Page 32 of Full Moon
Feray laughs, a dark, unsettling sound that sends shivers down my spine. She shakes her head. "There's a fire burning in my chest, in my blood." She drags her hands over her chest, down her body, stopping inches from the vee of her legs. Her movements are slow, deliberate, almost sensual.
"Shit..." Torben mutters, his nostrils flaring and pupils dilating. "Awakening the beast brought on her heat."
"Khal, use your gift. Hypnotize her, get her to take the tonic." The command slips out, sharper than intended.
Khal moves quickly, stepping into Feray's line of sight and capturing her attention. She rocks, her gaze locked onto his.
I uncork the tonic, the faint herbal scent mingling with the room's tension. As her mouth opens, I tilt her head back gently and pour the liquid in.
"We're good," I announce, relief flooding my voice.
Khal releases her from his mental grip, and she blinks, the primal fire in her eyes dimming slightly.
"Are we?" Easton asks, his eyebrow arching.
"We are in for a hell of a week," Torben says, cracking his neck, then his back.
"What do you mean?" Khal asks.
"She's going to hunt us. The drive to reproduce is going to be overwhelming. She's a wolf that has never gone into heat in her over twenty-something years of life. This is going to be hell."
Just as he's about to elaborate, Khal lets out a blood-curdling scream.
We whip around.
Khal is pinned to the floor, Feray straddling him, her claws shredding his clothing with savage intensity. Chunks of material fly around them like confetti. Khal's eyes are wide with terror, his mouth open in a silent plea as he stares up at her, completely at her mercy. The ferocity in Feray's actions is both mesmerizing and horrifying, a raw display of primal instinct.
Torben steps forward, blocking Easton and me. His eyes are almost pure black from dilated pupils. "Remember, she can chase, but in the end, she must submit. Otherwise, her shift will be a berserker or worse. We've got to wear her down so it's safe for Easton." Torben tears his shirt over his head, flinging it across the room.
Khal cries out again. Feray is biting his ribcage, holding him there while she strips. Her tail is out, swishing behind her in a lazy left-to-right motion.
"Go now," Torben commands, kicking off his shoes and dropping his pants in one swift motion.
Reaching out, I grab the door and close it silently behind us. Walking away is the hardest thing I've had to do lately. Feray's surprised squeal makes me pause, my heart pounding. The dominant growl of Torben's shift rattles the paintings on the wall. Easton and I stand still, silently listening, just in case.Within a few minutes, Feray is moaning, and I can finally release the breath I didn't realize I was holding.
"Let's go. They have their work cut out for them." I pat Easton on his shoulder and direct him down the stairs.
"How long do winter wolves stay in their heat cycle?" Easton asks as we descend.
"Three days, unless they get pregnant. Then the heat stops immediately."
"Hopefully those two and you can tire her out so I don't get eaten in the bad sense." Easton rubs the back of his neck, slightly embarrassed.
I chuckle softly, trying to mask my own nervousness.But the weight of our situation presses down on me like a heavy cloak.
Three days of this.
And we're only just beginning.
