The Wild: Chapter One

Odhran

The past

I was losing my mind, a beast pacing and clawing, and every day, it got worse. I felt my sanity slipping through my fingers. I once heard a tale of a Lycan in Eastern Europe who’d let the madness consume him, who was more beast than man.

And all because he hadn’t found his mate.

And I was there. I felt it start to consume me like ink spreading out over a table and staining the grain.

A Lycan male had one priority in his life from the time he was born to the time he took his last breath. One single thing that was of the utmost importance, the light of his life, the soul housed in his core.

His heart beating outside his body.

It was the elemental part of him, the only thing in this world that could tame the wild, ferocious beast inside.

And that was his mate.

That single female who was born to be his and his alone. The woman who would awaken every emotion, every feeling, every desire and pain. She’d amplify it, shape and mold it. Without her, he was nothing.

I am nothing.

A shell of a male. Living but not truly alive.

My mate. Whoever she was. Wherever she was.

And I was forever searching for her. Even if Banner, King of the Scottish Lycans, sent me on missions, even if I was out hunting, she was the only thing I could concentrate on.

I stopped and closed my eyes, inhaling deeply as thoughts of her—whoever she was—filled every part of me. That faceless female I’d die for, whom I’d kill for.

And with every passing year, my mate was the only thing on my mind, my need for her growing and growing until it consumed me.

I fought constantly, trained relentlessly with the Guard, the army of the Scottish Lycans. I took on the most dangerous tasks, the most brutal, in order to become stronger, to be so ruthless I could take care of my female when I did find her, no matter the enemy.

As more time passed, I became distant from my clan, letting the desperation fill me that so many of my kind experienced when the years turned into decades and we still hadn’t found our other half. Although I didn’t give up hope, with each passing day, I preferred to be more on my own, my free time spent in the wild, letting my Lycan out more and more.

I’d volunteered for the task of hunting for the clan farther out, away from the protection of my kind, miles upon miles of untouched wilderness as my home. It was dangerous being alone without your king or the Lycan Guard to watch your back. But at this point in my long life, at over two centuries old, I saw nothing but blackness. Felt bleakness.

I felt nothing but loneliness.

I opened my eyes, exhaled through my nose, and continued moving forward. I focused on why I was out here. Prey. I hunted the creature with accuracy and stealth. The buck would help feed the clan, and that was what I told myself to focus on, not my faceless beauty of a mate.

I froze, tilting my head and listening, inhaling deeply and breathing in. I smelled a buck a hundred meters away, hidden, camouflaged in the foliage. I let my inner animal rise up and moved slowly as I followed the trail, picking up the scent as it became stronger.

I leaned against a large tree, my shoulder butting up against the bark as I stared at the massive animal grazing. The horns spread out like curling fingers, and I felt my wolf ready for the hunt.

And there was nothing better than this, the only thing that made me feel anything. Stalking my prey, taking it down, praising and thanking it for the gift of its life that would feed many of my kind and keep them strong and healthy.

We’d use the skin to stay warm, and the antlers would be weapons, utensils. And no meat would be wasted. Everything would be appreciated.

I crouched low, about to let my inner wolf out, about to let him have the pleasure of taking down the creature, doing it the natural, primal way, where it was beast against beast, survival of the fittest.

And just as I felt my eyes flash blue and my bones start to crack and reshape, the wind picked up and blew from the west, and with it came the most glorious scent I’d ever smelled.

Fuck hunting. My instincts pulled me in the direction of where the aroma was coming from. I could hear the creature scurry off behind me, his hooves digging into the earth as he scented the predator—me.

Yet I didn’t care about anything else but finding the source. My ears twitched, my nostrils flared, and I felt my Lycan rise up even more. But I wouldn’t let him out completely, my human side wanting to experience this first and foremost.

And I knew. I knew without seeing proof what I was headed toward.

My mate. Mine.

The Linked Connection was so powerful it nearly knocked me on my ass as I raced through the forest. And the closer I got, the stronger the aroma filled my head, and the louder I started growling. My blood rushed through my veins and filled my ears, my heart pumping fast and hard. It ached from the force.

I slammed my palms down on the trunks of the trees, wanting to push them away, wanting nothing as an obstacle to get to her.

Her. My female. The only important thing in my life.

I didn’t know how long I ran, but I never slowed and in fact felt myself growing stronger, going faster with each step. Because I was closer to her.

