Please keep in mind that this is an unedited version of The Wolf Who Kept A Secret (Cry Wolf #7). If you missed chapter one, click here.
Chapter Two
Jacob
Electronic music played softly, blending with our own breathing in Kelly’s car. In the passenger seat, she bobbed her head slightly. Her eyes kept drifting closed before she’d jolt upright again. Finally, her head drooped down at an awkward angle, slumping toward the window.
My vision blurred. Not here. Not again.
The world around me bled away. Kelly wasn’t just asleep beside me. She was unconscious in my car as I fought to drive us to safety. Drugs burned hot through my veins. My limbs grew heavier, my grip on the wheel slipping. The screeching tires in my mind overpowered the radio. My breathing came out in harsh pants as helplessness clawed at my throat.
I clenched the steering wheel hard, and it groaned in protest. Never again. She’d be safe from now on.
Stop it. Control yourself.
Wounds from the research facility still tormented me. Leaving behind the Pack members who had helped us escape was hard, but my beast had taken over. All I could think about was freedom and protecting Kelly. Consequences be damned.
Those twisted scientists—who saw shifters as nothing more than test subjects for their super soldiers—had been my biggest concern. Our first attempt at fleeing had ended in blood, pain, and more time in that damn cage. I’d rather die than go back.
Revisiting Kelly’s apartment nearly broke me. The mistakes we made there had changed everything. But I couldn’t blame Kelly. Entangling myself with a human on a full moon had been foolish, but she was no ordinary woman. She was my mate.
Being home was visibly hard on her. The pain in her aura was palpable, and it killed me to see it. Her breathing finally evened out, and I turned the music down another notch. I’d give anything to cover Kelly in bubble wrap and shield her from any more suffering.
She let out a soft snore, then snorted before rubbing her cheek. The cute gesture pulled me from my thoughts. My knuckles ached as I slowly released my grip on the wheel, forcing in a deep breath.
We’re going to be okay. No one is behind us. We’re safe.
As far as I could tell, at least.
My gaze flicked to the rearview mirror. The leopard print dice served as another reminder. This was different. We were in Kelly’s modest silver sedan. My black sports car had been wrecked by the mercenaries before it disappeared.
It didn’t matter. Cars were replaceable. Lives weren’t.
My stomach grumbled as we passed another fast food restaurant, a reminder of how long it’d been since we’d last eaten properly. The small snack at Kelly’s apartment before we left hadn’t been enough, not when the scientists had kept us weakened. They’d known what they were doing. Starved shifters had a harder time fighting back. We were easier to control.
The burger joint’s drive-thru was empty. I pulled in and ordered six double cheeseburgers, two large fries, and drinks. My kitchen wouldn’t have any decent food, and I was too exhausted to cook. Once we got home, I needed to eat, then collapse into bed. Each passing second, the weight of exhaustion pressed heavier on my shoulders.
By the time the food was in my hands, Kelly stirred, blinking blearily. The scent of hot beef, toasted buns, sugary drinks, and salty fries filled the car. My stomach clenched in response. Had I ordered enough? Should I pull over and eat something?
“Here, babe.” I handed her the bag of food.
“W-what’s going on?” Her voice was thick with sleep as she rubbed her eyes. She inhaled sharply as she eyed the bag, and her belly rumbled with hunger.
“Got us some burgers. I hope you don’t mind what I picked.” Maybe I should’ve woken her first, but it was too late now.
She peeked inside the bag, moving a few items. “Thanks. I’m sure I’ll like it. This looks like a lot of food, though.” She closed the bag and leaned back in her seat.
“It’s been a while since we’ve eaten enough. Our kind needs a lot of protein.” I glanced at her after we stopped at a red light. “It might take time to get used to this new life in the real world. But I’m here. Every step of the way, babe.”
Her lips parted slightly, and she glanced at the bag again. “Thank you for being here. I mean it.” She started to say more but shook her head. “I can’t wait to eat.”
The light turned green, and I eased forward. “You and me both. It won’t be long before we reach my place.”
