Lycan Contempt

Chapter Twelve

Kish ran through the deep snow until he panted.

His sides heaved and his heart ached with every beat.

He’d known from the start things wouldn’t work with Georgia, but he’d obviously hidden away some minute spark of hope that it would. She thought he was a monster. He couldn’t blame her for thinking so.

Finding out he was a lycan through overhearing he and Brady’s conversation must have been a shock to her system.

He wasn’t an idiot. It would have been a shock to her no matter how she’d found out, but he would have chosen to ease her in to it. Now she simply thought him a loony bin bound psycho. And as much as he couldn’t fault her for thinking such, it hurt that she’d automaticaly come to that conclusion without giving a second thought to actualy believing him.

Come on. She’s a human. Of course she’s not going to believe lycans are real. And to be fair, she hadn’t known him for long either. It feels as if I’ve known her forever. She obviously felt a connection to him as wel. She had responded to his kisses. Hel, she’d done more than respond. The mere memory of her legs wrapped around him as he ground against her stole the breath from his already starved lungs.

About an hour had passed, and he turned to head back home. He barely felt the snow and cold gusts of wind against his body that was protected by thick fur.

The predator of the wolf fought with the logic of the man. The wolf wanted its mate no matter the cost.

The man wanted her too, but not at the risk of harming her in any way, which included psychologicaly.

When he finaly made it to his house, he was tired.

Brady was asleep on the couch, and he went to his room, showered, and flopped naked bely-first on the bed where he immediately fel into a deep sleep.

“Can you not find some way to believe what I say is the truth?”

Georgia sat on the rail of his front porch. A sheer, white, ankle-length nightgown billowed lightly in the gentle breeze. She was radiant, amazing, perfect in every way. Her blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders like water, and her golden skin beckoned him. He wanted to touch her. He wanted to push the silky, white fabric up past her calves, her thighs, and to her waist as he kissed his way up to the place he wanted to taste most.

After he pleasured her with his mouth, he’d take her with his body. He’d brand himself on her soul forever, and when she cried out his name, she’d know he was the only one who’d ever bring her that kind of pleasure. She’d know she was the only one that could bring him that kind of pleasure.

“Kish, I don’t know what to think. I’m scared.

I’m worried for you. You aren’t well.”

He slowly walked to her and was relieved when she didn’t scurry away from him like a scared rabbit. “I am as well as anyone can be, Georgia.

I’ll never deny that I have issues just like everyone does, but mine do not require magical pills and shrinks to cure my head. I’m not crazy. I would have told you eventually anyway. I’m sorry you found out I was a lycan the way you did.”

Her green eyes filled with tears and her bottom lip quivered. “How am I supposed to believe you are a werewolf, Kish?”

He took her hand and laid it palm down over his heart. “I can prove it to you, but I don’t want to frighten you.”

She sighed. “Prove it to me then.”

He took her face between his hands. “Don’t be scared. You have my word that no matter what happens, I will not hurt you.” He gave her a lingering kiss on the lips because he couldn’t resist.

“If there is one thing I’m sure of about you, it is that you would never hurt me.”

He took a deep breath and let the wolf come to the surface and beyond. Then reached for her hands. He let her feel the claws come out of his fingertips and curl toward his palms. When she gasped, he assured her again that he would not harm her.

He then raised her hands to his mouth and let her feel the now elongated fangs protruding through his gums.

“But . . . but . . . how?” she asked as tears slid down her cheeks.

“I didn’t want to shift all the way. Only ancients can partially change like this.”

He watched intently as she felt his mouth and fangs then ran her fingers back down to his hands.

“I’m telling you the truth, Georgia. I know it’s hard to take in, but there are things that exist that most people think are only stories.”

“You are telling me the truth, aren’t you?” She pulled her hands back and wrapped her arms around her middle.

Kish stood close, refusing to let her retreat too far.

After what seemed like hours of silence but what in reality was probably only a matter of minutes, she spoke.

“Let me get this straight. You are a werewolf.

A werewolf? And you were worried about me touching your face because it’s scarred?”

Kish sucked in a sharp breath.

“I don’t understand why you would be worried about something as trivial as a few scars when you are a werewolf.”

“My scars are not trivial. They are hideous, and every woman I’ve been with has left me because of them. You’d do the same.”

“Are you kidding me? You would have the nerve to rank me along with the obvious idiots you’ve dated before me? What a low opinion you have of me.”