I finally broke through the tree line and froze, an electrical current arcing through me at the sight of the wee female just meters from me. 

She sat on a small boulder in the center of a field of blooming wildflowers, her arms in front of her, her hands in her lap as she ran her fingers over the petal of a flower she had picked. The long fall of her raven-colored hair gently blew behind her as the wind picked up, as if it too couldn’t stand not touching her, as if it needed to or lest it would forever cease to exist.

Her face was tipped up to the sky, her eyes closed, and her plump red lips curved in a secret smile. She wore a blush-colored shift, tiny red flowers embroidered on the collar and hem that brushed her bare feet. Gods, her toes were even beautiful.

My big body shivered at how tiny she was, at what a wee thing she was. I’d tower over her. And that turned me on. Fooking hell. That turned me on that she was so slight, that she’d need me to watch over her, keep her safe.

I’ll protect her with my life.

I sank to my knees and placed a hand on my chest, over my rapidly beating heart.

The prettiest thing I’ve ever seen.

At first sight, I assumed she was a wee human, but as I inhaled the concentrated scent of her, took that part of my mate into my lungs, I realized she was of the Otherworld. 

A nymph—water, to be specific—and quite possibly the weakest species in the Otherworld, only as strong as a human, with no discernible powers but having attained longevity of our world.

And they were strongest surrounded by their element—either earth or water.

I closed my eyes and shuddered. I’ve found her. I’ve finally found her, and now, for the first time in my lonely, gods-forsaken life, I feel like I have purpose.

I found myself standing and stumbling forward, my boots snapping and cracking twigs with every step I took, before I fell to my knees. I snapped my eyes open at the same time I heard her gasp.

She spun around, the long fall of her raven hair swinging wildly behind her to finally settle over one shoulder. She had her hands pressed to her stomach, her fingers curled around her shift.

For long moments, we just stood there staring at each other. She backed up a couple of steps, but I stayed where I was, on my knees, because I didn’t want to frighten her. I held my breath, too terrified to even blink because I feared this would all vanish.

She licked her lips, and I was riveted to the sight of her moistening that plump, red mouth. Gods, she was tiny. Less than half my size, a slip of a little thing.

I placed a heavy hand on the tree beside me, my other hand out in front of me, palm toward her in supplication. I placed one foot on the ground and stilled, showing her that I wasn’t trying to do anything swift and didn’t want to frighten her further.

When she didn’t seem afraid, I dug my claws into the bark and placed my other foot on the ground, slowly rising. Her eyes widened as I rose up, up, and up until I stood tall and proud at my six-foot-seven-inch height.

She murmured something in her native tongue, low and breathy, before blinking rapidly and shaking her head.

I inhaled her scent again and couldn’t help the low rumble of pleasure that left me. She smelled so sweet, like new blooming flowers with a hint of sea salt in the air.

She started speaking softly again, her words rushing out of her quickly as she finally took another step back. I couldn’t understand her language. Maybe she’d speak Gaelic?

“There is no need for ye tae fear me, lass. Do ye no’ recognize me as yer mate?” I spoke the Gaelic softly, trying to keep the gruffness out of my voice, trying to keep the growl out of the words, because my Lycan was so close to the surface.

I was all but shaking, trying to rein him in. But I knew my eyes glowed, knew she could probably sense the feral side of me coming out.

She spoke again, her focus on my twin glowing orbs. I felt my own confusion fill me and explode outward. My mate didn’t seem to know what I was, didn’t seem to recognize me as the beast I was. But surely it was impossible she didn’t know of the species in the Otherworld, being one herself?

And when she took another step back and shook her head, I cursed low and exhaled roughly. I was a patient male, but seeing my mate just meters from me, knowing that I was frightening her right now—even inadvertently—had a pain unlike anything I’d ever experienced spearing through me.

It was very clear she didn’t understand my native tongue, and I racked my brain with how to communicate with her. Maybe English?

“Do ye understand English, lass?” I wanted to go closer to her, to wrap my arms around her and envelop my body around hers, protecting her slight form, taking in her scent, the feel of her body against mine. And staying back was so fucking hard.

I still had a hand braced against the tree trunk, my nails gouged in so deep I could feel sap seeping out of the trunk and covering my fingers.

