Shifter.”
I stopped moving while Austin spoke against my ear.
“I didn’t know it when we were younger, but now that you’re going through the change, it’s like turbulence on my body. It explains why you were so drawn to me, Lexi. I’m an alpha wolf, and females respond to alphas. It’s instinct. I’ve always felt protective of you and now it all makes sense. Humans are naturally attracted to female Shifters, but it’s sexual, and some are weak and unable to control those urges. Most of our women don’t date humans because they have trouble letting go and become obsessive. It’s why we’re protective of our women when it comes to humans or any other Breed.”
“I’m not a Shifter,” I protested, struggling to get free.
He kept a tight hold and threw his left leg over mine to tether my legs down.
“A Shifter can only come from Shifter parents—no exceptions. You must have been adopted or something.”
Finally, my mouth began to work. “What are you saying? Why are you doing this to me? I’m sick, Austin. Don’t fill my head with—”
“With the truth. We don’t shift until we’re adults, and it’s different for everyone. Usually the first time occurs in our late teens to early twenties. You’re a late bloomer; maybe your animal was suppressed for so long because you’ve lived with humans all your life. If you’ve felt sick the past day or two it’s because your animal is getting restless and trying to come out. It’s nothing to be afraid of, and it won’t hurt. You’re going through the change, Lexi. Don’t fight it; just relax and let your animal free.”
I wriggled away from him and he finally let go. I wasn’t thinking straight and everything felt like a dream. “Are you the cause of this? Are you the trigger that’s making me change because you’re some kind of an alpha wolf?”
Had I a non-feverish cell in my brain, I wouldn’t have even entertained the idea.
Austin sat up and leaned forward on his knuckles, lowering his dark brows. I flinched a little from his intense stare and he spoke in a rich and textured voice. “If that’s true, then this is the proudest fucking day of my life.”
And then I blacked out.
Chapter 9
My tired legs stretched beneath silken sheets, and my limp body relaxed on the soft mattress. The wooden ceiling fan rotated above my head, swirling a cool breeze around my bedroom. It was a quaint little room with a shelf full of movies and photo albums sitting below a painting. Two black lamps were on either side of my bed, and the dresser had a few photographs of my family.
I touched my cheek and blinked a few times. My fever must have broken.
“How you feeling?”
Oh shit . It wasn’t just that Austin was in my bedroom, it was the feeling of complete nakedness beneath the covers.
I scrambled beneath the sheets and sat up, my hair a tangled mess.
“Eat this,” he said, carrying in a large plate of food.
As he sat on the edge of the mattress, my stomach did a flip. Austin had several bandages patched to his left arm and a gnarly cut on his chin.
“Where are my clothes? What happened to you?”
He wasn’t listening. He held a sausage between his fingers and tapped it against my mouth. “You need your strength.”
“Tell me what happened,” I ground through my teeth. “You’re scratched up, I’m naked, and I have no memory of last night.”
That’s when I noticed the condition of the room. The curtain rod was hanging down at an angle and the drapes were shredded. There were long scratches on the bedroom door and tiny feathers covered the bed from a torn pillow.
“What happened to my room?” My tone wasn’t hostile, but accusatory.
“Before you get riled up, Lexi, it’s not what you’re thinking. You know me better than that. I didn’t dress you because it would have meant handling you naked. Better that you just slept it off. We have all day to talk about this, but right now you’re going to eat.”
Thanks to my
I stopped moving while Austin spoke against my ear.
“I didn’t know it when we were younger, but now that you’re going through the change, it’s like turbulence on my body. It explains why you were so drawn to me, Lexi. I’m an alpha wolf, and females respond to alphas. It’s instinct. I’ve always felt protective of you and now it all makes sense. Humans are naturally attracted to female Shifters, but it’s sexual, and some are weak and unable to control those urges. Most of our women don’t date humans because they have trouble letting go and become obsessive. It’s why we’re protective of our women when it comes to humans or any other Breed.”
“I’m not a Shifter,” I protested, struggling to get free.
He kept a tight hold and threw his left leg over mine to tether my legs down.
“A Shifter can only come from Shifter parents—no exceptions. You must have been adopted or something.”
Finally, my mouth began to work. “What are you saying? Why are you doing this to me? I’m sick, Austin. Don’t fill my head with—”
“With the truth. We don’t shift until we’re adults, and it’s different for everyone. Usually the first time occurs in our late teens to early twenties. You’re a late bloomer; maybe your animal was suppressed for so long because you’ve lived with humans all your life. If you’ve felt sick the past day or two it’s because your animal is getting restless and trying to come out. It’s nothing to be afraid of, and it won’t hurt. You’re going through the change, Lexi. Don’t fight it; just relax and let your animal free.”
I wriggled away from him and he finally let go. I wasn’t thinking straight and everything felt like a dream. “Are you the cause of this? Are you the trigger that’s making me change because you’re some kind of an alpha wolf?”
Had I a non-feverish cell in my brain, I wouldn’t have even entertained the idea.
Austin sat up and leaned forward on his knuckles, lowering his dark brows. I flinched a little from his intense stare and he spoke in a rich and textured voice. “If that’s true, then this is the proudest fucking day of my life.”
And then I blacked out.
Chapter 9
My tired legs stretched beneath silken sheets, and my limp body relaxed on the soft mattress. The wooden ceiling fan rotated above my head, swirling a cool breeze around my bedroom. It was a quaint little room with a shelf full of movies and photo albums sitting below a painting. Two black lamps were on either side of my bed, and the dresser had a few photographs of my family.
I touched my cheek and blinked a few times. My fever must have broken.
“How you feeling?”
Oh shit . It wasn’t just that Austin was in my bedroom, it was the feeling of complete nakedness beneath the covers.
I scrambled beneath the sheets and sat up, my hair a tangled mess.
“Eat this,” he said, carrying in a large plate of food.
As he sat on the edge of the mattress, my stomach did a flip. Austin had several bandages patched to his left arm and a gnarly cut on his chin.
“Where are my clothes? What happened to you?”
He wasn’t listening. He held a sausage between his fingers and tapped it against my mouth. “You need your strength.”
“Tell me what happened,” I ground through my teeth. “You’re scratched up, I’m naked, and I have no memory of last night.”
That’s when I noticed the condition of the room. The curtain rod was hanging down at an angle and the drapes were shredded. There were long scratches on the bedroom door and tiny feathers covered the bed from a torn pillow.
“What happened to my room?” My tone wasn’t hostile, but accusatory.
“Before you get riled up, Lexi, it’s not what you’re thinking. You know me better than that. I didn’t dress you because it would have meant handling you naked. Better that you just slept it off. We have all day to talk about this, but right now you’re going to eat.”
Thanks to my
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