He paused briefly at the sound of my voice, and I knew it meant he wasn't in his trance phase yet. I began reciting the lesson we had about this creature in my head until it would help me come to a solution, I gasped when I felt his tongue flush against my shoulder blade, as he tasted my skin.
They feed at nightfall and are attracted to sudden moves. For safe passage allow a safe distance between you and them, they might have terrible eyesight, but they have an impeccable sense of smell. They can smell the scent of a rotting body from kilometers away. If you ever find yourself in such a predicament—
I remember! I almost burst into tears as it came to me.
A glimmer of hope sparked in my chest as I reached out behind me with a trembling hand. I forced to keep it together and focused on the whereabouts of my hand; I jumped at the feel of his cold slimy skin and then froze when he hissed threateningly.
I felt around for the folds of his flesh and carefully lifted one. I searched for the faint thumping of his heart but felt my heart drop when I didn't feel a heartbeat.
"No..." I croaked.
He can't be... I forced my optimism but I already knew better.
"Raiden?" I asked the empty air in front of me.
He said nothing and I whimpered, "Raiden, please, it's me, it's Tania. I'm your mate, remember?" I begged he would hear the clarity of my voice in his daze.
I watched crooked arms and long claws snake around my sides like a boa would constrict its prey and I sobbed, "Raiden please... please don't do this, it's me."
He began to squeeze my frame and I cried, "Raiden." I spoke his name one more time before he briefly stopped himself from feasting on the decaying flesh on my neck.
"Raiden?" I begged once more and once I looked down and saw the rough hairs on his arms begin to disappear. My heart rate increased as my chest blossomed with hope, "Raiden, it's me!" I smiled with tears in my eyes at the thought of a newly found promise that he was returning to me.
"Raiden, can you hear me? I'm here, please, just come back to me. I won't hurt you, I promise..." I spoke as softly and as calmly as I could, but I was terrified.
His jaw slowly retracted to its original shape and while he tightened his hold on me, I felt less afraid that he would hurt me. When I looked down at his arms, his claws faded into his fingernails and I shuddered at the pressure his palm had against my abdomen.
I waited patiently for him to turn back to his human form but being too afraid to turn around and watch his transformation, I kept my gaze ahead and shut my eyes every time a bone popped back into his human form. During his silent transformation, a moan made my ears perk, "Raiden?" I asked hopefully.
He was quiet, but his breathing was calm and slow, so I waited for him to come back to me...
"Tania..." He breathed against my neck.
I turned my head to the right making our cheeks touch, and my eyes fluttered shut at the feeling of bliss. He held me tightly and breathed in my scent.
I turned around in his arms so that I was facing him, and when he saw the glimmer of my tear-streaked face, he crumbled, "I'm so sorry," he croaked.
My response was almost immediate and I embraced him with open arms, as I hugged him desperately, and held the back of his head, "It's okay..." I whispered in a shaky tone.
He sobbed quietly as I gently stroked his curls and began to hum quietly.
We remained like this for a bit until he released me from his hold and he just looked at me with a clouded expression in his eyes, "Did I... did I hurt you?" He asked shyly and looked away from me.
YOU ARE READING
Instinct
Werewolf"Let's play a game..." I said. He glanced at me, frowning as his eyes went back to watching the road as we drove to his friend's house, "What game?" He asked. The thought of it had my lips twitching with a playfulness that had always resonated with...