She wet her lips and nodded. I curled my fingers deeper into the trunk, hearing the bark split as I watched the slide of that small pink tongue dragging across her full bottom lip. Gods, my cock was threatening to burst free from my leathers. I tried to make myself smaller, praying to the gods she wouldn’t look down and notice what I was sporting. Surely that would frighten my wee girl.

I cursed low. “Bollocks.” I looked down at the ground and lifted my free hand to rub it over my face. I could feel the beard covering my cheeks and jaw, the days upon days of me in the wilderness probably having me look more feral than I really was.

Although right now, I felt like a primitive beast wanting to take my mate to the forest floor and claim her until there was no doubt in anyone’s mind she was mine. But I was more civilized than that—or at least that’s what I told myself. I would never scare her, never want to force myself upon her. When she gave herself to me, it would be with moans on her breath and her hands on my body.

“I’m fooking this all up.” I ground my back molars and looked up at her. 

Her head was slightly tilted to the side, her eyebrows pulled down low as she stared at me. “Who are you?”

I closed my eyes and felt my body sway at the sound of her voice. It was the sweetest thing I’d ever heard, and it went straight through me like a shot of heat, lighting up every dead, hollow part of me. My blood sang, my heart raced, and I felt the sweat bead across my brow.

“Odhran,” I said gruffly and cleared my throat. “Odhran of the Scottish Lycan clan, lass.”

Her English was impeccable, with only the slightest accent from whatever her native tongue was. “You’re far from home, Odhran.”

Ah gods… the way she said my name. “Aye.” That lone word was gruff and serrated from my lips.

“I don’t know you. I’ve never seen you before,” she said softly but kept her distance from me, her hand still clenching her shift. “Yet… I have the strange and inexplainable sensation that we’ve met before.”

Her brows were pulled down even lower, and the tone of her voice suggested she was speaking to herself, confusion thick in the melodic tone.

“But that’s impossible.” Those last few words were whispered so low that if I hadn’t been a Lycan with supernatural hearing, I wouldn’t have caught them.

“No. Ye donna know me in the sense we’ve met before,” I said harshly and exhaled, willing myself to calm down, ordering my Lycan to stay back lest we scare our tiny female. “But even still… no’ impossible. Lass, donna ye recognize me for who and what I am tae ye?”

The delicate, dark arches of her brows pulled down once more, a little furrow between her eyes. The confusion on her face was thick but adorable. She didn’t speak for several long seconds, and I didn’t pressure her, didn’t rush.

I had all the time in the world. Everything I’d ever done, experienced, felt, was for this one moment, when I finally looked at my mate, when I finally felt the Linked Connection solidify in me. Finding your Linked Mate had a sensation moving into every cell, seeping into bone and marrow, making me fully whole for the first time in my life.

Gods, the loneliness, hollowness, and the deep-rooted ache of suffering I’d felt for over two hundred years just… vanished as I stared into her cerulean eyes.

“Are you a warrior?” Her voice was soft.

I was a warrior, but that wasn’t what I was anymore. I took a small step toward her. “I’m yers.”

She slowly shook her head. “Mine? I don’t understand.” Her little hand went to her chest, right over her heart. “It’s beating so fast,” she whispered and stared at me with wide eyes. “I should be terrified of you.”

I took a step forward. “I’d never hurt ye.”

“I know.” That furrow between her eyes deepened. “That is what scares me the most… that I can feel you’d never harm me.”

I was moving closer to her, and a roar of triumph sounded in me that she wasn’t retreating. There wasn’t any scent of fear from her, only curiosity and confusion.

I was only a single meter from her now, and I stopped, inhaling deeply, smelling how sweet she was, how perfect. There was a hint of sea salt that surrounded her, and when the wind picked up and her hair ruffled behind her, I got another shot straight up my nose and into my body. 

I swayed again, never before feeling this type of intensity. Adrenaline rushed through my body, one that not even battle could mimic. My Lycan, although pacing and wanting to come out, knew we had to tread lightly. One wrong move could ruin everything, could break the fragile bond I could grow with her.

“What is yer name, a shùgh mo chridhe?” My sweetest. I couldn’t stop myself from saying the endearment.

She licked her lips again, and I forced myself not to groan at the sight. It took her several more seconds before she answered, but I was in no rush. I didn’t have to be anywhere but here, never again for the rest of my life.

For the rest of my days, this female owned me.

