Brian’s POV
I was sitting in my office, trying to focus on the endless paperwork in front of me, when Garreth’s voice came through the mindlink.
“They’re on their way to the pack,” he said.
I froze, my heart pounding in my chest. Cara. She was coming back. My wolf stirred inside me, restless, eager, almost ecstatic at the thought of our mate returning. I dropped everything, leaving the papers scattered on my desk. Without a second thought, I rushed out of the office, my heart racing as my wolf pushed for control.
I couldn’t stay still. Not with her so close. Every second felt like an eternity as I waited inside the cabin. My wolf was howling in my mind, urging me to go to her, to claim her once and for all. The moment her scent hit me, sweet and familiar, I nearly lost it. It took every ounce of control not to break down the door and pull her into my arms.
“She’s here,” my wolf growled, satisfied.
“Go. Now, leave immediately,” I mindlinked Garreth to get the hell out of here.
He nodded and left immediately, giving us the privacy I needed. I heard her footsteps, and her heartbeat, The sound made my pulse quicken. Even from afar, I could perceive her, like she was standing in front of me. she smells like vanilla mixed with something else, something unexplainable, I couldn’t explain, what I know was that her fragrance was driving me crazy.
But the next thing that happened made my heart still, her heartbeat had increased all of a sudden. and her breathing became uneven.
She wants to run, I could sense it. And that’s when I knew. It was time.
My wolf surged forward, taking control faster than I could stop him. Before I knew it,
“let me teach you how to handle a mate”
his voice echoed in my head before I felt my consciousness being dragged down, and replaced by another consciousness, that was my wolf, he had taken control of my body. I was in my body but I was not in control of my body,
Before I could protest, I was already outside the cabin. blocking her way, as she collided into me, in her haste to run again.
I blocked her path.
“Going somewhere?”
I smirked, feeling my wolf’s satisfaction at the visible fear in her eyes. It pained me to see it, every fibre of my being screaming for me to stop. But my wolf wouldn’t listen.
“Don’t hurt her,” I begged silently. But he wasn’t hearing me.
“Let go of me,” i heard her spat, i watched as the fear in her eyes was being replaced with something else, anger
“I’m not letting you go,” my wolf said, “Not again.”
“What do you want?” she asked, with a tired voice, I could sense the desperation from her voice.
“You belong to me, Cara. You always have.” My wolf said , getting closer to her. I could sense his thoughts, things he wanted to do to cara that made me widen my eyes in horror, and I started struggling with my wolf for control.
“You rejected me,” she said, dripping with bitterness. “You pretended I didn’t exist. And now you want to act like you care?”
Her next words struck me hard, making me stop struggling, not when my heart was breaking my mate sounded so confused and. Allowing my wolf to regain full control.
“Stop lying to yourself, you feel the bond, the mating bond, it’s there and I know you have been thinking about me. My wolf said, his patience almost gone. “I ‘ve been searching for you for so long…Do you have any idea what it’s been like? Not knowing where you were, if you were safe?”
“You have no right to worry about me,” she muttered. “You’re the reason I ran, I ran far away…”
That was it.
Without warning, he gripped her arm and kissed her.
it was the most magical feeling i have ever felt. It wasn’t gentle, and my wolf wasn’t careful. It was rough, full of the hunger we had both been holding back for so long. And at that moment, I lost control of every part of my body.
My complaints died in my throat as any semblance of resistance flew out of the cabin window. I could feel her, taste her, and nothing else mattered.
With a flash, we were inside the cabin. I couldn’t hear the reason anymore. My thoughts were gone, drowned out by the fire raging inside me. Her body pressed against mine, her lips trembling under mine. I wanted more. We needed more.
But then, the sharp ring of my phone broke through the haze. My wolf snarled in frustration as I reached for the phone, and I saw Cara’s wide eyes, confusion clouding her face.
The elders.
I grunted in annoyance, tearing myself away from her and answering the call. They were asking about her, about my duty, their sick plans for her. The sound of their voices made my blood boil. I barely listened before throwing the phone across the room, my mood turning dark instantly.
My wolf retreated, leaving me alone with my thoughts. And when I looked back at Cara, lying on the bed, her hair a mess from our kiss, her body still aching for me,
reality crashed down. What had I done?
i couldn’t believe i had done it again, I lost control of my wolf again. i shook my head. I was so close to going all the way.
“no, noo” she deserved better than this. Better than me.
“I have to protect her,” I muttered to myself, though I wasn’t sure if it was for her sake or mine.
When I looked at her, lying there on the bed, her hair wild, her lips swollen from our kiss, my heart twisted. She was so beautiful, so perfect, and I wanted nothing more than to stay with her, to hold her, to make her mine. But I knew I couldn’t. Not like this. Not while the curse still loomed over us.
“whats wrong” she asked half asleep, half awake, with confusion all over her face.
I walked toward her, my eyes locking onto hers, and I saw the confusion, the hurt. She didn’t understand why my mood had shifted, why I was suddenly distant after everything we had just shared. How could she? I hadn’t told her the truth, hadn’t shown her the darkness that lay within me.
“Brian…” her voice was soft, barely a whisper, and it tore at me. She wanted me, needed me, and I had almost given in. Almost let myself believe that we could have a future, that we could be something more. But I knew better.
I wanted to go back to her, to take her in my arms and ignore the world, damn the elders or anything But I knew I couldn’t. I couldn’t make the same mistake I did ten years ago. I wouldn’t let history repeat itself. She needed to be safe, safe from me, from my wolf, from everything I had become.
“its master next time” I warned, my voice harsher than I intended. I saw her flinch, and it nearly broke me.
Her face fell, and I hated myself for it, but it was the only way. She had to stay away. For both our sakes.
“Nothing has changed,” I said, my voice cold, forcing myself to ignore the pain in her eyes. “Don’t forget that.”
I could see the tears in her eyes and it took everything in me not to turn around, not to pull her back into my arms and tell her I was lying. That I wanted her more than anything in this world. But I couldn’t. I wouldn’t.
“You’ll stay here,” I said coldly, forcing myself to focus on the task at hand. “Debby will come and take care of you.”
I turned my back on her, fixing my shirt and running a hand through my hair, trying to regain some semblance of control. I needed to leave before I lost it again, before I gave in to the temptation of having her, of making her mine.
Without looking back, I opened the door. “Stay here. Don’t think about what happened tonight. It meant nothing.”
I heard her sharp intake of breath, and I hated myself even more for what I was doing. But it was necessary. It had to be done. For her sake, for mine.
I left, knowing that I had just hurt her again. But I had no choice. I had to keep her safe, even if it meant protecting her from myself.