I rested my hand on her knee, comforted by how her presence calmed my wolf. Maybe it was the mate bond, or maybe it was just her.
Through the windshield, the nearly full moon bathed the world in a silver glow. Tomorrow marked one month since Kelly’s abduction. It was also the day when shifters, particularly werewolves, lost control. When the full moon drove us mad with lust.
Heat licked up my spine, curling around my nerves like an swirling inferno. As my muscles tensed, my skin felt too tight and constricting. The lunar cycle wasn’t at its peak yet, but it already had its claws in me, twisting every thought toward Kelly. My wolf knew she was mine, and we wanted her badly.
“Good. I wouldn’t want to dig into these fries without you.” She pulled one from the bag and popped it into her mouth. A soft moan escaped her lips, and the bag crinkled under her tightened grip. Her stomach growled louder, awakened by the first bite.
Focus on the road. Not on the way she’s licking salt from her gorgeous lips.
“Don’t tease me,” I muttered, voice rough and gravelly. “I might steal that bag from you.” The words were playful, but the hunger beneath them ran deeper than food.
She lifted an eyebrow at me. “Who says you could take it from me?” Her sauciness was unexpected, but it reminded me of the woman I’d studied with. The woman I’d fallen head over heels for.
My wolf rumbled, pleased with the challenge. God, we wanted her more than we should.
“Hmm… You might be quick,” I said, “but I’m stronger, babe.” I flexed my grip on the wheel, knuckles turning white. “This is my neighborhood up here.” I took a deep breath and instantly regretted it. Beyond the food, Kelly’s arousal punched me in the gut, sharp and undeniable.
Her gaze drifted from my hands to my face. She shifted back in her seat, her breath catching in her throat. “J-Jacob… Are you okay?”
My vision sharpened, and I knew my beast peeked through my eyes, changing my normally green irises to wolf amber. She still wasn’t used to this side of me. Of us. But I couldn’t blame her. She’d only been a werewolf for a month in a place where I couldn’t teach her about this new life. Those damned scientists would use that knowledge against us.
I glanced away, hating the flicker of uncertainty on her face. “I’m fine. But you should know, the full moon is tomorrow.”
“Um, okay.” Her voice trembled. “Why is that important?”
“Well…” I cleared my throat. Damn, why did I have to go there? “The days around the full moon are when our wolves take over. The desire to mate becomes overwhelmingly powerful, and we’ll need to shift before the full moon reaches its zenith. If you ignore it too long, the wolf can take that decision away from you.” I glanced over to gauge her reaction. “We don’t have to be intimate tonight. I’ll understand.”
She pursed her lips. Her fingers toyed with a loose thread on her jean shorts. “Oh.” I smelled her emotions before I saw them… Fear, worry, and something warm and aching. My wolf growled in approval, but I ignored it. I needed her to tell me what she wanted. But instead, she hunched her shoulders and slid lower in the passenger seat. “I… Um.” Her nervous energy wafted from her like prey hiding from a predator. “Okay.”
What the hell?
She wanted to say more. I felt it. But something held her back. Where had I gone wrong?
The gated community ahead of us was in one of the nicer areas of town. With my parents’ business empire, I’d been brought up well, but wealth didn’t always make life easier. I punched in the gate code and waited as it slowly opened before I drove toward my building.
“I…” Kelly hesitated, then let out a breath. “We were almost intimate back at my apartment, though? But…” She licked her lips, making me want to kiss her again. “If you don’t want to, I can wait…?” Her scent told me everything I needed to know. She wanted me, even if things between us were awkward.
“That’s not what I meant, babe. I want you.” Each word rumbled in my chest. “I just don’t want to push you into doing something that might not be your choice. Not when the full moon’s pull can cloud everything else. But fuck, Kelly.” I blew out a breath. “I need you. Every part of me aches to claim you, and I don’t trust my beast to listen if you change your mind.”
The second the words left my mouth, regret hit me hard. Why hadn’t I just agreed with her? My desire to protect her kept screwing things up.
