"Mate?"
Elise flinched at the word, her breath catching as she stared at the wolf before her, its fur gleaming under the dim moonlight. Its eyes were a deep, burning red, holding her in place on the bed. She felt paralyzed, her chest rising and falling with each labored breath.
"Brother… Please don't scare me."
The wolf leapt onto the bed with powerful legs, its massive form looming over her as she lay pinned against the soft mattress. Its tongue lolled out as it leaned closer, lapping at the blood trickling down her arm from a cut made by a shard of glass.
A wave of heat coursed through Elise's body as she ran her fingers through his fur, feeling his breath hitch. "Elise... don't do it," he warned, his voice strained.
Dietrich's patience was hanging by a thread.
Her touch was both gentle and insistent, her fingers tangled in his thick fur, pulling him closer. She could feel the heat radiating from him and the low growls rumbling in his chest.
This isn't right, Dietrich thought, staring down at Elise, defenseless beneath him, her hands running through his fur. But... she's my mate.
"Dietrich… Give your body to me," his wolf spirit growled in his head, its voice a rough whisper that echoed through his thoughts.
No… F**k! She's only 18, Dietrich snapped back mentally, his grip on his control weakening with every second. She's still a kid!
"F**k*r, you are 21 not 55! Stop lying to yourself," the wolf spirit snarled back, its tone dark and demanding. "She is ours. You know it, Dietrich. You've always known it. You knew it since the day we lost her in the woods. The blood moon just confirmed it. Isn't that the reason you push her away?"
Dietrich growled as fought to block out the voice, his growl echoing in the quiet room. But the spirit kept pressing, a primal force hammering at his restraint.
Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! I won't let you have her!
"You want her too," the spirit taunted. "You want to feel her skin, her warmth. You want her to look at you the way a mate should. Why deny it? You would have killed her boyfriend today if the guy wouldn't have broken up with her."
She doesn't understand! Dietrich's thoughts were frantic, desperate. She doesn't know what this means! She has no wolf spirit.
"We are both the same, Dietrich," the spirit hissed, growing stronger, pushing harder. "Stop with the lame excuses. I wouldn't want her if you didn't. You are just being a coward, right now."
Dietrich felt himself slipping, his body trembling as he fought for control.
He shifted back to his human form, beads of sweat dotting his skin, his breaths coming in ragged pants as he battled the wolf within. The primal part of him craved her touch, urging him to lean into her caress. But the human part—the one that saw himself as her mother's son—screamed at him to pull back, to create some distance between them.
Elise's eyes were fixed on Dietrich's stark-naked form as she sat up on the bed, her breath ragged, her body flushed with heat.
Could she still call him her brother?
Her gaze drifted lower, and she swallowed hard, her face burning as her eyes remained fixed at the throbbing thing hanging from his body. "Look up, Elise," Dietrich said, his voice rough.
Dietrich gently lifted Elise's chin with his finger, forcing her to meet his gaze. His eyes were filled with something darker, something primal. "Look at me, Elise," he repeated, his voice firm but gentle. "Not down there."
Elise's voice was almost a whisper, but it carried a note of defiance. "Then, why don't you wear something?"
Her words snapped something inside Dietrich, a thin thread holding his wolf spirit at bay. He felt the creature within him roar, seizing its moment of weakness.
The moment of weakness when he felt the need to push her down and have his way with her.
"Give in, Dietrich," the wolf spirit growled in his mind, overpowering him. "You want it too. You want to feast on that untouched body of our mate."
No, stop it! Dietrich pleaded silently, but his body betrayed him. He felt his muscles tense, his vision sharpen, and his instincts take over.
"Let me speak to her," the wolf demanded, its voice a deep rumble in his head. "Sleep, Dietrich. You are too tired to even acknowledge what you want."
Dietrich's breath was ragged, his control slipping further as he fisted his hair, punching the mattress. "Elise… get out," he managed to say, though the words felt foreign, as if they came from someone else. "Run, now! Go to any other room! And, lock the f*****g door. No matter what, don't open it till the night passes."
"But…"
"I said GO!" Elise shivered at the coldness in Dietrich's voice. Would he hate me if I didn't run? No! What am I even thinking!?
Elise's heart pounded wildly, her eyes wide with fear and confusion as Dietrich's command rang in her ears. She hesitated for a second, torn between the instinct to obey and the desperate need that coursed within her body at the sight of Dietrich's ripped body.
But the look on his face—the raw desperation, the feral hunger in his eyes—told her she had no choice. No choice but to run because once this would be over he would hate her if she stayed, right now.
His shout jolted her to action, her body moving almost of its own accord. She scrambled off the bed, her movements clumsy in her haste, her foot catching on the edge of the blanket as she nearly tripped. Her breath hitched, but she forced herself to keep moving, pushing herself towards the door.
She yanked the door open and stumbled out into the hallway, her mind racing, her heart hammering in her chest.
She heard a crash behind her, something shattering as Dietrich's control frayed further. A low, guttural growl echoed through the corridor.
She needed to get away—far away.
Elise's feet pounded against the marble floor as she ran, her eyes darting around for a safe place to hide. The hallway stretched out before her, dimly lit by the soft glow of the moon streaming through the windows. Her breath came in ragged gasps, her pulse roaring in her ears as panic surged through her veins.
She spotted a door at the end of the hall—the guest room, she realized with a rush of relief. Her fingers fumbled with the handle, her palms slick with sweat, but she managed to throw it open and slip inside. She slammed the door shut behind her, quickly turning the lock, her hands shaking so badly she almost missed.
Pressing her back against the door, she tried to steady her breathing.
My brother is my mate?