Chapter 301 Chapter 301
Jamming his hat on his head, he ducked under the tree and walked into the clearing in front of the cabin. She stood there watching him as he did. His heart felt like it was stuck in his throat, he could barely bring oxygen into his lungs.
She put her hands on her hips and gave him a hard look.
Here it comes, he thought.
“I am so jealous.” She said, then motioned to her leg, “I would kill for legs that long in any form.”
He stopped walking and looked at her as she smiled.
“Seriously Deacon, what clan was your mother from? I mean I know it has to be one in South America because I’ve never seen someone like you before.”
“Ah, Calum said she was a maned wolf.” He mumbled it, still not believing she wasn’t freaking out right now. He’d looked it up online after Calum had told him. Neither fox nor wolf. That part stuck out more than the rest of the information. It fit though, he was essentially a species that was neither one nor the other, but something in between.
“Are there more here? In Canada?”
He jammed his hands into his pockets. “I don’t know.”
“Is the coloring from your dad? The dark red, I’d know fox coloring anywhere.”
“I’m not sure.” He watched her from beneath the peak of his hat, unsure about making eye contact with her.
“Wait,” she started walking toward him, “what’s wrong?” She frowned but kept coming closer. When she was close enough, he could feel the heat from her body, she looked up at him. “Is that why you won’t run with me?” Her grey eyes held his prisoner. She was so close he could clearly see the gold fleck in them, they made her eyes look like they sparkled. “I mean, you could no doubt outrun me with those legs, but still company is more fun sometimes.”
He shrugged one shoulder, “we do need to stay near the phones.”
“We could take the phones with us, and you know it.”
Now she had that indignant tone, and it was directed at him. “I just, I’m used to running alone.” Or with Calum, but he didn’t add that part.
“You should share that part of yourself more, it’s pretty amazing. I’m sure it’s common on another continent, but here it isn’t.”
All he could manage was another slight shrug.
She searched his face, and he couldn’t decipher what the expression was. Before he could figure it out, she put her palm against his chest, the heat of it felt like it was branding him through his t-shirt. Her eyes locked on his as she stretched up and put her hand behind his head, applying pressure so he would lean down toward her. He could feel her breath against his mouth and was mesmerized by the closeness, shocked she was touching him, even now that she knew what he was.
When her soft mouth touched him, he jerked his hands out of his pockets and put them on her hips. He intended to push her away from him, but instead, he was pulling her closer until their bodies were so close air couldn’t fit between them.
Deacon wanted to taste her. Needed to. Turning his head, he kissed her, taking his time, letting their breaths mix and become one. Her mouth was so soft, so warm. Putting his hand against the back of her head, he almost moaned against her lips, her hair was like touching silk.
She opened her mouth to him and he didn’t hesitate to insert his tongue inside. The flavor of her was so much stronger than the scent that had been haunting him. She was so potent he felt drunk from it.
Giana moaned softly and pressed her body into him. Just that sound had him harden against her. Bending his knees, he wrapped his arm around her and lifted her up against him. Straightening his legs again, he deepened the kiss. It felt so good having her touch him, feeling her soft curves pressed into him. His hat was gone as she gripped his head and kissed him with such passion that he was sure there would be smoke rising from them.
He wanted to lay her down, right here on the ground and strip the clothes from her and taste every inch of her body. He’d imagined it a million times. How she would taste and feel, what it would feel like to have her beneath him, submitting—
Jerking his head back, he fought for air as he looked at her. He could feel her breasts moving against his chest as she tried to catch her breath. “We can’t,” he shook his head, “this can’t happen.” He lowered her to the ground and released her.
“What do you mean?” She kept her hands on his chest and looked up at him. Her eyes were heavy with need, her lips were red from his kiss.
“You’re an Alpha, I’m not.”
“What?” She blinked, “what does that have to do with anything?”
“It’s just how it is, Giana. You’re from an Alpha family—a pure bloodline and I’m a mutt.” He stepped back before he changed his mind and grabbed her again. He took another step to add more space. “I need to go move the traps.” He walked by her and grabbed his run pack this time.
“Calum called while you were out. He said to stop running.” She called after him.
He spun back to her. “Did he say anything else?”
Crossing her arms over her waist, she shook her head, “something about the animals moving for winter.” Dropping her arms, she gave him a hard look. “That’s all you have to say about this. That I’m from an Alpha’s bloodline?”
Putting the pack over his head he realized he didn’t have his hat on. He started back.
Giana dipped down and picked up his hat. “Do you think that matters to me?”
He stopped in front of her and held out his hand for his hat. “It should.”
She tossed his hat at his chest. “It doesn’t.”
Putting it on his head, he started walking, “I’ll be back in a while. You should call your brother and check in with him.” He kept going.
“You know we’re mates.” She called to him louder than necessary.
Deacon stopped and looked at the ground, trying to decide if he should lie to her or not. Lifting his head, he turned to face her.
“How long have you known?” Her arms were crossed over her chest this time. Her temper was stirring, he could see it on her face.
“Since the first time, I sat down beside you at that clan gathering.” It was out of his mouth before he knew what he was saying. Truth it is.
“Seriously? You’ve known that long and didn’t think to share that information with me?”
Lifting his hands, he held them out, “were you ready to be all mated up at nineteen?”
“No, but that’s not the point.” She made no move toward him.
“The point, Giana, is your family, your clan would never let their princess be mated to a mutt like me, and I don’t blame them.” The fact they were standing this far apart and growling back and forth would no doubt be amusing later, much later, after his heart healed again—if it did.
“If you know me at all, you know what they think means nothing to me.” She stomped a few feet toward him and then stopped and waved her hands around. “I didn’t ask to have Alpha blood, I didn’t ask for the life I was born into, Deacon, you should understand that.”
He could hear that he’d hurt her and it was going to be his own private hell. “I do, but regardless of how you think you’d feel I’m not taking a chance of ruining your life.” His animal was going ballistic inside him right now, he couldn’t deal with her anger and a pissed-off creature at the same time. “I’ll be back shortly.” He started walking before he could change his mind.
“And what about your flying rodent pet? What am I supposed to do about that?” Her anger was very clear now.
Deacon lifted his hands but kept walking. “I’ll deal with it when I get back.”
“Thanks for nothing!” She screamed at him.