“Larkin,” she finally said. “I am called Larkin.” She finally loosened her hold on her shift and smoothed her hands down the material. It billowed softly around her bare feet. “What are you? Of the Otherworld, yes, but I do not know of all the species and have never met one such as you. So—” she paused, and on her face I could see her trying to figure out how to say the words, “—big and fearsome.”

A low growl of pleasure left me at the compliment. Nothing had ever sounded sweeter than my female speaking of my virility.

I puffed out my chest and said, “I am Lycan.” I brought my closed fist to the center of my chest and slammed it against my rib cage once. I wanted her to see how strong and powerful I was, how I’d protect her and provide for her, care for her above all else.

“Lycan,” she said softly and glanced to her left.

I saw the sunlight catch a silver chain hanging around her neck, the delicate necklace hidden beneath her dress. When she looked back at me, I swore my heart stopped beating as our gazes locked.

“I’ve heard of Lycans. You have a beast within you, a wolf you can shift into?”

I stood a little taller and was a little prouder. Did she know of the prowess of my kind? Did she know how strong and powerful we were? I wasn’t bragging or boasting. But I wanted Larkin to know I’d rather die than let anything happen to her.

“Aye. A strong species. The strongest.” She smiled at that, just a tilt of her perfect, red, bow-like lips. I slammed my fist into my chest again but then felt foolish for the act. I didn’t want her to think I was some brutish caveman.

“And you know what I am?”

I nodded, because I didn’t trust my voice.

Finally, I cleared my throat and said, “I do, lass. Although I have never come across your kind in my travels, I’ve heard the tales of the earth and water nymphs.”

For a moment, neither one of us spoke, but I gave her time. I’d give her whatever she wanted, whatever she needed.

“I feel like we’re something special, you and I, Odhran.”

I felt my ears get hot, this strange sensation and feeling moving through me. At first, I had no name to put to what I was experiencing, but then it hit me. My wee girl was making me blush. For the first time in my life.

And then my possessive beast of an animal howled in pleasure at hearing her say she felt the intimate, unique connection we had.

“No, I do not fear you.” She spoke to herself. “I wish for us to get to know each other.” Her focus was clear as she looked at me. “I don’t meet many strangers. My family keeps to themselves. It’s safer that way.”

I nodded, my throat tightening, the protective side of me rising at the very thought of anyone trying to harm her.

I was glad her family kept her hidden and safe. The world was a dangerous, vicious place, not just for species of the Otherworld but for any living creature. And given how vulnerable Larkin was, I wished to keep her locked away so not a hair on her head was harmed.

She gestured to the boulder, and I slowly walked toward it. She did the same, neither one of us breaking eye contact. I sank down to the grassy patch of land at the foot of the rock, allowing her that place to sit.

Once we were both seated, the silence stretched on. I should’ve looked away, but I couldn’t stop staring at her, couldn’t stop marveling at the fact that this miracle happened to a male like me, so unworthy, an undeserving bastard. 

The light caught her necklace once more, and I tipped my chin toward it. “What’s that ye got there, neach-gràidh?” Beloved.

She glanced down at the same time she lifted her hand and picked up the delicate chain, pulling out the pendant from where it was hidden beneath her shift. A little anchor caught the light, the silver momentarily shining as she turned it in her fingers.

“It was my sister’s,” she said softly.

I heard the pain clear in her voice at those soft words. I also didn’t miss the fact that she used past tense to describe her kin.

I instantly wanted to comfort her, but I held still and watched as she ran her thumb over the pendant. “My parents had her a century before I was born. You can imagine the shock when I came around.” She laughed softly, and my stomach tightened at the sound. “It took my mother centuries to become pregnant with Brisa, my sister. She was their only child for so, so long, and they weren’t successful in having more, so they didn’t think the gods would bless them again.”

She glanced at me, and I heard a tight pain in her voice. I also saw the surprise on her face. “I can’t believe I just told you all of that. I’ve never shared anything so personal with anyone.”

I felt grateful that she shared this piece of her life with me. It mattered not that I was her mate, the male fate destined to be hers and hers alone. I was still a stranger, and she gave me this gift of her truth.

“I am honored beyond words.” I found myself moving closer to her. I licked my lips, and tried to think of how to word what needed to be said. She was innocent in all ways. Sheltered. So vulnerable, so soft. “Do ye understand what is happening… between us, darlin’?”

