Half Breed

SEVEN

I followed Nate's scent into the forest and found him sound asleep on the ground. I stared at his unbuttoned trousers and followed the line of hair that went down his navel. My wolves shifted to attention but I shoved them back down. Now wasn't the time to fantasise about what was beneath those clothes.

"Hey, you!"

I picked up a piece of rock and threw it at his stomach. Nate jerked awake on a pained groan and whipped his head around until he found me stood a few feet away.

"What's wrong?"

I marched towards him and stabbed a finger in his chest, "When were you going to tell me your pack healer was my cousin?"

He straightened and stared at me, his jaw working beneath his stubbled skin.

"I thought it would be safer for you to not know-"

"That's not up to you to decide!" I shoved at him.

Nate grabbed my wrists and pulled me closer. Our breaths were coming out hard and fast as we held each other's gazes.

"Last time I checked, I was in charge here. I know why I didn't tell you, and I wouldn't have until your uncle was dead."

"You've kept a chance at freedom away from me because you think you can do whatever you want. I'm not part of your pack, Nathaniel. I'm here because you pity me." I spat.

He let out a low and bitter laugh, his grey irises glowering in what I only knew to be anger.

"Gabriel came to me so he's part of my pack and agreed to keep his identity hidden from everyone. If you're going to point fingers and yell do it to the both of us."

I huffed and yanked my hands from his grasp.

"This isn't pity, Alyssa. Is it so bad to accept that somebody other than your family is able to care about you? Not the shitty type of care your uncle gave you when you were younger, that was imprisonment."

I looked away from his beautiful face and pursed my lips. The air was still and the distant noises of chatter and laughter drowned out my roaring thoughts.

Mikhail would have ripped right through this pack if he knew of Gabriel. Another Petrov in his arsenal would be like reaching a goldmine to whatever secret scheme he'd been planning.

"Why'd you care?" I looked back at Nate.

"Because I want you and I've never been able to get you out of my head since the first day I saw you."

I stopped breathing. My chest suddenly felt weighed down by a thousand boulders.

"Even when you went away, I knew I would see you again. From what I knew of your uncle, I had to keep your cousin away from him even though it pained me that I couldn't take you away from him."

He placed my hand on his chest and I felt the steady thrumming of his heart.

"He'll find Gabriel." I whispered.

I hadn't felt any prodding lately but I knew my uncle was only bidding time for when it was easier to slip in my mind and take the information needed. I couldn't let him do that, so I slipped unimportant information each day to keep him away.

"We're ready for that. I won't let him take any of you away, not this time." Nate lifted my chin with his index finger.

And I wouldn't allow it to happen either. I'd fight my uncle with claws and teeth if it meant he'd keep his slimy fingers away from my untouched and only family.

"I want to kiss you." Nate murmured.

My insides instantly melted and I swallowed hard. I was meant to be mad at him but my body was reacting differently. I nodded or tried to but I was already ensnared by him.

"Do I make you nervous?" He brushed a gentle hand under my chin and along my jaw, his light touch burned my skin.

Yes! You make me nervous! I wanted to say but instead, I said, "Kiss me then."

As soon as Nathaniel's lips touched mine, all the frustrated energy in me was poured into the kiss.

Warm hands found their way to my waist, his fingers strayed to the skin beneath the hem of my shirt and squeezing.

Nathaniel steadied me as he kissed me, wrapping a calloused hand around my neck and pushed me against the tree trunk nearby.

Nathaniel could bring me to my knees with his kisses.

My fingers sank deep into his shoulders, clutching at the warm, soft cotton of his T-shirt and the strength beneath it. I liked feeling that strength, knowing and being reminded of all that power that rippled in his body, yet he restrained it for my benefit. Kissing his jaw, I breathed him in and hoped it lingered on me.

I arched against him and wrapped my arms around his neck, reaching to my tiptoes and deepened the kiss. Nathaniel's fingers trailed down and deftly released a few buttons of my shirt l which made me gasp against his mouth.

He let out a slow shuddering breath when our lips parted and he looked down. His eyes darkened as he took in the exposed top of my breasts. Before I could think about covering myself, Nate traced a line along my sensitive skin.

I couldn't help myself when my back arched slightly from the tree. The feeling went straight to the spot between my legs and I instantly felt too warm and constricted in my top.

"Nathaniel!" I cried out in panic or pleasure.

I wasn't entirely sure which.

"What?"

It took him a second too long to look back up at my face.

I buttoned my top back up and shook my head more to myself than him. Too fast. This was all happening too fast.

"We should head back."

He pulled back and ran a hand through his hair, "I'm sorry, I was too strong wasn't I?"

I chuckled at his wince.

"No, you're a dangerous addictive thing and you have a pack to lead."

"You're beautiful, Alyssa. I couldn't help myself."

Before I could react to his compliment, the forest suddenly exploded with a sharp crack of sound. Something smashed into the tree behind Nate, sending shards of bark flying into the air.

My brain had less than a second to register that we'd been shot at and I wrapped myself around him, my instincts to protect him from harm.

I let out a pained growl when two bullets ripped into my shoulder at an angle, coming out the front in a clean strike that felt like liquid fire.

The shooting finally stopped and all was quiet again.

Through the fog of pain, I was dimly aware of Nate supporting my weight and pressing against the bleeding wound on my shoulder. Then I saw his blood.

"Nathaniel, you've been shot at!"

I reached up to stop the blood but his paled face told me he wasn't worried about himself. That's when I registered the pain that had started to spread in my shoulder. If it wasn't for Nate holding me up, I would have collapsed already.

My vision blurred and I gritted my teeth against the burn of the pain, refusing to pass out. I faintly registered Nate picking me up and running through the forest, murmuring into my ear that he was sorry.