Braving the fire

"I can't believe you didn't set off the smoke detector in my room," I say breathlessly.

I look at my boyfriend and see his eyes shut tight and mouth parted. Soft waves of heat rise from his lips and sweat covers his heated skin. Part of me wants to continue and see how far we can go without making any noise, but something tells me that would be stupid.

"Idiot," he says suddenly. "That 'something' is me, Jake. You are literally the loudest guy on the planet when we get into it."

Hunter recovers quickly and settles down enough to look at me again. His bright green eyes bore into me so deeply that I'm not even surprised he's in my head. My thoughts might as well be screams in his head when I'm on his lap.

"And the detectors don't go off from just heat. It takes actual smoke to set them off. Since the fire is inside me, it doesn't actually create anything to set the detector off," he explains.

He leans forward and bites my shoulder, causing me to choke on my own breath. It doesn't hurt because he knows how much pressure to use, but it still catches me off guard. Especially when I feel his tongue on my skin and the heat starts pouring into me again.

An Alpha werewolf is not like other shifters in a few important ways. No other shifters can breathe fire in the slightest. No other shifters feel pain when they resist mating. Most significantly, no other werewolf can turn someone on their own. All Hunter would have to do to turn his mate into a werewolf, is breathe fire into them.

"If you weren't a guy, that is," he said, interrupting my thoughts. "I can't turn you into a werewolf, so I can't get rid of this heat."

His eyes fell to my waist and then I felt his fingers trailing over my skin. Slowly, deliberately, enticingly. He was shielding his thoughts from me, but I could see how much thinking was taking place behind those emerald eyes.

"Normally, I'd turn you and that would be it. My fire would be shared between us and it would feel pretty warm, but...I can't do that. I couldn't reject you as my mate at this point even if I wanted to, Jake." His voice had become somber and vulnerable. When he looked up at me again, I knew he didn't like what he was about to say. He said, "This is what it will always be like between us. I will always be a fire-breathing beast from now on.

"I don't have the self-control to be gentle with you in bed. I can't even promise that you'll never get hurt with me. Are you sure you can even handle that, Jake?"

His sudden change of direction caught me off guard. The shield around his thoughts fell away and I could see that he'd been stressing over this topic for over a month. He was worried that I would get tired of him and the intensity after a while.

"Say something, please. I need to know where we stand. Will you continue to be mine? For a day, a few months, or maybe a few years until you can't stand me anymore." The wolf pleaded for an answer.

A spike of pine wedged its way up my heart. "Hunter..."

I couldn't understand his doubt, but his mind opened up farther and I could see the reasons. Images of his parents, my parents and the feeling of disapproval. Memories of media and political debates along with the feeling of uncertainty for the future. Just as troubling was the feeling of jealousy and hatred that came from the knowledge that the Blakes were still very much active in our lives now.

I rose to my feet and headed back to the door. It was stupid of me not to lock it in the beginning, but I made sure it was locked before shutting off the light. It wasn't horribly dark yet because summer wasn't yet gone, but the setting sun cast a dim light that filled the room with an amber warmth.

"Jake?" he asked. His question still hung in the air, but I wasn't planning to answer this way.

I went back to my bed and climbed up to my pillow and laid with my back to him. A couple minutes passed in silence. Only the wind rustled outside the window and the sound of my breathing.

"Jake, come on. I need an answer. I'm serious about this," he complained.

I could hear the anxiousness that my silence was causing, but he needed to take the hint.

"When did you learn how to shield your thoughts from me?" he asked suddenly. I hadn't realized that's what I was doing. I just kept my mind clear of words, but apparently that was all it took.

I stayed silent for what felt like forever and soon the light in the room died down quickly. It would get colder soon and darker. The room would feel bigger and emptier. Fear would consume me for a second and I would begin a struggle to put myself to sleep before the emptiness took over.

Before that happened, I felt the bed shift behind me and a source of heat instantly banished the cold. A warm hand found its place on mine and an arm wrapped around me. Hunter's body fit mine perfectly and in a heartbeat, there was no space between us.

His thoughts came across clearly. I don't think your parents expect me to sleep over tonight.

I don't care.

In no time, I felt sleep pulling at my mind, so I gave him his answer. "I'll be yours for as long as you hold on to me, Hunter. I can take the fire, I just can't take the cold when you're not around," I told him the truth.