She glanced away and didn’t speak for long seconds. I could see the faraway look in her eyes, watched as she lifted a hand and tucked a strand of hair behind her tiny ears. Gods, she was delicate.

“Mates,” she finally whispered, and I couldn’t stop the growl that left me.

“Aye, darlin’. Mates.” I inched closer, my wolf pacing, frantic, salivating to be near her, to be closer.

“And I’m embarrassed to say—” she glanced over at me from underneath the fall of her dark lashes, “—but I don’t know much about being mated. Although my parents are fated, they didn’t talk about their journey and wholly what it means. They’ve always just told me it’s a lifelong bond.” She moistened her lips and ran her finger over the pendant again. Back and forth. “I’m embarrassed that I have been sheltered all my life. All twenty-five years of it.”

The air left me violently at hearing her age. Gods, twenty-five years of age compared to my over two centuries. It seemed almost perverse, the age difference, but that wouldn’t stop me from making her mine. We were bound together in the most undeniable, permanent way.

I’d never give her up.

“I don’t plan on fighting the connection, Odhran.”

My eyes threatened to close in pleasure at the sound of my name on her tongue.

“But… we’ll take this slow? Get to know each other?”

I was right in front of her so swiftly a startled gasp left her lips. I took her hand in between both of my massive ones, gently holding her as I stared into her eyes. Gods, her palm fit so easily in the center of mine, my palm huge in comparison.

I inhaled, making sure there was no fear, no hesitation from her. And I growled low in contentment and pride that my girl was strong in her own right.

“If it takes centuries for ye tae come tae terms with being mine, if it takes even longer than that for ye tae want my mark on yer neck…” I lowered my gaze to said spot, seeing her pulse throb rapidly at the side of her throat under her flawless, alabaster skin. “I just want ye in my life, lass. We donna have tae do anything more than be in each other’s life.”

Of course, with every passing day of not claiming her, it would grow harder and harder to resist the urge, and the pull would become unbearable and painful to not mark her and fully bond us together.

But I meant every word I said to her. If I never knew her touch, the taste of her lips, or the way she felt clutching at me as I slid in deep… then so be it. I’d gratefully accept anything she gave me and thank her.

If she never wanted the Linked Connection to be complete, I’d still die a happy male that I’d experienced knowing her. 

“Okay, Lycan,” she whispered and gave me a smile. “Let’s see how our lives intertwine and how they are meant to be with each other.” She lifted her other hand and placed it over both of mine that still encompassed one of hers.

And so for the next twenty minutes, I raptly listened to her tell me about her sister, who’d passed away from an incurable illness her species was sometimes afflicted with. She spoke of her parents and how they still looked at each other as if they were the light of each other’s world.

I didn’t dare speak a word, just hung on to every one she said. She loved drinking lavender tea and watching the sunset over the horizon. My female went to the water’s edge of the lake by their home every morning and let the gentle waves lap at her bare feet on the shore.

I learned about how the water gave her kind energy, and not being by a body of it made her uncomfortable, and over time, it weakened them.

I’d never been so engrossed in what someone would say next until this moment, not wanting to miss anything. I learned more about her kind and how water nymphs were always female.

She told me a legend on why that was the case for the latter, about how it was said water sustained all things in life, and without it the world would dry and all would die. So water nymphs were always female, because females were also the bearers of life.

Her father was an earth nymph, their power and energy coming from the ground and flowers, the very dirt under their feet, linking them to all things around them.

Compared to my kind and our powers, hers were so intricate, so beautifully unique, that I knew I’d love this girl with a consuming intensity that would make me smile on my deathbed because I’d experienced it. 

I smiled now as she talked so fondly of her family and of nature, how she saw all things beautiful no matter what. My wee mate, who couldn’t be more than five-foot in height and weighed no more than one hundred pounds soaking wet, spoke with such passion I felt my heart ache with pride.

“Yer voice,” I murmured when she paused. She looked startled at first but then laughed, and the tinkling sound had me feeling like I was burning alive in the best way.

“I wouldn’t think too deeply about that, Odhran. It is said the voice of a nymph is the most beautiful sound. I can only assume it’s to somehow protect and shield us, since we are known as so physically weak compared to all other Otherworlders.”

I shook my head before she even finished. “No, lass. Ye could sound like a donkey and still have the most beautiful voice I’d ever heard. Ye’d still be mine.” The way she gasped, how her cheeks turned pink, had my throat tightening, my heart racing, and my cock throbbing.

