36. Isabella
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
ISABELLA
Genuine curiosity raises the fine hairs along my arms like lightning. Ever since I met Nick, everything that makes him who he is has fascinated me, including what it means to be a werewolf.
The full moon has been the missing piece.
“Please,” I say softly. I hope he understands that while I’ve always been fascinated by werewolves, my true curiosity comes from being with him. I want to learn more because it’s him. “I want to learn more about you, Nick.”
He takes a deep breath. “I’ve never had to explain the full moon to anyone. Everyone I know already knows what it means, so I apologize if anything is confusing. I won’t be offended if you have clarifying questions.”
I smile, nodding him along.
“Werewolves only shift on the full moon. It’s when the Goddess is at her strongest and calls to those with the wolf in their blood. At least…that’s how my mom always described it.” My heart aches at the emotion in his voice. I wish I could have met her.
He clears his throat. “In the days leading up to the full moon, our bodies get ready for the transformation. We eat more, we sleep more, and as I’ve already mentioned, our instincts are harder to ignore. Typically, we feel a bit restless. On edge until that energy releases during the shift.”
“That makes perfect sense.” I lean forward, enthralled by this information. By the trust he’s placing in me.
“My wolf and I aren’t two separate beings.
It’s not as if I shift and some other thing takes over.
I’m fully aware of myself and my actions.
The only thing that’s more difficult is that I’m pure instinct in that form.
I can control myself, but often I don’t want to.
I want to do what feels good.” He shakes his head.
“Typically, that’s hunting, running, and playing with Dane and Georgie. ”
“Are you much bigger as a wolf? Are you a pure wolf? Or are you a wolf-man hybrid?” I can’t stop myself. The more he talks, the more I want to know. To learn. To understand.
He smiles at my enthusiasm, taking another bite of pasta. “I look like a normal wolf, just bigger. No hybrids.”
“Will you want to be alone with your friends? Do you want privacy? Would I be allowed…” I’m surprised by the slight disappointment in my voice. It’s not like I’m a wolf. What would I do in the woods all night with them?
Despite that, I want to be there.
He lifts an eyebrow. “That’s entirely up to you, Izzy, and your comfort level. If you’d like to be with us, you’d be safe. We wouldn’t hurt you. If anything, you might find it fun.”
“Fun?”
“Have you ever ridden on the back of a large wolf?” He smiles. “Generally, werewolves don’t shift for the first time until puberty, so I would spend every full moon with my parents, riding on their backs through the forest as a kid with my brother. It’s incredibly freeing.”
“Oh,” I sigh. “I bet those memories mean a lot to you.”
He nods, fidgeting with his fork. “Some of my favorites.”
I’m not sure what compels me to do it, but I round the table and plop myself into Nick’s lap.
He nuzzles into me, taking a deep inhale from beneath my ear. “There’s—ah—one more thing I’d like to tell you.”
“What’s that?” I ask, wrapping my arms around him.
“When a werewolf is m—” he stops himself, clearing his throat again. “When a werewolf is dating someone, there is an activity we like to do. If both parties are willing.”
He’s choosing his words so carefully, speaking slowly as if he doesn’t know exactly how to phrase it. My heart beats a little faster with nerves.
“I mentioned before that while in wolf form, we like to hunt.” One corner of his mouth pulls up in an—ironically—sheepish grin. “Well…we like to hunt the night before the full moon, too.” His eyes are loaded with meaning.
My mind struggles to catch up with what he means until... oh—my heartbeat pounds in my ears. A very specific fantasy of mine swirls around in my head like a forbidden movie. There’s no way he’s going to say what I hope he is.
His nostrils flare, no doubt smelling exactly how worked up I am. Will I ever get used to it?
“Hunting a partner is a display of strength.” His voice is low, gravelly. “It shows I can take care of you, provide for you, protect you. It isn’t required by any means, but I’d like to share it with you if you’re open.”
Oh God, this is real. Nick wants to chase me through the fucking woods. I shiver in delight.
“And this, um, would only happen the night before the full moon?” I’m practically trembling in his arms. My pussy clenches around nothing, and I’ve never felt emptier.
He dips his head and licks a broad stripe up the side of my neck. “God, Izzy, you’re killing me. You love the idea of me chasing you, don’t you?”
A broken moan escapes me as I nod. He shifts my body so I’m straddling him, pressed so close I can feel every single inch of him against me.
“It can happen whenever we want.” His eyes flash. “But I’ll need it the night before.”
“And that’s…tomorrow night?” I ask, not hiding the anxious excitement in my voice. The need I feel.
I’m not a wolf, but with him, I somehow feel like I might be.
He rumbles a pleased noise, squeezing my hips with his hands. “Yeah. Tomorrow night.”
Thank God for that. “And what happens when you catch me?”
“What do you want to happen?” he whispers, making me shiver. “What is it you imagine, petite copine?”
“Are you ever going to tell me what that means?” I reply instead. Nick may be the king of dirty talk—I swear I could cum just from listening to him—but I’m not experienced in that arena. I wouldn’t even know how to begin to describe my fantasies aloud.
He shakes his head fondly. “Eventually. For right now, I want to hear what you need.”
The words thicken in my throat until I can barely swallow. But I want to try.
“I want you to fuck me on the forest floor,” I mumble, cheeks heating as I duck my head.
“Couldn’t hear that,” he says, lifting my chin with his finger. “Say it again.”
I clear my throat. “I want you to fuck me on the forest floor.”
His growl is soft as his pupils dilate. “Then that’s what we’ll do.”