-Adrian-
The hours drag by like I'm walking through quicksand. Every few minutes, I check my phone, thumb hovering over the contact for Little Wolf's friend. But I made a promise—no contact, clean break. Even if it's killing me inside.
You could just text her, Nox suggests for the hundredth time. What's the worst that could happen?
I gave my word, I reply, though the argument sounds hollow even to me.
Carter couldn't get anything else useful out of Eddie before the bastard's body gave out. Not that I'm surprised—the punishment fit the crime. Jamison and Killian took care of the remains, giving him a traitor's funeral outside pack boundaries. They dismembered him piece by piece, fed his organs to wild animals, and burned what was left. No one will mourn him, least of all his family. That's what happens when you betray your pack, your alpha.
By the time I make it back to my quarters, my skin feels tight, like I'm wearing someone else's body. I need to wash this day off me. The blood. The screams. The knowledge that Amos is out there, watching, waiting.
I strip and step into the shower, letting scalding water pound against my shoulders. Without meaning to, my mind drifts back to her—my little wolf. The memory of her skin against mine is so vivid I can almost feel it. The taste of her still lingers on my tongue. The echo of her moans rings in my ears.
My cock hardens instantly, and I wrap my hand around it, giving in to the fantasy. I close my eyes and I'm back in that hotel room, her body pressed against mine. I can see her head falling back as I take her nipple in my mouth, can hear the gasp that escapes her lips. My hand slides down her body, finding her slick heat, stroking her clit while I capture her mouth with mine.
I remember lifting her against that window, the city lights creating a halo around her silhouette as I teased her entrance with the tip of my cock.
"Fuck," I groan out loud, my hand picking up speed as I relive pushing inside her, feeling her tight heat envelop me inch by inch.
You miss her, Nox says, his voice uncharacteristically gentle.
Shut up and let me enjoy this, I growl back.
In my mind, I'm thrusting into her, watching her face contort with pleasure, hearing her beg for more, harder, faster—
Something brushes against my back. A hand. A very real hand.
My eyes snap open and I spin around, rage instantly replacing arousal when I see who's standing there, naked in my fucking shower.
"What the fuck are you doing, Jasmine?" I snarl, my voice low and dangerous.
She pouts, batting her eyelashes like we're in some bad porno. "I can help with that, baby." She gestures toward my still-hard cock.
My face twists in disgust. "Get the fuck out of here."
Before I can shove her away, she drops to her knees, grabbing my dick with greedy hands. "Let me take care of you."
She's quicker than I expect, flicking her tongue across the tip before I can stop her. Instantly, a burning sensation spreads through my cock, and I grab her by the shoulders, physically throwing her out of the shower. She lands on the bathroom floor with a thud.
"What the fuck, Jasmine!" I roar, the burning intensifying. "Get the fuck out of here. NOW!"
I grab a towel and wrap it around my waist, ignoring the pain radiating from my dick. Jasmine is still sprawled on the floor, looking up at me with a mixture of hurt and indignation, like I'm the one who crossed a line.
"You can't keep rejecting me," she says, her voice taking on that whiny quality that sets my teeth on edge. "We're meant to be together."
"There is no 'we,'" I snap, grabbing her arm and yanking her to her feet. "There never was, and there never will be. I fucked you once, two years ago. Get over it."
Her eyes narrow. "You don't mean that. You're just confused because you haven't found your mate yet. But I'm patient. I'll wait."
Jesus Christ. I'd almost forgotten how delusional she is.
"Listen carefully," I say, my voice dropping to a deadly whisper. "If you ever come into my quarters uninvited again, if you ever touch me without permission, I will have you banished from this pack. Do you understand me?"
Her lower lip trembles. "You don't mean that."
"Try me."
I drag her to the door, not caring that she's still naked, and shove her into the hallway. "And put some fucking clothes on," I growl before slamming the door in her face.
The burning in my cock has intensified to the point where I need to do something about it. I head back to the shower, turning the water to cold, and grab the special soap we keep for wolfsbane exposure. As I wash away what I assume is poison, I can't help but think how different this is from my time with Little Wolf.
You're comparing everyone to her now, Nox observes.
Shut up.
I rinse thoroughly, expecting the burning to subside, but it doesn't. If anything, it's getting worse. I look down and freeze at what I see.
"Fuck," I hiss through clenched teeth.
My cock is starting to blister, angry red welts forming along the shaft and head where her tongue touched me. This isn't normal wolfsbane reaction. This is something else entirely.
What the hell is happening? Nox sounds as confused as I feel.
I shut off the water and mind-link Asher.
"I need Doc Matthews in my quarters. Now."
"What happened?" Asher ask.
"Just get him here," I snap.
I examine the damage more closely. The blisters are concentrated on the spot she licked, and the burning has turned into something that feels like acid eating through my skin. I've been exposed to wolfsbane plenty of times before—this is different.
Could she have put something on her tongue? Nox wonders. Some kind of poison?
If she did, I'll make her regret it, I promise darkly.