Cursed by Fate (COMPLETE)

Chapter Thirteen

Being in town with Lance was awkward. He knew everyone,  And they all greeted him as we passed. Each of them giving me odd looks. Some of the women even gave me scornful, hateful and jealous looks. I remembered the woman, Stacy I believe her name was. She was with them when they came to the house yesterday and was telling me something about Lance not showing any woman any attention no matter how hard they tried. Until me. 

I peeked I looked over at Lance, blushing when I saw he was looking at me. I could understand their jealousy. Lance again was beautiful. And by what I’ve seen of him he was very thoughtful and kind. He has done nothing but take care of me since I met him, and I barely even knew him. It actually warmed my heart. No one has ever taken care of me the way Lance has been doing, and I had to say that I was enjoying it. I haven’t had anyone take care of me in a long time and it felt nice to be taken care of again, to be looked after. 

I smiled to myself as Lance led us to a little cafe in town. It was cute. Small. It only had a few two seater tables. There were a few one chair window seats where kids were set up with laptops. Doing school work I guessed. The walls were painted into one large mural of the town that spanned all four walls, with pictures and newspaper articles hanging in frames on the walls. 

“This place is adorable.” I gushed, clinging to the crook of Lance’s elbow. He laughed, placing his hand lightly on my hand sending little shock waves up my arm making me shiver. “I thought you’d like it.” He said. “You seem like you like older stuff, and this place has been here since the town was built in 1802. It’s been updated and renovated over time of course to keep up with the changing times and help prevent decaying, but the building is still mostly the same.” He informed me. 

Two hundred and nineteen years old. Wow. It’s amazing this one small building can be that old. “What about the other buildings?” I asked. “Are they not as old? Or did something happen?” Lance’s hand tightened on mine. I looked over to him and noticed the tightening of his eyes, the grinding of his jaw. His eyes hardened a bit and he looked like he honestly was in pain. I turned my hand and intertwined it with his, squeezing it gently. “Forget it.” I told him gently. “You don’t have to answer. I see the pain it causes and I don’t want to be the cause of that.” I reached up and smoothed out the wrinkles on his furrowed brow, dragging my fingers down the side of his face and jaw line softly. 

His face immediately relaxed and he breathed a deep sigh, closing his eyes at my touch. Lance caught my hand before I could move it from his face and held it to his cheek. I smiled, just watching him as he settled his breathing under my hand. My touch seemed to calm him in ways I didn’t know it could. And I loved it. I loved that I could have this effect on a man. Loved that I could calm the storm within him, calm the beast under his skin. I don’t know what it took for someone to shift unintentionally but going by my episodes, I assumed it had to do with heavy emotions. 

“Come one.” I said, pulling him towards the counter. “Let’s go get some coffee and and walk around town.” I suggested. Lance opened his eyes, the brown seeming to melt into pools of liquid chocolate as they bore into mine. He smiled a breathtaking smile and nodded as he let me drag him along beside me. 

I decided on an iced coffee while Lance got tea. Tea. My mind couldn’t wrap around that little tidbit, but I accepted it without questioning him. But I couldn’t help but smile. Lance was so odd, so different than anyone else I’ve met and I loved it. 

Lance led me around the small town pointing out places he enjoyed going. Which mostly consisted of his office, the library, the cafe, a little gardening shop. Then there was a farmers market he went to every week to get his vegetables and fruit. A local meat market where he bought fresh cuts of meat. It was no wonder this man stayed so well built. All he ate was vegetables, fruit and meat. And none of it was from these big chain stores that loaded the food with growth hormones and pesticides. He ate all natural food. I bet he could even hunt for his own food if he wanted to. 

I swear I wanted to punch myself right then and there at that thought. The man was a wolf, of course he could hunt. I am so stupid sometimes. I’m just glad I didn’t say any of that out loud, that would have been more than embarrassing. I wonder what his wolf looked like though. 

“Lance?” I questioned, looking over to him almost hesitantly. 

“Yes Nicole?” He smiled. 

“Can I see your wolf?” 

He smiled from ear to ear. It was so bright it could have lit up the town square if the sun wasn’t out. How such a small question could bring him such immense happiness was beyond me, but I am so glad it did. He grabbed my hand and basically dragged me through town and into the forest beyond. I stumbled and tripped in my attempts to keep up with him but eventually gave up. 

“Lance, Stop.” I huffed, blowing hair out of my face. 

He looked back at me and my now ragged appearance and flushed. “Sorry. I got excited.”

“Well, I can see that.” I rolled my eyes as I picked small twigs and leaves from my hair and brushed my hands over my clothes. 

“I can shift here.” He said unbuttoning his shirt. “I don’t mind.” 

I couldn’t say anything to argue if I wanted to. My eyes followed his movements as he continued to unbutton his shirt, exposing his flawless and beautifully built chest and abs. My mouth dried as he dropped his shirt to the ground and reached for his pants. I should not be watching this. I screamed to myself. This is not appropriate. 

