Romance: Tied To The Wolf: BBW Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance (Werewolf Romance, BBW Paranormal Romance, Shifter Romance) (4 page)

“It’s beautiful,” Cecilia admitted, glancing up to meet his green eyes with a smile.

Aaron grinned back and it only occurred to her then that his gaze was slightly more brilliant than the stone below. She found herself liking the color very much.

For the remainder of the day, Aaron showed her various parts of the mansion, speaking animatedly until they found themselves sitting in one of the balconies. She enjoyed the respite.

Cecilia was feeling better than she had earlier, but her injuries still caused her discomfort. As they spoke, she couldn’t help but feel warmer that he was so attentive.

Eventually, the words of her own background came pouring out easily from her tongue, explaining how she worked in a tavern and how Rocko had a tendency to pay her more than she knew was proper.

“Sounds like he’s a real caring guy,” Aaron mused. Cecilia smiled.

“I love him dearly.”

Aaron tilted his head after a moment, “So how long have you been going out?”

This confused her.

“Out?”

Aaron nodded, “He cares for you, yeah?”

Then it became clear.

Cecilia flushed pink, snorting out an abrupt laugh that made her chest ache.

“Rocko’s not my boyfriend,” she giggled. “He’s like a father to me. Well, the closest thing to a father I ever had anyway!”

It was then that the surprise of her announcement hit her unexpectedly and she could tell the information was not lost on Aaron. His jaw tilted slightly and Cecilia’s smile wavered.

“Yeah,” she sighed.

“I kind of don’t have parents… My mom died when I was three and I don’t know a thing about my dad. The people at the clinic did a good job at raising me though, and eventually Rocko kind of took me in.”

“I’m sorry about that,” Aaron said gently and despite how he sat a few feet away, she kind of wished she could feel his palm on her fingers again.

“I can’t imagine growing up without parents.”

“Rocko was my parent,” Cecilia said, smiling.

“He’s still like my dad. So, I made it out okay.”

Aaron watched her for a moment, seeing something in her that Cecilia couldn’t fathom. Eventually his lips parted into a beautiful grin that made her feel hot.

“You’re something else.”

“Is that a good thing?”

And then he did reach over and pulled a strand of her hair from her face to place behind her ear. The flush in her skin became hotter, made her insides squirm and Cecilia found herself somewhat smitten by the way his lips curled into a half smile.

“I sure hope so.”

Chapter 3

“Sir,” Marlo’s voice was a soft note in a gentle silence.

The day had concluded so swiftly that by the time the sun had set and Cecilia had departed to her room, Aaron had found himself in his study to stare into the display where the Opal and Emerald sat side by side.

Marlo’s presence was always a welcome one, one that shifted and appeared with impressive silence that unnerved his brother countless times.

Aaron glanced up from the display to meet his butler’s gaze.

“If I may…?” the butler asked.

Aaron nodded, settling back on his chair and turning green eyes with more focus at the old man.

“I do not believe this is wise.”

Aaron gave a small huff there.

“We’ve had guests before, Marlo.”

“None that know of your heritage,” Marlo cut in.

“She is the first that does.”

“She’s a human from a tiny town even
I’ve
never heard of.” Aaron sighed, lifting a hand to brush away the hair from his face.

“If you’re worried she’ll be a threat to my position here, I highly doubt she’d ever do anything stupid.”

“Humans are strange creatures, sir.” Marlo explained.

Aaron said nothing at that, shutting his eyes.

The moonlight that cascaded through the windows was piercing, digging into his skin like forced music and the vulnerable desire to sing and dance without holding back. He hated it.

Hated how much he loved the way his blood surged beneath his skin and spun with the desire to make him do something stupid.

“I know that,” Aaron muttered, taking in a slow breath.

Marlo remained silent and after a moment spoke once more.

“Shall I lock the door?”

“I haven’t transformed in months,” Aaron replied, green eyes narrowing as he pushed the sensations of his blood away.

“I can control it.”

Marlo didn’t sound convinced.

“You have her scent in your head, sir. I haven’t seen you like this before.”

“It’s nothing.”

Then Marlo was approaching, and in this moment of heightened senses, Aaron could feel the movement as easily as he could breathe.

“This is not nothing, sir. Your brother could come home any moment… he can control himself far more than those pups, but he might not believe you can once he sees you like this.”

“What, like this?” Aaron gestured to himself, shaking his head.

