Too Close To Tame
532 Words
Ryan didn’t let go of me.
Even after the clearing emptied.
Even after the last of the pack backed away with uneasy glances.
His hand was still wrapped around my wrist.
Warm.
Steady.
Dangerously grounding.
“Ryan…” My voice came out softer than I intended.
Rough.
He exhaled slowly, like he was fighting something behind his ribs.
“You scared them tonight.”
The words weren’t accusing.
They were… careful.
I swallowed. “I scared myself.”
For a moment, neither of us moved.
The air between us felt thick not with fear.
With something heavier.
Ryan’s gaze dropped briefly to my hand — the same one that had frozen the ground minutes ago.
His thumb brushed lightly across my pulse.
My breath hitched.
His eyes snapped back to mine.
Sharp.
Focused.
Aware.
“You felt it, didn’t you?” he murmured.
My wolf stirred instantly at his tone.
“Yes,” I whispered.
That was all it took.
Ryan stepped closer.
Too close.
The heat of him wrapped around me like a second skin, all solid muscle and restrained power. The contrast between his warmth and the lingering cold under my skin made my head spin.
“You need to learn control,” he said quietly.
But his voice…
His voice had dropped half an octave.
My heart started doing very unhelpful things in my chest.
“I was trying,” I said, but it came out breathless.
Ryan’s jaw flexed.
His hand slid from my wrist slowly deliberately until his fingers settled lightly at my waist.
Not pulling me in.
Not pushing me away.
Just… there.
Like he was testing himself.
Big mistake.
My wolf surged forward with interest.
Heat curled low in my stomach.
Ryan went very, very still.
“…Aria,” he warned softly.
But he didn’t move his hand.
Not even a little.
I tilted my head up before my brain could catch up with my body.
“Is this part of the control lesson?” I asked quietly.
His eyes darkened instantly.
Oh.
Oh that was dangerous.
Ryan leaned down just slightly A not enough to touch.
Just enough that I could feel his breath against my lips.
“If I was teaching you a lesson,” he said, voice rough and low, “you wouldn’t be this calm.”
My pulse jumped wildly under his fingers.
Liar.
I was anything but calm.
The space between us shrank.
One inch.
Then half.
My wolf was fully awake now, pacing, curious, far too interested in the Alpha standing in front of us.
Ryan’s grip on my waist tightened just once.
Controlled.
Barely.
“Ryan…” I breathed.
His control snapped for exactly one second.
His forehead dropped lightly against mine.
The contact was brief.
But it hit like lightning.
Hot.
Intimate.
Dangerously close to something neither of us had named yet.
When he pulled back, his breathing wasn’t as steady.
“Go inside, Aria,” he said quietly.
Not cold.
Not distant.
But strained.
Like walking away was costing him something.
I didn’t move.
Neither did he.
And for one suspended moment in the cold night air…
It was very clear.
This was only the beginning
- Writer
