Fates Entwined

6

Fire flickered across his eyes as he grabbed my arm. "You think I'm going to let some horny goat put his hands all over what's mine?"

I pushed one hand against his chest. "I. Am. Not. Yours!"

A cocky smirk slid across his lips. "Not yet, but you will be."

My eyes narrowed. "Never."

His firm hand dragged me toward him, and my stupid body obeyed. "What are you going to do, avoid shifting every time I'm nearby? At some point, it will happen. The mate bond will lock into place, and you'll be mine. Why delay the inevitable?" His other arm went around my waist and pulled me against him, his hard chest pressing against my breasts. His voice lowered as he dipped his head. "Just admit you want me as much as I want you."

I put both my hands on his chest to push him away, but instead, they lingered there, like they weren't fully under my control. Desire flared through me at the feel of his body against mine. "I do not want you."

"Liar."

His mouth crashed down on mine and warmth spread through me, like a spark igniting a bonfire. All rational thought fled me as our lips and tongues joined together in an angry, intimate dance. He clutched me to him like he was never letting me go, his fingers digging into my skin, while I clawed at his shirt like a feral animal. This kiss was primal and all-consuming, waking up the wolf inside of me, who howled for more of her mate.

We devoured each other, all those months of pent-up fighting and flirting and eye-f*****g finally coming to a culmination. Jordan's hands slid down to my ass and he lifted me up, his mouth never leaving mine. My legs wrapped around him of their own accord, while my fingers slid around his throat, choking him and claiming him all at once. How could I want someone just as much as I hated him?

Then he started walking, and the jolt of movement jerked me back to my senses. I lifted my head and looked around, remembering where we were, and more importantly, who we were.

"What are you doing?" I asked, squirming in his grasp.

"Taking you back to my tent," he said, as his strong arms carried me across the field.

Panic and desire warred inside me. "Put me down! I'm not going to your tent!"

With arched eyebrows, he set me down but didn't let me go. "No? All I can smell is how wet you are for me. It's driving me mad." He brushed his nose against my hair as he breathed in my scent. "At least let me bury my face between your legs so I can taste you."

I gasped at his words and the pulse of heat they caused deep in my core. I hated how much I wanted him to do exactly that and even more, especially after that kiss. But somehow I found enough mental clarity to jerk out of his grip and step back. "Not going to happen."

His eyes flared with lust and rage. "Really? Because a second ago you were ready to f**k me right here in the open."

"That was a mistake." I wiped my lips with the back of my hand, trying to get rid of the intoxicating taste of him. "Stay away from me, Jordan."

He let out a low growl as I spun on my heel and dashed away, leaving him under the mocking stars. The sound of his steps behind me told me he wasn’t letting me go so easily. I darted around tents and was so distracted by trying to escape that I ran straight into someone else.

Firm hands caught me and I looked up to see Ethan's handsome face. "You all right, Stella?" he asked, his brows creasing in concern.

I steadied myself and took a step back. "Yeah, fine. Sorry about that."

He gave me a curious look. "In a rush to meet someone? Your mate, maybe?"

"No, I..." I glanced behind me, where Jordan watched us with his arms crossed, possessive animosity radiating from him like waves. I raised my chin and turned back to Ethan. "I don't have a mate."

"I didn't find one tonight either. Maybe next time." Ethan's eyes flickered between me and Jordan. "Are you sure you're all right? Would you like me to walk you back to your tent?"

"I'm fine, really. Just tired. It's been a long day. Thanks though."

I slipped away before Ethan could ask me any more questions or Jordan did something stupid like attack the Libra alpha in a fit of jealous rage. I went invisible and rushed through the camp, trying to escape the chaos in my mind, but there was nowhere that was safe. A s****l frenzy had taken over the Convergence and everyone was under its spell. Tents shook and trembled, while naked bodies writhed on the ground in the shadows of bonfires. The smell of s*x was everywhere. And the sounds...don't even get me started on the sounds.

I quickly retreated inside my tent and the flimsy sanctuary it offered, but still felt no relief. A reckless part of me hoped Jordan would find me and was surprised when he didn't, though I knew it was only a temporary reprieve. He was letting me go this time, but soon he would find me again. I had no doubt about that.

I made myself get ready for sleep, but it soon became clear that there would be no rest tonight, not for me or anyone else. Even with a pillow over my head, the sounds of other shifters coupling echoed through the meadow like a chorus of animalistic need. It was as if each moan and growl clawed at my thoughts, digging into the very fibers of my being. Taunting me with what I could have had.

I screamed into my pillow as the memory of Jordan's kiss repeated over and over in my mind. It took everything in my power not to run outside and find his tent to continue what we'd started. The pull between us was undeniable, a force of nature that seemed determined to draw us together despite the obstacles that stood in our way. But how could I allow myself to give in when everything in my past screamed for me to run?