Chapter 68: Night run
The night air whipped past Kieran as his large black wolf raced through the dense forest. Powerful muscles rippled beneath sleek midnight fur while his paws pounded against the earth, kicking up leaves and dirt with every stride. The wind carried Yuki’s faint scent, but the further he ran, the more concern gnawed at him. The bond pulsed with her discomfort, yet what bothered him most was how deep she had ventured into the woods. There was still no sign of her.
Why did she go so deep? The question echoed in his mind. Aside from the sharp snapping of twigs beneath his paws, the forest was eerily quiet. The usual sounds of toads and crickets seemed magnified in the darkness, creating an unsettling symphony around him.
’She is close by,’ his wolf said calmly. Kieran’s gaze darkened. He slowed his pace, wanting to approach with caution since he did not know what threat Yuki might be facing.
His presence blended seamlessly with the forest. His calm demeanour made him a master of camouflage. Kieran moved slowly across the ground, carefully avoiding dry twigs as he drew nearer.
A startled cry suddenly rang out. His chest tightened. It was Yuki’s voice. Kieran pushed aside the leaves, ready to launch himself at any threat. But what he saw next pinned him in place.
Yuki was leaning against a thick tree trunk, breathing heavily. Sweat glistened on her forehead. The faint metallic stench of blood hung in the air. She was completely naked and looked scared. She had likely stripped before shifting. Regular werewolves’ clothes shredded during a shift, so they usually changed beforehand. But the Ravencourt family carried lycan blood in their veins. Their clothes did not tear when they shifted, making their wolves feel more magical. Still, the brothers often preferred stripping before shifting out of habit.
Kieran’s heartbeat quickened as he continued taking in the scene. Yuki was not alone. Xavier was kneeling before her, also naked. His lips were pressed against her leg as he kissed her skin, sucking on it while Yuki’s head rested back against the tree trunk with her eyes tightly shut.
Hidden among the trees, Kieran stood frozen. His eyes burned with a mix of fury and disbelief. It took every ounce of control to stop his wolf from charging forward.
He could not believe he had rushed here in urgency to save her while she was having a secret rendezvous with her lover. No wonder Xavier had been so defensive of her earlier. He did not want to imagine what might have happened between them.
The scene burned his eyes.
He could not watch any longer. The scene felt like pure torture. Kieran slowly retreated back into the darkness, his massive black wolf form melting silently into the shadows.
Yuki remained completely unaware of his earlier presence. Sweat beads clung to her forehead. Her eyes were pressed shut in pain as she hissed through clenched teeth. Xavier’s hot mouth clamped gently on her leg. He sucked slowly, drawing out the venom.
The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth. He pulled back and spat out the dark liquid onto the ground. As soon as he finished, Yuki slid down the tree trunk and curled into herself, hugging her knees against her chest. Even though nudity was not a big deal among shifters, she still felt uncomfortable being fully exposed in front of Xavier.
She took long heavy breaths. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as her throat burned. Most of the venom had been removed, but some had entered her bloodstream. It felt as though fire spread through her veins while her werewolf immune system fought against the toxin.
The venom was not enough to kill her, but the pain was very real. "Thanks for the help," she muttered, staring at Xavier, who had crouched at a respectful distance.
She was glad she had run into him. Yuki had gone for a run to escape the suffocating atmosphere of the residence, but she had accidentally stepped on a venomous snake. Xavier had found her naked while he was also on a run.
"It is fine," Xavier said calmly, his voice steady and reassuring. "The venom is not lethal anymore, but it will be better if you head back home soon." A strange tension lingered between them. Xavier did his best to keep his eyes on her face and nowhere else.
Yuki tried to do the same, but her gaze accidentally wandered for a brief moment. It fell on Xavier’s cock. Her breath caught in her throat.
He was hard. Her head snapped back up as her heart raced. She met his gaze. Xavier gulped visibly. He knew she had seen it.
"Xavier..." she gasped.
He gave her a weak, embarrassed smile. "Sorry. My cock has a mind of its own," he hissed as his length throbbed painfully. His lips still burned from the venom and something far more dangerous. He still remembered the soft feel of her skin against his mouth while sucking out the poison.
Bloody hell. All he had wanted was to help her. He had no other intentions. It was not the first time he had seen a naked she-wolf, but he could not stop the blood rushing downward or the sudden urge to trail kisses further up her leg.
The air thickened with tension between them. Xavier’s Adam’s apple bobbed and Yuki tried to look away as lust filled the air. Her body buzzed with something she couldn’t describe. As a newly matured she-wolf, her pheromones were very strong.
Her skin ached to be touched even if it wasn’t her mate. The tension curled in her stomach so tight. Xavier’s gaze drifted to her bare unmarked neck. His fangs itched with desire as her pheromones filled the air.
He forced himself to stand up before he did something that might be too hard to regret. "You should make your way back. The forest isn’t safe," he stated. The full view of his cock was revealed as he stood, the way the tip glistened under the moonlight.
It was the first time she was seeing one so clearly. It made her toes curl. Xavier’s fists clenched, sensing her pheromones going haywire. He turned around ready to leave. That was when she spoke up in a tiny voice.
"Do you need help?" Yuki unexpectedly asked and Xavier’s head whipped around. She gulped, staring at his dumbfounded expression. "Let me return the favour..."
-
