Girl Gone Rogue (The Shadow Hunters #2)

5. Shedding Walls

Alexei

Was it possible to be aroused in the midst of a threat?

He couldn't decide.

It didn't help that his wolf found the woman utterly alluring. He was captivated. Truth be told, the man in him wasn't far behind from sharing the same sentiment.

In truth, he hadn't noticed the woman at first when she entered the Pack. He made it a mission not to get involved with anyone in the Pack. However, those hot pink highlights always tugged his attention, forcing him to notice her at every turn.

Like a fool, his gaze always found her in the end. He couldn't do much but take in his fill of the woman and look away at the end. He couldn't afford getting tangled up with her.

He wished he could say it wasn't because she had been a Rogue.

But that was only a part of the reason.

He used to hunt after Rogues in his past.

Usually, they'd done nothing but cause him pain time and time again.

And when he saw a hint of those pink highlights woven into that thick brown hair, he felt something heavy, like guilt settle into his chest.

He had used his hands to snap the necks of Rogues.

When he glimpsed his big palms, the mere idea of wrapping his hands around her delicate neck made nausea rise in the back of his throat.

He couldn't imagine ending a life as sweet as hers.

Yeah, he thought she was sweet. It didn't matter that she had been a Rogue.

He wasn't lying when he said her wolf was beautiful. He'd never seen a wolf with a lush golden and white fur coat before. She looked...fluffy. He had the urge to rake his fingers along the silky coat, but he had a feeling she would bite his fingers off without remorse. Clear brown eyes watched him with unease. It was the only reason he didn't do anything rash. He needed her calm and trusting.

"I'm not going to hurt you." He made his voice so painstakingly soft, his men would've raised a brow at him.

He shook away the thought and approached the wolf on silent feet. She barely reached his thigh, but she was still bigger than most she-wolves he'd ever encountered. Her jaw pulled back, showing a wide display of white, sharp teeth. A low rumble vibrated in her throat, warning him to back off. He stilled, almost holding a breath.

Attraction congealed low in his belly, stunning his wolf still.

He mutely cursed his wolf. Now was not the time to be lusting after a female, especially if the said female still looked at them as if she were contemplating which vein in their body to rip for maximum blood loss.

She snapped her teeth, eyes flashing in beautiful defiance he couldn't help but be slightly in awe of it.

"Easy." He whispered.

He could sense the wildness in her animal. Maybe it was because of the years she'd spent as a Rogue. He would've asked but he had a feeling that she would throw him some sass with an order to 'mind your own damn business'. He'd seen her shout the same line to someone else in the Pack and ever since then, some Pack mates had steered clear from the loud-spoken female.

Some of the girls in the Pack had grown to almost worship her because she found absolute glee in teasing the boys who found fun in causing mischief in the Pack.

The longer they stared at each other, the more difficult it was for him to sense her human beneath that golden white fur. She was barely detectable. He knew right there and then that the wolf in front of him was all animal. Pen was somewhere buried deep under those enchanting brown eyes and satiny fur.