“Human?”

Marlo let out a small sigh and Aaron could begin to note the singular scents in the butler’s essence. The smell of fine cotton, silk, suede. The scent of salt in sweat and the notes of blood still caught between the man’s teeth. He had fed recently.

Suddenly, his stomach lurched, igniting a desire to run, to shift and to
hunt
.

Aaron took in a sharp breath, clenching his fingers over the arm rests of his plush seat. Marlo waited.

“Please,” the old man whispered.

“Consider going out for the night, just for a few hours until you’re certain that you can control this.”

Aaron’s lips peeled back over his teeth in a half snarl, “I already said I’m-”

In the distance, a howl rose in crescendo among the noises of the night and Aaron could feel his blood beg him to sing along.
No. Forget it.

“Sir, please do not deny this part of yourself.”

Damn you Lucas.
The bastard didn’t know when to quit.

“Lock the door, Marlo.”

Aaron ordered, focusing his energy on the single opal sitting innocently on his desk.

The butler said nothing else before disappearing into the dark, the sound of the door locking clicked as a final warning to Aaron’s ears.

Aaron fell back against the seat, gasping as he was overwhelmed with urges that battled and made war in his chest, threatened to split him in half between multiple desires. Without warning, they conjoined into one image.

The unexpected desire in his blood shot straight to his groin as he pictured Cecilia, snorting out a laugh that grew in energy.

He had been surprised, his eyes falling to the way her pulse that thrummed in her throat, and the way the sunlight had curved over her cheeks and bounced off within the hazel irises of her eyes.

Hazel… like the essence of the opal sitting on his desk.

I…want her.

Aaron let his hands fall quickly toward his crotch, fingering the edge of his pants to slid open and allow himself to spring into his palm. Aaron tugged and pulled at himself, savoring each touch on his member as though it were her palms grazing him.

Her scent was sweet, intoxicating to him and making his mind spin.

The moonlight continued its symphony within his blood, singing dark notes of lust into his ears that made his hips buck and his teeth dug into his lip, urging him to take his desire from his palms and into hers.

I want her.

No. he couldn’t afford behaving like a beast… Lucas had saved her from the less controlled animals… he would not become one of them.

With a grunt, Aaron found himself becoming enraptured by the single image of Cecilia’s smiling face, the way her lips has parted into pretty bows of cherry red when she had seen the stones in his desk.

She was a gentle soul, a woman who had retained innocence in a small speck of a town.

She was beautiful…

And…

I want her.

With a low growl that rose in his chest and escaped past sharpening teeth, Aaron allowed his body to spill into his fingers.

He did not want to risk her… anymore than he wanted to risk himself.

This wasn’t wise, but Aaron wanted to approach her a little further, hope that her presence would continue to encourage his heart to seek a more human style of life.

Maybe… just maybe… he would be able to wipe away the wolf that howled in his blood, and become something closer of a human. Less like an animal.

There was little else he wanted more than that.

--

Cecilia woke in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat and shaking from nightmares that threatened her. She startled awake, frightened and crying out for Rocko, but when no one came, she remembered where she was.

The only light that remained this late in the evening belonged to the moon, and the silver cascade only made her more unnerved.

Nerves singing incessantly, Ceci pushed herself from the bed and headed toward the balcony of her room, hoping that some fresh air would calm her.

She had barely taken a step outside into the cool stone of the outside before her eyes fell over a broad body sitting, more like hunched, on top of the stone railing that towered over the heads of trees below.

Cecilia felt the air rip from her throat before she could stop, but the figure of Lucas on top of the rail was unmoving.

He remained so still, she vaguely wondered if it was just a statue and she had gotten scared for nothing.

“Having trouble sleeping?”

The words startled her to flinch. He shifted then and Cecilia nearly backpedaled toward her room.

“I’m—no, I’m…” Cecilia stammered, swallowing down anxiety.

Lucas’s head turned, green eyes glowed beneath the moonlight so brightly, Ceci froze beneath them.

“You’re afraid,” he stated.
Was it obvious?
Ceci dared not move an inch.

“I don’t blame you. Most people would’ve pissed themselves after seeing me again.”

Ceci clenched her fists tight at her side to keep from hyperventilating.

“W-Why are you here?”

The question fell from her mouth before she could take in a soothing breath. She kicked herself, but Lucas shrugged instead of attacking.

“I was concerned.” He was—what? Then he turned away to look back at the moon.

