated.

Alexander lifted his head, looking at me curiously. I didn't miss the way his eyes flickered to my chest for a moment before moving back to my face. "What's wrong, Evie?"

I ran my fingers through my hair, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, as if relaxing my breath would bring the memories back to me. "I... I can't remember anything from last night. Nothing at all."

Alexander pushed himself onto his elbows, frowning. "Nothing? When do you last-"

"When you told me to shift, it went black for a second. Like it usually does when I shift or you help me shift. But when I opened my eyes, I was here. That's it."

"Maybe they'll come back with some more sleep. You were awake all night, darling. I'm sure it's just sleep loss."

Alexander moved our positions so that I was on top of his chest, my cheek resting on his flesh so I could hear his pulse beating steadily under my ear. "Did I do anything embarrassing?" I whispered. "Something feels wrong about this."

His fingers stroked down my spine and back up, massaging my scalp for a few seconds before repeating the whole action. "No, you didn't do anything embarrassing, silly. You did wonderful. Everything was perfect. And now you smell like me. And I carry a piece of your scent on my body as well."

I sighed in relief, but something still felt weird. Off. I looked up at his throat and that weird urge to bite flooded my senses. "I want to bite you," I blurted out.

The hand on my lower spine froze. His jaw clenched and he blinked at the roof of the cave for several seconds before lowering his gaze to mine. "Do you, puppy?"

I nodded. "It's the second time I wanted to."

"Hm."

He was hiding something from me. That much was obvious. "Why do I want to bite your neck? Females don't do that."