“Forgive me,” she said and glanced away. “I’ve never gotten such compliments before. I don’t know how to take them.” She glanced back at me out of the corner of her eye. “Even if I was compared to a donkey.”

I was frozen for a second but then tipped my head back and bellowed out a laugh, the first one I’d done in… my entire life. It was pure and genuine, and I felt a burst of pleasure pulse through me.

She gave me happiness without even trying.

I found myself reaching out and cupping her cheek, knowing I should have felt shame in taking such liberties with her. But when she lifted her hand and placed it over mine, keeping my palm to the side of her face and staring into my eyes, my heart lurched in my chest.

My breath caught at the electricity I felt from that small touch, by feeling her skin against mine, warm and soft… the softest thing I’d ever felt. I got lost in her sea-glass eyes, drifting away as if I were in the middle of the ocean.

But I didn’t want to be found.

I want to forever be adrift for as long as she is by my side. Just the two of us, nothing to break this spell that claims me.

“What I feel…” Her voice was nothing but a breathy whisper. She leaned in close, tilting her head a little so her cheek was resting more firmly in my hand, my palm holding up the weight. “What I feel in this moment doesn’t make any sense, but regardless, it takes the breath from my lungs and makes my heart beat faster. It makes me feel this funny kind of way, Odhran.”

I exhaled a sharp breath, my body tense, because all I wanted to do was pull her onto my lap and hold her tightly, to bury my face in the crook of her neck and inhale deeply. “Ah, lass.”

She gave me a sweet, small smile, and as our gazes continued to stay locked, I felt myself start to lean forward and saw she did the same. Gods, would she let me taste her?

“We just met,” she whispered when we were only a hairsbreadth away, sharing the same oxygen, the air around us crackling with all kinds of intensity.

“Aye, lass.” My voice was a deep rumble as I lowered myself to her mouth. She worried her bottom lip with her straight, white teeth, and I heard her breath hitch, saw the way her pulse was beating rapidly against the base of her throat.

“I’ve never even been alone with a male outside my family.” Her voice was low, sensual.

My cock jerked.

“So even thinking the things I am…” She trailed off, and I groaned, because gods help me, I was thinking all kinds of filthy fucking things, and the very idea that she was too had my Lycan growling in pleasure.

“Larkin,” I groaned and lifted my hand to curl it gently around her throat, my thumb right over her pulse.

“What are you doing?” Her eyes became hooded, and she moved in a fraction more.

“Feeling how much I affect ye.” Her pulse beat wildly under the pad of my thumb, and before I knew what was happening, I had my mouth pressed to hers.

She gasped, and I knew I should have eased back, been gentle, but the first taste of her had all the primal desire and need coursing through me. I snaked one hand around to the back of her neck so I could grip her nape.

And then I held her still so she could take the kiss. So that she could feel every ounce of male need I had for her. Only for her.

Her moan was the sweetest fucking sound I’d ever heard. The only thing that could ever top it was my name being moaned from her lips as she came around my cock.

That had a harsh and guttural groan leaving me, and when her lips parted because of that, I plunged my tongue inside. I explored every inch of her mouth, memorizing her heat, the sweet taste of her wetness, the silky feel of her tongue against mine.

So fooking good. Better than I could have ever imagined. 

I’d moved onto my knees, really crowding her now. I had my bigger body leaned forward, all but wrapping myself around her as I pulled her forward. When her chest pressed against mine and I felt the swells of her breasts and the hard points of her nipples, my cock jerked, and I snarled against her mouth. I had to calm down, had to take this moment slow.

But she placed her hands on my shoulders, dug her nails against my muscles, and kissed me back harder, as if she were just as desperate for this as I was.

But I was the one to break the kiss and, gods, was that the hardest thing I’d ever done thus far in my life. I stared down at her, my wee mate with her closed eyes and red, swollen lips from my kisses, leaning forward even more as if she needed my mouth back on her. And I was so close to giving it to her.

