Chapter 19
"What?" He was perplexed. "Why do you think I'm going to hurt you?" It wasn't his fault, but he felt embarrassed that I could ever think that of him. Ten years after leaving the life of anger behind me, I could still feel the ache of internal discoloration stemming from my upbringing.
The green of Derrick's human side glowed down at me, consoling me more than he could know, and a sob welled up in my throat.
He was waiting for my response, but I was at a loss as to how to respond to him.
Would he still feel the same way about me if I told him everything horrible that happened in my early years?
I said in a low voice, "When people get mad at me, they usually hurt me," and I watched as he dealt with them. His eyes went dark once more, and I bit my lip to keep the moan from coming out. I was more resilient than this, more resilient than anything he had in store for me.
"I'm not going to hurt you, Kylie—but you shouldn't have run away from me." He hissed out the final portion of the phrase, leaving me unsure of how to respond to him.
I still didn't completely understand why he wouldn't punish me for disobeying him because this wasn't how things operated in the world I came from. He scowled and his hands were heated against my skin once again as I remained silent.
His wolfish wrath had overtaken him so much that he had failed to properly understand our bodies' predicament.
"Are you hurt?" His eyes thoughtlessly started to slide over my skin, evaluating the harm I had done with the heavy leap I'd made from his packhouse's third-story window.
His thighs squeezed against my hips as he straddled me, and his breath stopped as his gaze locked onto my exposed breasts, all of which gave me the exact instant he realized something.
We were both motionless, exchanging a half-breath. I watched helplessly as his eyes ate up my body as if I weren't coated in dirt in the middle of the night, but rather as if I were a priceless jewel on display in a chamber made exclusively for him.
His all-consuming aroma showed his arousal to me as it licked wonderfully against my flesh. His smell was rich and smokey, like the first sparks of a fire. My heart was being pulled by my control as the anticipation of his emotions entwined itself around my limbs. Something shifted against my tummy, causing him to moan with excitement.
His hands fluttered out and brushed the underside of my breasts before he cradled one in his palms, his eyes flashing.
A sudden, sharp cry from my lips, and I lifted my hand to push his contact away. I was going to refuse to let him touch me in this manner after he'd made me move in front of him, even though he appeared surprised by my forceful movement. I hurriedly covered myself up with my hands, putting a hand between my legs and wrapping an arm over my breasts. He snarled menacingly, and the vibrations made me tremble.
His teeth were starting to pierce through his lips, and his eyes were locked on the way I was shielding myself from him. He was about to lose control, but every time I felt like he was going to give in to his wolf's territorial impulses, he managed to gather himself. I observed him for what felt like hours as his eyes changed from green to a stormy grey, and as his claws and fangs grew and withdrew. I knew that moving or talking would agitate him, so I dared not.
After gaining composure, he removed himself from my body and moved away from me. The warmth of his body was taken away, and the cold air hurt my skin. My hands gripped my privates tighter as his eyes heated. Even though I was attempting to avoid him, I could tell that he was proud of the way I was staring at him. He demanded that I focus solely on him, and I couldn't help but stare.
His length stood proud and erect, and my body gave in to a shameful reaction.
My nipples had tightened at the sight of him, and if my hand hadn't been pushed against the center of my thighs, he would have easily captured the slickening dampness that was accumulating between them. If only my arm hadn't been concealing my breasts.
Our mating bond was going strong, and I knew that he wouldn't hesitate to take me down to the forest floor if I asked him to.
"Drop your hands," he commanded, and his firm tone made me shudder.
"I think that I am naked enough as it is." I lay there on the floor withering away in my own self-consciousness, ignoring his command. I didn't have any more arms to cover my back if I stood up the way he had, and I also didn't want to give him a good look in my behind.
"I need to know that you weren't hurt, so for the sake of my sanity—drop your fucking hands, Kylie." I squinted at his posture, but he looked to be faltering away from me rather than taking a stride toward me. I could tell by his harsh tone that he was still fighting his beast. He wanted to jump on me, and I could tell what else he wanted to do by the way his member looked so painful.
I swiftly let go of my hands and picked myself up off the ground. Since we both knew that I was the one with the disadvantage, I wasn't going to try his patience.
"I'm fine—the glass that caught in my fur managed to dislodge as I ran, and my feet don't even hurt anymore." I watched as his glance swept over me and I immediately continued.
With a heaving breath, he evaluated my physique in a professional manner and turned away from me.
"Stay here." Before he rushed off, he demanded.
I watched him walk away from me, my body on high alert, and I couldn't stop the despair that gripped me at the sight of his disappearing form. I attempted to gather my thoughts and brought my knees up to my chest.
Though he had only returned a few minutes earlier, the thought of him abandoning me in this situation had already caused my vision to get blurry. I finally realized when he held a change of clothes in his hands. Derrick had simply been thinking of me when he'd gone to retrieve some of the garments that his pack had apparently secretly stowed for unexpected occasions throughout this jungle.
As he dressed me, he knelt next to me, his gaze fixed on the bits of material.
He began by pulling the t-shirt over my head and then moved to assist me in getting my arms untangled. He rose once more and extended his hand as the shirt brushed against my thighs. He assisted me up off the floor and into a pair of shorts that were two sizes too big when I reached toward him. His fingers gripped the drawstrings and tightened them before I could reach the waistband, securing the knot just so taut.
My entire body erupted into flames as his fingers touched my exposed midriff.
"Better?" I gave a brief nod in response to his question.
Derrick was still as nude as the day he was born, but at least I was covered up now, so I felt much more at ease around him.