“I also know what it’s like to be unable to sleep easily.”

His words took her by surprise, stilling her enough to make her relax somewhat. He was not speaking gruffly like he did with his brother, his voice was careful, gentle even.

He sounded nothing like the monster that had torn other wolves apart.

“How come?” she asked, muted.

His body shook, as though entertaining the motions of laughter without uttering a sound.

“Monsters can also be afraid of things.”

There was nothing more sobering than the words he spoke. Cecilia felt the air return to her chest, made her shift uncomfortably on her feet but edge in a bit of curiosity in her chest.

“What could possibly scare you?”

“You’d be surprised.”

Was this okay? For her to be speaking to him like this?

Cecilia didn’t know, but she didn’t know what else to do and she didn’t want to anger him by leaving.

Finally, after a strange moment of silence, Lucas turned around and inhaled deeply, his long and broad legs dropping him from the stone so gracefully.

Cecilia felt her muscles seize up as he looked at her.

“I take it you’ve become well acquainted with my brother?”

“Oh!” Ceci rubbed at her arm.

“Yes… a little.”

“What do you think of all this then?” Lucas asked, lips parting into a smirk.

“This mansion big enough to house a small village? Do you like it?”

“It’s nice.”

“I bet,” he said.

“Has he explained the nature of your stay?”

Cecilia nodded, “Just that you’re hunting down the pack that attacked me.”

“Nothing else?” Lucas’s eyes flashed.

Cecilia felt a shiver course through her skin, making her skin pucker with goose bumps.

There was something… enthralling in his gaze that lit her blood like a spark.

“Did he explain anything about our territory? The reason why I am out there at all?”

Cecilia shook her head. Lucas let out a snort, “Idiot. Alright, did he at least explain how our pack works?”

Again Ceci shook her head. Lucas let out a groan of irritation, muttering something that sounded like
useless human-lover
.

“Alright, here’s the deal. First off, every pack has an Alpha—a leader of the pack that ensures the safety and watch of the territory. That leader is me. While you may doubt that considering how Marlo and Saria stopped me from tearing him to pieces earlier today, they all know I am the leader and follow my orders. One of those orders is to protect Aaron from anything and anyone—that includes me. So even though I may want to kill him at times, Aaron remains alive to handle the matters of our family that I have no patience for. There’s that lesson.”

“Lesson number two is the deal with the territories. Your town, as it so happens, belongs to mine. I’ve been getting reports from neighboring packs about this scrap of mutts that have been harassing towns and taking human women. They are the reason why my kind has now become exposed to yours, and how we are now experiencing more harassment from humans lately. It’s a real pain in my ass.”

He added this with a roll of his eyes.

“While I make sure to never bother your people, you still belong to my territory, and the only way I can ensure peace among other packs and clans is to make sure those humans in my territory are safe. Which is why I saved you.”

Cecilia took his words in, unable to speak as he laid information quickly and without pause.

“So…” she began.

“You saved me because I belong to your territory?”

“In short, yes.” Lucas explained, but his expression softened for a short moment.

“I’m not just a beast, despite all you believe. I was raised to respect your kind, to protect you because once…a long time ago… our kind used to be good allies with yours.”

“We’re not now?”

Lucas let out a small mirthless chuckle, “Yeah, you could say that.”

Suddenly, he took a few steps closer, closing in on her space and making her freeze in alarm. He paused just a foot away from her and she was so taken by the way the moon surrounded him, how the silver light broke and shattered within his eyes, she remained stunned.

Lucas fixed her a certain look.

“Two weeks,” he said, switching the conversation so abruptly Cecilia struggled to catch up.

“In two weeks, you can leave, and you can forget about this place. You can forget about me, about my brother, about all that’s made you lose sleep.”

He paused, and there was a change in his eyes that she swore she could also feel. Something like an understanding, something like a strange warmth that not only made her feel strangely safe, but also deeply disturbed by how right it felt.

Just like that, though, the moment was gone and Lucas’s gaze turned flat.

“Try not to get comfortable, Cecilia. Once I find the last of that pack, you’ll be well on your way home.”

The conversation was as strange as the breeze that played with her hair, cold and blistering all in the same caress. Cecilia managed to tear her gaze away for a moment, considering Lucas’s words for a moment.

When she glanced back up, he was gone and the answers and confusion stirring angrily in her stomach left her feeling cold.