Stolen Fates - Anna

Nivara

"This isn't a joke, Charlie," he heard the exasperation in her tone as she stood suddenly from the step and turned toward the front door of her apartment building.

"Do I look like I'm joking, Anna," he replied to her and also stood from the step and turned to her with a heavy sigh. "You promised you wouldn't run away again," he reminded her and felt relief wash over him when she paused with her hand on the doorknob.

He watched her slowly turn back toward him and held his breath as her eyes roamed over him, seeming to be thinking over his words and her next move. He watched as her eyes shifted with mixed emotions and tentatively took a small step closer to her.

"I know how it sounds, Anna. You probably think I'm crazy but...the truth is, this is just a part of who I am. You just don't know this part yet," Charlie spoke, his words getting softer as he moved closer to her. When he was certain that she wasn't going to bolt through the door behind her, he lifted his hand and gently brushed some of the loose hair from her bun behind her ear, massaging the lobe between his fingers before withdrawing his touch from her.

He saw Anna take her bottom lip between her teeth as she considered and took another step closer to her, only inches separating them with his move. "I can show you, if it would help you understand," he offered with a slight tilt of his head and lifted her eyes to his with a gentle lift of her chin with his finger.

He watched her eyes search his, looking for the truth to his words and he released the breath he didn't know he'd been holding when she nodded minutely. If he hadn't been standing so close to her, he might have missed the small movement.

"How about this," he began and carefully monitored her reactions to his words as he continued. "Tomorrow, we go back to my house and I'll introduce you," he said and felt her start to pull back from him. "Just us...just you and me. I promise," he reassured her and couldn't resist leaning forward to press a light kiss to her forehead. "I'd take you anywhere else you asked, if I could, Anna. If it would make you more comfortable, but I can't. There's laws that say I have to be within pack territory," he tried to explain and could see the reluctance on her face.

"It doesn't have to be tomorrow, baby. I can wait until you're ready," he tried again with a slight tilt of his head and could hear his heart beating in his ears as he waited for her answer.

"Can I make a decision in the morning," she asked and lowered her eyes to the ground between them. "It's kind of a lot to take in, Charlie," she spoke softly and Charlie lifted her chin once more with his fingers.

"Of course you can," he said on a sigh, simply happy that she hadn't immediately told him no and placed another kiss to her forehead. His heart stopped when he felt her arms move around his waist and she leaned her body into his. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and had to keep himself from squeezing her too tightly.

He cleared his throat and pulled back from her with a great degree of effort. Still holding her shoulders in his hands, he offered her a small smile. "You should...probably get some rest. You've...been through a lot the last few days," he said a little unevenly with no real conviction in his tone.

"Are you going back home," he heard her ask and after a brief pause, Charlie nodded his head, not missing the disappointment that crossed her face as she looked away from him.

"Do you want me to stay? I thought you might want...some time away from me...considering," he said in a self deprecating tone and moved one of his hands to the side of her face to draw her eyes back to his.

He watched as she gently shook her head and bit into her lower lip, causing a small growl to rattle his chest and his face to draw nearer to hers. He brushed his nose against hers and inhaled her scent deeply.

"I don't want you to leave," she whispered and he felt her breath move across his lips. His hands moved to her waist as she lifted up on her toes and he felt the gentle brush of her lips against his.

"Then," he began but paused long enough to press gentle, closed-lipped kisses from the corner of her mouth and over her jaw. "What do you want," he spoke against the skin of her neck, softly nipping at the sensitive skin below her ear.

At that moment, she pulled away from him and reached down to take his hand, linking their fingers and pulled him through the door and up the stairs to her apartment.

Once inside the apartment with the door shut, Charlie pulled her hand and spun Anna around to face him. His lips were immediately on her, his tongue diving deeply into her mouth. He felt her moan against him and quickly let his hands slide under the loose hoodie she wore. Her arms were around his neck, he walked her slowly backward toward the couch.

He sat down when he reached the couch and pulled her down to straddle his lap, groaning softly into their kiss as her hips pressed down against the hardness contained in his jeans. He pulled away from her lips to grip the bottom hem of the hoodie and lift it over her head, exposing the skin-tight racerback tank underneath.

He buried his face into her neck and bit her flesh lightly but his head pulled away slowly when he felt sharp points press into the flesh of his throat. "Anna," he questioned breathily but his breath was stolen by the eyes looking back at him.

A smirk pulled at the corner of her lips and the white irises, rimmed in a sapphire blue sent a shudder of fear through his body. He felt her nails, lengthened just slightly, pointed and the color of gold, drag gently across his chest but her eyes never left his face.

"I don't have much time, wolf. So, listen closely. You frightened my little one and she fled from the one place that she would have been safe...among your kind. She needs protected. She's vulnerable while the wolf and I are so weak. Every single time that man has physical contact with her, we grow weaker. You must keep him away from my little one, wolf. Do you understand," she spoke in a rush and Charlie could see the energy drain from her face as each word passed through her lips.

Charlie nodded his head and winced slightly when her sharpened nails pushed more into his throat. "I understand. Who are you," he asked and saw the corner of her lips pull up in a tired smirk and her eyelids drooped, blinking slowly.

"I...am Nivara, wolf. The dragon...that lives inside...the woman you love," she spoke softly, her words trailing off as her eyes closed and her forehead rested gently against his shoulder. "Take care...of my little one," she muttered and Charlie felt her body go limp against his.