“Jacob…” She worried her lower lip. “Please, I do want this. I want you. But I’m scared.” She held up her hand before I could speak. “Not of you. It’s just… I’m terrified of how much I crave your body.” Her mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. She ran a hand through her hair, sinking lower in her seat.
Fuck. I hate this.
She’d been through enough. I didn’t want to add to her burdens. We were trying to rebuild our lives. Neither of us should feel rushed.
“We should talk this out, babe. Just… Maybe after we eat.” My voice sounded foreign to my own ears, thick with emotions I couldn’t put into words.
This wasn’t me. Around humans, I was the easygoing All-American frat guy who always had a smirk. But right now? I wanted to eat, shift, and curl up for a week in wolf form. But I didn’t have that luxury. I had to take care of Kelly. Life had become so much more complicated than I ever imagined.
“I… Okay.” Defeat clung to Kelly’s scent, a quiet resignation that made me feel uneasy. I did my best to shove aside the emotional weight pressing in from her side of the car.
I pulled into a parking spot on the side of my building. The top story had floor-to-ceiling windows on each side. My own personal retreat overlooked Winter Forest and the woods beyond. Hunger gnawed at my stomach, but a faint vibration from the trunk stole my attention.
Kelly glanced at me before turning toward the backseat, but she remained quiet. Who the hell was calling at this time of night? It had to be her phone since mine was long gone. At least my condo still had a landline at my mother’s insistence. Maybe I’d thank her for that.
Silence stretched between us, so I climbed out of the car. We met at the trunk. She balanced the bag of fast food and two drinks. She didn’t need to be back here.
I popped the trunk and grabbed her travel bag and backpack. This night had been going fine. Freedom from the research facility, having real food again… When had it all started to go so wrong? No matter what I did, I kept fucking up.
We headed inside, and I went straight to the stairwell. After being locked in a cage for a month, I refused to climb inside a small metal box. Besides, I needed to burn off some frustration. Behind me, Kelly panted as she struggled to keep up. I slowed my pace, guilt pawing at me.
By the time we reached the fifth floor, my pulse had steadied, but my nerves were still raw. The modern, crisp interior of the building had drawn me in when I moved here. It was so different from my parents’ more traditional, oak-heavy mansion. Maybe that’s why I liked this place.
I pulled out my key and unlocked the door. Kelly’s steps slowed behind me. She swept her gaze across the small hall, taking everything in. The top floor once held three apartments, but a previous owner had converted it into one unit. No noisy neighbors. No one close enough to overhear anything they shouldn’t.
Now, it was my sanctuary.
Kelly inhaled like she wanted to say something but remained quiet. I pushed open the door before stepping inside. The main entryway led into the large open-concept living room and kitchen. I set her bags next to the over-sized sectional couch with a dull thud. It felt damned good to be home.
When the door didn’t close behind me, I turned.
She stood in the doorway. Her eyes widened as she scanned the expansive condo. Ice clattered in the sodas she still held.
I lifted an eyebrow, not sure what that expression meant. “What’s wrong, babe?”
She sucked in a shaky breath and lowered her gaze to the food in her hands. Her shoulders hunched forward. “I’m…” She hesitated, acting like a submissive wolf on the verge of tucking tail and bolting. “Don’t worry about it. You said we should talk after eating, so let’s eat the burgers before they get cold.”
My jaw clenched. I hated she was shutting down like this. That hadn’t been my intention. I’d wanted us to talk about the intimacy werewolves needed each full month once we fueled our bodies. However, I’d stuck my foot in my mouth, and I was dealing with the consequences.
“Sure.” I nodded toward her bags. “Your stuff’s here. This place has three extra bedrooms if you want one.” The words felt like lead on my tongue, but I couldn’t take them back now. I needed her in my bed, but I couldn’t risk pushing her too far.
She hesitated, the fast food bag crinkling under her grip. Her lips parted in surprise, but she shook her head. Instead, her gaze remained fixed on the floor. She still wouldn’t look at me.
I exhaled sharply and turned away, running a hand through my hair. We were free. We should’ve been okay. But I couldn’t shake the feeling we’d left something behind in that cage. Something neither of us knew how to fix.