Lance chuckled, breaking whatever spell I was under and my eyes darted back to his. His eyes danced with amusement and pride, while I felt my entire face heat. My hands flew to my face and I spun so quickly away from him I lost my balance. My arms flailed uselessly around me as I tumbled backwards. I braced myself to hit the ground, but I never did. Strong arms circled me, grasping around my waist. His face burrowed into my hair and his breathing down my neck making me shiver. 

He tentatively placed a fleeting kiss on my neck, trailing all the way up behind my ear where he nipped my ear lobe. I gasped, leaning back into him and tilting my head exposing more of my neck to him. He growled low and deep in his throat before his lips descended on me once again, kissing everywhere he could. Every inch of exposed skin burned from where he kissed, leaving me wanting more. More of his lips on me, more of his body against mine. 

I spun around in his arms and looked up at him, his brown eyes darkened with lust. I moved my eyes from his to his chest, trailing my fingertips lightly down his body from his collar bone to his waist band. I traced each and every ripple, ridge and wave of the muscles adorning him. Lord give me strength, this man was perfect. 

Lance closed his eyes and shivered at my touch. His grip on my waist tightening as he pulled me closer to him. The very large bulge in his jeans told me just how much of an effect I was having on him. And I loved it, loved knowing I could make this god of a man react this way. “Lance.” I said breathily, leaning my forehead against his chest and pressed my lips to his collarbone. 

Lance groaned, the bulge against my abdomen throbbed as his head lolled back slightly. We so did not come into the forest to get each other all hot and bothered. But I couldn’t help but continue to to trail my lips from one side of his collarbone to the other, then back again. My height restrained me from reaching too much of him, but I lifted myself onto my tiptoes and trailed my lips up his throat. His adams apple bobbed as another groan slipped past his lips and his body shuddered. 

“Nicole.” His voice was husky with need as he whispered my name. “We should stop.” there was no conviction in his voice. He didn’t want to stop, didn’t want me to stop. But he was trying to think rationally through the haze of need and lust that had risen between us. I couldn’t help but smile at the fact. I knew he was doing it for my benefit. 

“I know.” I whispered. And I did. But it was so hard. His body heat seeped through my clothes like a blanket on a winter night. His scent surrounded me like the very oxygen I breathed, making me feel like I needed it to live. His presence gives me such security and makes my body feel things I’ve never felt. Just the thought of separating from him made me groan. 

I ran my hands over his broad shoulders and down his back, lightly scraping my nails as I went. Keeping my hands to myself when this man was in front of me looking like this seemed damn near impossible. And I wasn’t sure if I wanted to. 

Lance moaned and grabbed my arms, stopping my movements. It looked like it pained him to do so. “Nicole.” He groaned. “I want nothing more than to take you.” He said, his now glowing gold eyes boring into mine. “But it will not be in the woods against a tree." He growled. He moved closer to me, pressing his forehead to mine. “I will ravish you. Spend hours worshiping you like the goddess you are. I will make you feel pleasure you’ve never experienced while you scream my name and beg for more. I will make sure not an inch of you goes without being touched or kissed.” 

I moaned, heat pooling into my core at his words. Mmmm! And I’d let him. Hades help me how I’d let him. I smiled up at him. “I’ll hold you to that.” I whispered, brushing my lips across his before nipping at his lower lip. “Nicole.” He growled. I just chuckled, reluctantly pulling away from him and looking him up and down with an approving look. 

Lance laughed, pulling his pants down and tossing them to the side, his eyes never leaving mine. This time I growled. He was teasing me and he knew it. He stood before me now in nothing but a black pair of boxer briefs that left nothing to the imagination. I could see clearly just how blessed this man was as his manhood strained against the thin material. I bit my lips, desperately trying to hold the groan that threatened to make its way up my throat. 

The snapping of Lance’s bones instantly cleared any lust that hazed over my mind as I cringed, fighting every instinct in my body to go to him. The mere thought of him being in pain made my chest tighten and my throat to close, cutting off my air supply. As the snapping and realigning of his bones continued my hand flew to my chest, anxiety clawing at me making me feel like my skin was crawling and my heart would beat out of my chest painfully. 

It only stopped when Lance stood before me as a large black wolf. He was magnificent, beautiful even. On all fours his head reached my shoulders, and his bulk could hide me completely, making me invisible if I was crouched beside him. His size rivaled Mathias’s. I approached him not the least bit afraid as I ran my fingers through his thick soft fur. His massive head leaned into my touch, a sort of purring sound emanating from his throat. I laughed. 

“You are so beautiful.” I told him with a smile. I wrapped my arms around his massive neck and snuggled into his fur. He seemed to like this, the rumbling purr growing louder. “I wonder what my wolf will look like.” I mused. “And how big I’ll be. Nowhere near your size surly.” I chuckled pulling away to look into his wolf’s golden eyes, admiring just how beautiful all of Lance seemed to be.