She’d get everything I had to give until I was nothing but a husk of a male. But even then, I’d be the happiest, feel the most pride that my mate was taken care of and sated. She blinked open her eyes and stared up at me with a hazy expression. A slight smile curled her lips, and I watched as the most gorgeous shade of pink tinged her cheeks when she blushed for me.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what got into me.” Her voice was still breathy, and the fact that I smelled my scent on her drove me mad with the need to take her mouth once more. “I don’t even know you, yet here I am, sharing my first kiss with a stranger.” She stared at me with her beautiful blue eyes and a look of almost wonder on her face. “And I don’t want to stop.” Her cheeks reddened even more, and I groaned anew at how gorgeous she was.

“We are no’ strangers, sweetheart. We may have never met, but our hearts and souls know each other intimately, irrevocably. They know that we belong together. Ye are mine, and I am yers.”

I slid my hand from her throat up to cup the side of her face and stroked my thumb along her cheek, marveling at how warm and soft she was.

“But I should no’ have done that.” Saying the words was like acid in my mouth. “I want tae cherish and take my time with ye. I promise I will be on my best behavior from this point on, lass.” Her smile was shy, and I nearly groaned in pleasure at how pretty my mate was. “Mine,” I growled and was about to lean in and kiss her again, breaking the vow I just made because I couldn’t help myself, when I felt a prickling on the back of my neck. My skin tightened in awareness, and all arousal fled as I became ultra-aware of our surroundings. 

My ears pricked, and my wolf stilled as we both listened, scented, and took in every minute detail around us.

“Do you feel that?” Larkin asked and placed her hand over mine, which was still cupping her face.

“Aye, lass.”

We weren’t alone.

“Odhran—”

I was up so fast, my hands gripping her shoulders as I pushed her behind me, keeping one of my thick arms around her waist as I scanned the surroundings. I started speaking in Gaelic, urgent, hard words telling her she’d be okay, that I’d slaughter anyone who came close. I shook my head to clear it when I realized she couldn’t understand, then repeated myself in English.

We stood still for long moments, my wolf rising up, my senses razor-sharp as my beast took control.

At first, I didn’t see anything, but I felt them. So many of them. I could smell their scents. Males. Humans.

And then they came out, slithering from behind the trees like snakes in the grass.

I scented their aggression, the fact that they were here to take from me.

I roared out and gently pushed Larkin an arm’s length away.

“Lass, ye run fast and hard.” She made a strangled noise, and I looked behind my shoulder to see we were surrounded. I bared my teeth, my canines getting longer, sharper.

I reached behind my back and unsheathed my sword, the metal making a whooshing sound as it arced through the air.

I held out my forearm, a barricade for my small nymph mate. I could smell her fear, my female terrified, even though I’d seen the composure on her face.

Gods, my girl is strong.

“My brave girl,” I murmured but kept my focus sharp. “Stay behind me and be strong, lass.”

I faced off with the robed males, the human stench of them causing my jaw to clench and my body to seethe with aggression. My Lycan paced, ready to explode outward and ensure the safety of our mate. And I’d sure as hell use my beast to my advantage, to protect Larkin.

If it meant dying to protect her, sacrificing myself to save her… to never know what she felt like beneath me, to never know what her lips tasted like, or see how she looked with my mark on her neck, then so be it. Because making sure she was safe was all that mattered. It was the reason I was alive.

And so I unsheathed a smaller knife I had strapped to my ankle, handing it back to my female, and when her fingers brushed against mine as she took the weapon, my body hummed, and my possessiveness rose to combustible levels.

My sweet mate.

“I will no’ let them hurt ye.” The words were true, but even as I said them, as I watched these bastards come closer, sensed more coming out of the woods, I didn’t know if I could uphold that oath. And that just pissed me off.

So I let my beast rise, allowing my Lycan to take over. I heard my female gasp in shock, but everything else faded as my wolf came forth and took the reins.

I bellowed out as my skin ripped open, fur taking its place. My bones broke and realigned, and I fell onto my hands and knees, paws replacing hands and feet, my face elongating to a snout, blunt teeth falling out to make way for my sharp canines.

And then my beast was free, a creature feared by most in the Otherworld.

I rose to my full height, quadruple the size of these fucking humans, and tensed, bracing to tear apart every single one of them.

Protect her. Save her.

And at the end of it all, when their corpses were littered around my feet and blood covered my fur and muzzle, I’d get my war prize. Her. My wee, sweet Larkin.

The first two bastards were easy enough to kill, their heads ripping off like a chicken bone snapping in half under my jaw. I scented one getting too close to my mate and spun around.

