238- Knots, Claws, and Unspoken Promises
POV Elowen Grimwald:
“Why do you want to know? Do you miss him? Will you mourn him?” His tone was disdainful, but it still exposed sharp edges of jealousy.
“I don’t! I’m just curious.”
“Behave, and I’ll tell you what happened.” He returned to the table and his plate. I remained where I was, shocked. “Why are you still standing there? Did you get sad and lose your appetite?”
I shook my head and moved back to my seat, thinking through every possibility of what could have happened.
“Aldren, I think I need to make something clear: I don’t have feelings for him anymore. They ended the moment he treated me like I was nothing, when I needed to run.”
He stayed silent, more interested in the food.
“Can you please say something?”
“Cook more often.”
“Aldren…”
“Elowen, I’m not going to talk about the death of your ex while I’m enjoying your delicious food.”
“Fair.” I picked up my own utensils, eating again.
Why couldn’t I and that crazy dog be civilized with each other?
Our interactions always ended in an argument. If they ended in bed, they’d be far more productive.
“There is something we need to talk about, but it won’t be here,” Aldren said seriously, looking up toward the top of the cabinet wall.
I followed his gaze and found nothing different.
“In your bedroom, then…?” I suggested.
With luck, at the end of the conversation, maybe he would take me to bed.
“Yes. In my bedroom,” he agreed, filling me with excitement.
...
Aldren sat down on the bed, and I sat beside him. Then he stood up.
He stopped in front of one of the windows, and when I did the same, he moved to the other.
“By any chance, have I been infected with some disease and don’t know about it?”
His beautiful, taciturn face turned toward me.
“I need to think, Elowen, and with you around it’s a bit difficult.”
I couldn’t hold back the smile that formed on my lips.
“Aldren Valmorin, assuming he wants his bitch so badly that he gets lost even in his thoughts. Oh, what a great honor!” I thought I was being cute, but his expression darkened even more. “I’m sorry. Is… something serious going on?”
Crossing his arms over his strong chest, he faced me, staring as if I were the suspect of a serious crime.
What the fuck could I have done? Still, focusing became an impossible task when his sharply defined V-line was partially exposed.
What if I go there and give it a little lick?
I shook my head, trying to chase away the libidinous thoughts, and focused on him.
“Elowen. Can you tell me if, in your bloodline, any she-wolf ever had a prolonged heat without a partner, or an early transformation?”
Why was he asking me that?
“I…” I fixed my eyes on the coffee table for a moment, trying to remember. No memory came to me. “I don’t think so, Aldren… my father was strict and always kept us under control with herbs.”
“You felt the effects of heat for the first time here in Valmorin?” I nodded. “And it lasted longer than normal,” he emphasized, as if trying to make me remember something.
“Maybe because it was the first time? And taking anti-heat during it might have had the opposite effect…” I reasoned. “So I don’t know.”
“Do you feel like you might lose control to your creature, even without having gone through the transformation yet?”
“I lost it once…”
“Let me guess, the day you destroyed the entire cage?” I nodded, a chill climbing up my stomach. “Pay attention now—you told me you wanted to bite me back?”
“Yes… if I’d had my fangs, I doubt I would’ve managed to hold back. It was very strong, Aldren. I don’t even know how to explain it.”
“Holy fucking shit. What fucking bullshit!” he growled and sighed deeply, running his hands over his face. I took a step toward him and he took two steps back. “Stay where you are.”
“Aldren… are you rejecting me?” I pouted.
“I’m trying to have a rational conversation with you. That’s what I’m doing.”
“I think I prefer it when you act in crazy-dog mode,” I blurted out without thinking.
“What did you call me, Elowen?” He narrowed eyes as deep as a pine forest in winter.
“H-hot!” I tried to fix it.
“Slutty, sly bitch from hell!” he barked.
“Big, hot, authoritarian dog…” I continued the dangerous teasing, letting my desire imprint itself in my voice.
Aldren laughed in disbelief, shaking his head.
“You challenge me as if you’re fucking certain I won’t hurt you.”
That wasn’t exactly it…
“Look, I’d like to have that certainty too, but I don’t, okay?” I rested one arm on my waist, shifting my weight onto one leg.
“You do all this without certainty?” He sounded even more incredulous. “I don’t even want to imagine how it would be if you had it.”
“Why don’t you just kiss me and forget about conspiracy theories?” I took a step forward and he raised a hand in front of his body, trying to stop me. It was a delight to see that two-meter-tall man flustered around me. “Just a little, come on…” Another step.
“Do you want me, even if I have another?” he threw at me point-blank.
I stopped where I was, losing control of my breathing and feeling rage bubble through my veins.
Bastard!
“Who is it? Tell me so I can kill her!” I shouted.
“That’s none of your concern, Elowen.”
“Aldren!” I growled, curling my fingers hard, as if I already had claws.
“That’s it. And if you want me, you’ll have to accept her.”
Something feral took over me and I lunged at him, throwing punches and slaps against his chest. He was quick to immobilize me, twist my body, and hold me from behind.
At that moment, my desire was to strangle him, but it was enough to have my skin against his for me to also want to rub myself on him like a bitch in heat.