Page 100 of Ice King

“Are you not aware of the wild animals in this part of the country?”

“Lions, tigers, and bears, oh my? Won’t you protect me?”

I took a deep breath, holding the heated air for a few seconds. “With my life.”

“Then bring it on.”

How in the hell was I supposed to tell her that at this rate, she’d need protection from me? Forget the predatory animals.

Apparently, she wasn’t interested in taking no for an answer. She took off running. Where in the hell did she think she was goingto go? She didn’t know the area. The light on the house would only go so far.

The rain was also about to pick up in intensity. The woman was certifiable.

And damn it if I wasn’t more turned on than I think I’d ever been. Even so, I stood where I was, gawking like some dumbfounded kid while she ran straight into the densest part of the forest.

With a head drop and shake, I debated if I could control myself. I’d need to figure that out fast because if she wasn’t careful, she’d get herself in a heap of trouble.

“Women.”

There was no other choice.

I took off running.

In the last three weeks, I’d been anxious and had preferred allowing myself to shift and run free. I’d done so a few times, every experience in hopes that physically I’d become one hundred percent.

That hadn’t occurred.

However, I hadn’t lied to her. In the short time I’d spent with her in the coffee shop, I’d felt much better.

Now? Now, if I shifted with her by my side, I’d become one hundred percent. I was certain of it. My wolf was eager, chomping at the bit. The damn beast was even creating heavy saliva in my mouth. At barely fifty yards into the run, I was about to shout ‘down, boy’ given his eagerness.

Shifting was not an option.

Chasing her? You bet.

Capturing her? Not a problem.

Fucking her? Oh, I had a feeling I wouldn’t be able to stop.

Mating? Well… There was a distinct chance once I kissed her soft lips, I’d lose my mind, my humanity, my inhibitions, and every scrap of control over my wolf.

Once Georgia knew I was following her, she’d laughed enough to establish a trail. She’d also begun to unravel me from the inside out. My skin ached as much as my cock, my dick grinding against my jeans.

If this was how she wanted to play it, then who was I to destroy her unbridled hunt? I slipped behind a tree, listening for any sounds. She’d gathered I’d stopped moving, doing so herself.

The only noises were the few creatures daring to move with a wolf present and the pitter-patter of rain lightly falling across the foliage. With drops falling from the trees and the ground soaked from the earlier heavy rain, I had the advantage. Also I knew the woods. Which should make the hunt over with quickly.

Only she was a much more formidable opponent than I’d originally thought. Didn’t that make the evil wheels spin in my mind. My hunger was also off the charts. I threw my head back, enjoying the refreshing feel of the rain falling against my face. I took a deep whiff, capturing her scent instantly.

She was close. I took off sprinting, jumping over fallen limbs and the low-hanging foliage that should impede her enough I could quickly end the game. Plus, the deeper in the woods, the darker it had gotten. I could see perfectly. Every shape. Every small animal. Every twig.

She couldn’t, and her disadvantage would be her downfall.

But I was wrong.

As with everything about her, the woman’s diligence pushed her to the point she was smart enough to turn back toward the house. In doing so, she was trying to disguise her scent. I’d be damned if the woman wouldn’t make a good wolf. Imagine what mischief we could get into.

The rain was harder, the wind carrying every scent in another direction. While Mother Nature wasn’t fooling me, the challenge was real. She seemed to anticipate my every stop by doing the same, waiting until the last moment to take off running.