I felt pride swell within me as I saw Larkin swing out with the blade, catching the asshole on the arm. I pounced, tackling his body to the ground and tearing his throat out. I went after the next human and took him down, ripping his arms from his shoulders, his legs from his torso. I was brutal and savage, not having a humane thought, just letting my beast take control.

And just as I faced forward, they charged. I backed up, keeping my body between them and my female, baring my teeth, bracing myself to take them all down.

Three came at me from each side, and I snapped my massive jaw, ripping flesh from their bones. I felt their blades slice into my body, but I felt no pain. I had so much adrenaline rushing through me, so much power and aggression. Because I needed to protect Larkin, I was never stronger, never more savage, than I was right then.

I heard her cry out and spun around just as someone wrapped their arm around her waist, jerking her off her feet. I roared so loudly the leaves shook above us.

I was on the bastard who had her in an instant, clamping my jaw on his leg so hard I felt the bone pulverize between my teeth. Bodies swarmed me, weapons slicing into me, but at least I got the fucker off her, gave her a chance to move back, away from the carnage.

One male shouted loudly, but all I heard was the blood rushing in my ears and the growls coming from deep within my chest.

And then I saw the glint of his blade catch the sunlight a second before he moved his arm toward me. With half a dozen bodies on top of my massive form, I wasn’t quick enough to move out of the way, to toss the humans away before he struck.

His blade sliced down the entire length of one side of my face, deep enough I felt the skin part, the muscle give way. I roared, blood a waterfall down my cheek, over my jaw, and steadily dripping onto my chest. But I was too full of aggression and strength and adrenaline to care.

I tossed my head back and went for his throat, ripping out his trachea. But still, the others tried to take me down. There were too many of them, and I felt myself get taken to the ground. I lifted my head as much as I could and searched for Larkin, frantic, feeling panicked about her safety.

And then I saw her, down on her hands and knees, her mouth open wide as she stared into my eyes and screamed.

I tried with one last surge of power to get up, and all I kept thinking was… I have tae protect her. I have tae make sure she’s safe.

That was the last thing I was conscious of right before something hard slammed against the back of my skull, and everything went dark.

When I came back around, the sun had already set, and the scent of blood filled my head. I squeezed my eyes shut and groaned, confused at first about what was happening. I lay naked in my human body, bloodied and bruised, stabbed and with bones broken.

Slowly, the events filtered back in, and my strength returned as the pain and panic consumed me.

They took her.

They’d taken what was mine and left me. I had no idea why they didn’t kill me, why they didn’t take me as well. But it didn’t matter, because now I had vengeance. I knew what it felt like to have my mate close, to know what she smelled like and felt like as she let me stroke her cheek… as she let me devour her mouth.

I felt my rage grow tenfold inside me.

I dug my nails into the earth and pushed my upper body up, my ribs broken and screaming, my head pounding from whatever blunt object they used to crack my skull, and the knife wounds deep and covering every inch of my body. My face was on fire, and I lifted a hand to touch my cheek, hissing when I felt the massive wound. When I pulled my hand away and looked down, I saw my fingers coated in blood.

My body would heal, but the face wound was deep, and despite my Lycan regenerating properties, some injuries were too heinous to heal fully.

But scars or not, the only thing I cared about was finding my mate.

I slowly rose and shook my head, the world spinning slightly as I stumbled, trying to catch my bearings. I focused and inhaled deeply, trying to scent her, trying to figure out what direction they’d taken her in.

But the scent of the gore from the fight, the aroma of the flora and fauna of the forest, and my disoriented head made sifting through the hundreds of scents surrounding me almost impossible.

I walked forward, weaving, feeling as if I’d drunk a barrel full of ale.

I swiped my hand out, digging claws into the bark of a nearby tree, my nostrils flaring as I breathed even harder.

And then I saw something glisten on the ground, catching the light. I froze, my disoriented mind, my unfocused vision trying to make clear what I was seeing.

With my hand still on the trunk to steady myself, I bent down and picked up the delicate chain, holding it up so I could see the pendant swing slightly.

An anchor.

I curled the necklace in my palm, tipped my head back, and roared so loudly, so ferociously, I knew those fuckers who had taken my female heard me… and would know to fear me, because I was coming for them.

I didn’t care how long it took or if it killed me in the end. I was going to find Larkin, and when I did, I was going to exact my vengeance on the ones who took her and destroy them with my bare hands.