Phoenix's POV:
I felt the stabbing of a tree branch scrape across my cheek, causing a gasp and a small whimper. His warm presence and scent captured me once again, even though I tried not to indulge in them.
My eyes were rapidly pulsing violet beams as I felt him pinned against me. His snout nudged my own snout to the side as he licked the blood from my wound after eliciting a small whimper.
'Oh, my Goddess, his whimper,' Nat cooed. 'Nat, stop it!' I hissed inwardly.
I couldn't deny his tongue cleaning my wound was sending jolts of electricity through me, but I refused to accept it. I growled at his next lick, watching him quickly back up.
I rapidly gained my bearings, standing on all fours before him. I tilted my head sideways, staring at this giant werewolf who was suddenly acting like a lost puppy.
His fur was black, dark as the night sky. He looked at me with his addictive green eyes. He was much taller than me, even in his wolf form. He sat down in front of me, letting me gaze at him defensively.
His eyes focused on the scrape on my cheek as he whimpered again.
'LET HIM,' Nat growled deeply, making me jump.
Nat had never gotten angry like that before. When I turned my cheek to him, he stepped forward and licked our wound again. This time, it was almost healing it almost instantly.
'Oh, my Goddess,' Nat panted. 'Stop!' I hiss inwardly.
I tried to deny it, but I could feel it; I was like a dog in heat, and his tongue had sent me into it quickly. I wanted to crawl into a hole.
I could sense his worry. I wasn't sure what it was for. Maybe he feared me now after my stunt earlier or was scared of me running away again.
I tilted my head to the other side, trying to understand this strange man better.
He seemed to calm down as my rings let up their pulsing, and my own body calmed down.
He shifted back into his human form when suddenly there was an echo of a tree branch snapping behind him. He watched as my eyes grew bigger causing me to step back.
"Jo, please go get me and her some clothes and hurry back!" he hollered back toward the sound.
This calmed me a bit, even though I had no idea who Jo was.
I looked around, realizing how far into the woods we had ended up; I had no idea where I was. When my attention returned to this man before me, he was completely bare.
I quickly averted my eyes, which just so happened to land directly on his manhood. He chuckled, and I knew if I were in my human form, my face would be red hot with embarrassment.
And, of course, Nat is panting in my head like a sexually deprived beast.
"Please don't run; you'll get lost in these woods. Why are you trying to run from your mate anyway?" His voice was unusually soft compared to how he spoke to me earlier.
I was starting to understand this "mate" thing based on Nat's reactions and how my body felt when he was near.
'Noah...' I whispered inwardly to Nat.
Nat whimpered softly in response. Noah had spent his entire life with us, and despite her desire for her mate, she understood where I was coming from. He was good to us or to me anyway; he had no idea I was a wolf, too.
I hid around the corner of the hill as this Jo guy arrived with clothes a while later. I shifted back into my human form, hiding behind a bush. My crazy long curly hair fell down past my ass. I used my hair to try and somehow cover my body as my "mate" came around the corner, handing me the clothes.
"Here, I..." He trailed off, staring at me, well, what he could see through the bush.
This guy really had the nerve to try and steal a peak. I know; I'm a total hypocrite.
"It's strange to see someone whose fur doesn't somewhat match the color of their human hair..." His tone was one of curiosity.
I could feel his wolf again, trying to come forward, driving Nat crazy.
I came around the bush wearing clothes that hung loosely on my frame. My dark blue eyes focused back on his green eyes. Both of our orbs occasionally pulsing.
I thought about how my eyes had been doing this for a week.
Was it because of him?
"I'm not sure what you mean," I admitted with a shrug. "I think maybe this mate thing is wrong. I shouldn't be here... Nat, shut up!" Yep, I said that out loud.
I turned my face down, blushing a deep crimson red.
He laughed at me, making Nat quite smitten.
Damn him.
"I'm guessing Nat doesn't agree with that statement, does she?" he asked with a proud smile across his stupid, handsome face.
As horrible as I felt, I couldn't deny he was gorgeous. That dark black hair, bright green eyes, strong manly cheekbones, dark facial hair that, even though you could tell it hadn't been kept up on, somehow sent a shiver down to my core.
"Yeah, something like that," I said, holding myself nervously. "Look, I have people waiting back at home for me. I'm sure they're worried sick about me. I really need to get home." I spoke truthfully, but I knew my face displayed mixed emotions.
"Right, and where is home?" he asked curiously.
We were now walking towards the camp that I had run away from. When I looked at him after he asked me where I lived, I noticed he had gotten much closer to me. I walked slightly to the left, seeking space from this magnet that kept drawing me back in.
"I live about 30 miles outside of Helmington, in the countryside. I was supposed to meet my boyfriend..." He growled at the mention of my boyfriend, causing me to back up. "W... we were supposed to meet somewhere for my birthday. I'm sure he is worried that I never showed up and that it's late now. My parents are probably aware that I'm missing. I don't even remember getting to these woods. It was like I could feel a humming sound in my chest, and it got louder and more vibrant the further I went. I followed it for a long time, and then suddenly, I was captured by your... people." I rushed out the information like my life depended on explaining myself to this stranger.