“What if we are wrong?”
Devon growled lowly. My lips twitched, but I managed to keep the smile from slipping onto my face.
“What excuse did you think of now?” he questioned. “You've been sending anyone glares when they so much as glance at her, and now you’re going to tell me why we can’t have her.”
“What if she is more Lycan than human?”
I could feel his eyes burning into the side of my face, but I kept my eyes focused on Valeria. She pulled a face at the woman when she turned around to grab another piece of clothing.
“What makes you say that?”
I hesitated and then turned to face him. “I check up on her when I came back from my run. The heat is affecting her as much as it's affecting us.”
“I don't see her walking around with a hard-on.”
I ignored his ill attempt at humor. “When she's near us again, smell her. I’m telling you that the heat is affecting her as much as it’s affecting everyone else.”
“She admitted to having sexual fantasies about us, David. Of course, she’ll be turned on.”
I shook my head and ran a frustrated hand through my hair. He wasn't getting it!
“Alark is mated to a human. That's how we know they go into heat once the fluid-sharing part starts.”
“Melinda is pure human. Valeria isn't. She's part Lycan and I think her Lycan side is stronger than her human side.”
“David—”
“What if Doc Ali did some test?”
“She's not a lab rat!” he growled.
I growled back. “Doc Ali just needs to take some blood and do some test with it. She can compare it to a full-bred Lycan’s blood. ”
“I get that you see her as weak. You don't want your bloodlines mixed with a human’s bloodlines. But don't fucking expect me to just walk away from her. I want her and if you don't then that's your problem. I'm not giving her up for some dominant bitch.”
He walked away before I could give him a reply. I turned to watch him as he walked towards her. She gave him a small smile before turning her attention back to the boutique manager. I didn't see her as weak because of her human blood, but he wouldn't understand.
Valeria wasn't just a puny old human. She had Lycan blood in her and contrary to what everyone believed, she was more Lycan than they realized.
I just had to find a way to prove that.
***
Valeria was restless.
I could sense it. She stood by the glass wall staring out at the falling snow. Our trip into town was cut short when a snowstorm hit. We'd be stuck inside for at least two days. Lycan's could handle the temperature changes—especially in our shifted form, but neither of us wanted to leave her stranded in the house alone.
She shifted from foot to foot and moved closer to the wall. Her head dropped against the cool surface. Valeria was completely unaware of me in the pool. She sucked in a breath and then groaned. The sound made my cock twitch. I slowly moved closer to the edge of the pool.
“Are you okay doll?”
She gasped and spun around. Valeria stumbled slightly and then her foot slipped. The water splashed everywhere when she fell in. I waited for her to surface, but when fifteen seconds pass and there was still no sign of her, I moved.
Diving back under, I searched until I saw her struggling form a few feet away. She was panicking which in return made her swallow more water. I sped up and wrapped my arm around her waist. Tugging her against me, I swam for the surface.
Valeria instantly started coughing but she continued to struggle.
“Calm down doll.” I turned her in my arms. “You're okay.”
Her eyes caught mine. The next second she wrapped herself around me. I froze when she pressed her face against my neck. Her body shook. I wasn't sure whether she was crying or if it was from the shock of falling into the pool. Wrapping my arm around her waist, I tugged her a little higher.
“Calm down. I got you.”
I hesitated and then slowly lowered us into the water. Her legs squeezed my hips tighter. I nuzzled her face with my own to comfort her. My hesitation only lasted for a second. I slipped lower into the water until the water reached our shoulders. She whimpered. My hold on her tightened encase she started struggling again. Valeria was having trouble slowing her breathing. She hated being in the pool.
“You don’t like swimming?” I asked softly.
She shook her head. “S-scared.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know how to swim.”
“Do you want to learn?”
She pulled away to look at me. My eyes dropped to her lips when she licked them. Desire hit me hard. I tugged her higher up to hide the fact that my dick was hardening by the second. She already saw me naked once but I was only half-hard then. I’d scare her away before we could get to that stage.
“You’ll teach me?” she asked softly.
“Yes, Devon and I will teach you how to swim. We want to teach you a lot of things. When you’re ready, you just tell us.”
She blinked at me. I waited but she didn't answer. Her small hands slowly slipped lower. My heartbeat increased when her soft fingers started to trace my skin. There was a big difference between her hands and those of the Lycan females. Her legs around my hips loosened, making her slip a little lower. I instantly lifted her again.
“Why do you do that?” she asked softly.
“Do what?”
Her lips parted but then she shook her head. “N-nothing.”
Our eyes locked. Her breathing suddenly changed. It sped up until she was almost panting again. Her fingers dug into the skin of my shoulders. She licked her lips again and then did something I never expected.
Valeria pressed her lips against mine.
I completely froze. Her lips were soft and hesitant but she quickly gained confidence. My hold on her tightened but I instantly loosened it when she whimpered.
Easy, David. She is human and she could bruise easily. She is not one of the pack bitches. She is small and frail.
My hands slid down to grip her ass as my lips parted under the pressure of hers. Her confidence died down and her lips became hesitant once again. She has never kissed anyone before, but she kissed me without me making a move on her. It had to mean something.
I relaxed. Her hold on my shoulders loosened and then she pulled away. Her wide eyes locked with mine. Uncertainty and a little fear flashed through her peculiar eyes.
She had such unusual but beautiful eyes. They demanded your attention.
My eyes dropped to her lips when she licked them again. The urge to undress her and sink into her welcoming heat was strong. It would be easy to tear her clothes off, but then her horrified expression flashed through my mind. Valeria reacted like that when I shifted, how would she react when I took what I wanted?
I shook my head and slowly moved towards the ladder. When we reached it, I nodded towards it and turned slightly so she could grip it.
“There’s a towel on the chair. Use it to dry off and then go change before you get sick.”
I watched her until she disappeared. Her footsteps echoed down the hall until she was too far away to hear them any longer. Throwing my head back, I howled.
My wolf was growling from some fierce longing.
She couldn’t have chosen a worse time to visit our pack.