His response was not what she’d expected and she blinked at him in puzzlement. Where the hell had that come from, and what had he meant by it? She couldn’t read anything from his expression and was starting to feel so off balance that she needed to get some kind of control over the situation.
Cassia opted to be practical and ignore his last comment. “Pietro, why did you want to talk to me?” Her tone held more confusion than anything, until a thought suddenly struck her and her voice turned to a whisper. “Are you hungry?”
He stiffened slightly; it was his turn to be surprised. For the space of a few heartbeats, they stared at each other and it was clear they were both reliving the moment by the lake. “No, I fed earlier before I came out,” Pietro finally replied, a flicker of something mysterious that she couldn’t quite decipher in his eyes.
His lips quirked again and he shrugged. “I have cabin fever. I wanted to go for a run and thought you might like to accompany me in case I get into any trouble. I haven’t exerted myself since Europe. I have no idea what I am or am not capable of right now.”
She could appreciate how difficult it must be for a vampire of his age to acknowledge being doubtful of his own strength. His admission surprised her; his decision to come to her for support made her wolf sit up and pay close attention.
Perhaps some time with Pietro is exactly what her wolf needed. It might help settle the animal down, one way or another. Cassia couldn’t really afford the time away from her experiments, but she couldn’t refuse him either; especially not after he sought her out on his own volition. She wanted to run with him… she couldn’t deny that.
Making up her mind, she gave him a quick smile. “Catch me if you can.” She shifted to wolf form a split second after she had spoken, her glossy golden fur rippling with brown accents as it shimmered under the morning sunshine. She chuffed at the vampire before sprinting off into the forest.
Cassia ran. The feel of the early morning breeze ruffling her fur, the morning dew dampening her paws was… heavenly. It had been a while since she’d taken some time out to be in wolf form and she had forgotten how much she missed it. The wolf could hear Pietro’s pursuit and she howled in delight, completely determined to outwit the male chasing her.
She gracefully sailed over a fallen log as she wove deeper into the forest, searching for dense thickets to slow his advance. The vampire was very agile, almost soundless in his movements. To his credit, he was nearly undetectable as he stalked through the trees. Unfortunately for him, she was not a normal vampire or Were; her ultra-enhanced hearing easily tracked his movements.
The wolf halted, puzzled. Its hybrid mind clearly registered the vampire heading in the opposite direction. Where the hell was he going? Cassia was sure he knew exactly which way she’d gone, and yet he’d veered away from her. It didn’t make sense. She turned to follow him when suddenly all sound and scent of him vanished.
Panic welled up inside the Varcolac as Pietro disappeared off of her radar. She burst out of the copse running full speed towards his last known position. Had he fallen and hurt himself? Had his weakened body betrayed him and caused him to pass out somewhere? She had to find him, had to make sure he was okay…
The wolf howled in outrage as the vampire dropped from above them and landed square on its back. Pietro took her down to the ground in one swift move, his unyielding arms of steel covering her completely. One large hand had an iron grip on the scruff of her neck, pinning her head to the forest floor. In wolf terms, he held her steadfast in the submissive position. She had no option but to yield defeat.
“Sneaky bastard.”
It was considered rude to speak telepathically with someone who couldn’t respond back in kind, but the mental words exploded from her wolf form unbidden. She’d meant to think it not project it, but the slow rumble of laughter which erupted from the vampire told her she’d done just that.
“Yes, I am, Cassia, though a more polite term would have been adaptable.” He didn’t release his hold or shift his position, even though the wolf’s body language made it clear that his dominance had been established. “It’s always good to know both your opponent’s strengths and your own weaknesses. That way, you can make plans to beat them accordingly. We both knew there was no hope in hell of me ever catching your wolf in a straight contest. I adapted the circumstances to fit my needs.”
His hand softened on the nape of her neck and long fingers burrowed into her fur, slowly stroking through the golden mane. “Your wolf is beautiful; its fur is so sleek and soft, its muscles strong and powerful. Stay where you are, Cassia: let me know your wolf.”
She couldn’t have shifted if she wanted to. Her wolf liked the feel of his hands on its body, so much so, it was trying to purr! She lay there, allowing his hands to flow down her back, a slow heat building in both woman and wolf.
“Pietro…”
She’d projected again, her hind legs tensing as he trailed lower. It was too much for Cassia and she shifted form, gasping aloud as his hands flowed over her jean-clad bottom and down the back of her thighs.
Pietro moved back over her, covering her body once more, pressing his rock hard erection against her bottom as he raised her hands out straight above her head. His breath whispered against her ear as his tongue snaked out and took a leisurely swipe against her lobe. “Stay where you are, Cassia.”
There was no mistaking the blatant demand in his tone, but she was feeling so weak limbed from his gentle stroking that it never crossed her mind to object to it. She was eager to see what he would do next.