“It’s the truth. After a while, you’d grow tired of them.”

“I’m insulted, Kish. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m blind. I’ve had people whispering and staring at me my whole life. And yes, I may be blind, but I can feel them staring at me all the same. I don’t need eyes to know it’s happening. I would never subject someone else to that kind of pain because of a defect. Nor would I be shallow enough to allow my feelings for someone to be tarnished by some scars.”

“You’d get tired of them,” he said resolutely.

“Once you could see the way they stared at me . .

.”

“You really do believe you can restore my sight, don’t you?”

“I told you I can.”

“But to do so, you’d have to change me?”

“Yes.”

“And then what? I’d become a lycan like you and what? Be a booty call or something along with all the other little groupies you’ve changed along the way? Why would you care? You obviously have a low opinion of me and didn’t plan on giving any type of relationship with me a true chance.”

“Georgia.” He took her hands in his. “I can only change those with the scent.”

“The scent?”

“Yes. Females who are destined to become lycan mates have two scents. The main scent and the mated scent. While all lycans can smell the main scent, only the destined mate can smell the mated scent. I detect both on you. You are my mate.”

“Y-your mate?”

“Yes.”

“What you are saying to me is that since I carry this scent, I can be changed at any time by any lycan?” She shivered.

“Yes, but I would never allow that to happen unless you agreed.”

“Oh my God,” she whispered.

“It’s not something you need to worry about. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“Not something I need to worry about? Really?

How about if I choose to go back to my normal life tomorrow and forget I ever heard about any of this lycan stuff?”

“You have that choice, but I will always watch over you from now on to keep you safe.”

“What do you mean? I’ve taken care of myself for a long time and nothing has ever happened to me. I’m perfectly capable.”

He smiled. “Yes, you are, but this is different.

There are some of my kind called rogues who do not abide by ancient laws. They believe that any woman who carries the main scent is rightfully theirs.”

She swallowed hard. “As in I could be taken by one of these rogues?”

“Yes, technically, but not now. I won’t let that happen.”

“How am I supposed to deal with this, Kish?

I’ve struggled my whole life to be normal, to overcome my blindness, and now you are telling me I can have my eyesight in exchange for becoming something else that is not normal?”

“It’s normal to me. It’s not the same. A handicap is an impairment, being a lycan is not an impairment. It is something no one but other lycans would ever know about you. You would appear as normal as the next person. There are quite a few advantages to being a lycan.”

“Such as?”

“Healing ability, heightened senses, which I guess would be less impressive to you because you already have them, but not to the degree I have them. Strength, speed, exhilarating freedom from the confines of humanity.” Her hands shook and he covered them with his own. “Don’t be afraid, Georgia.”

“I’m overwhelmed.” She snorted. “I don’t even know why I’m getting so bent out of shape. This is only a dream.”

He leaned close to her ear. “Sort of.”

“What?”

“Mates share a special bond. We can visit one another in our dreams. Everything in our dreams is as close to reality as reality can be. Except if we are harmed in our dreams, that harm doesn’t follow us when we wake. Just like any injuries we may have while awake do not hinder us in our dreams. I know it’s hard to comprehend, but everything we do in our dreams is real on another level. A psychological level we cannot tap into while awake, if you will.”

“Why are you telling me all of this? What does it matter?”

“You are my mate. You deserve to know, and . .

. I love you.”

“You love me, but you have no intention of trusting that I will not turn into some callous bitch in the future and shun you because of some scars?”

His heart ached with each beat. “Deep down I know you aren’t like that, but that voice in my head will always be telling me you will turn out like that.” He rubbed his thumbs over the smooth skin of her hands. “I also told you because I need you to understand that I will always be around to protect you. I need you to accept that.”

“You are asking for my trust, but unwilling to trust me in return. Isn’t that a tad bit hypocritical, Kish?”

He frowned. Yeah, it was, but he didn’t know what else to say.

She sighed and reached slowly for his face. He instinctively took a step back.

“No!” she cried out.

He froze.

“If you expect me to entertain anything you’ve just told me to be the truth, you must show some faith in me. I need to touch you, Kish. I’ve needed to since we met.”

His gut clenched when the tears pooled in her eyes once more. She looked like a goddess sitting on the railing under the bright moonlight with her arms stretched toward him and her white nightgown softly fluttering in the breeze. She seemed ethereal almost, as if she’d fade away under his touch. Too perfect for him.

He had to do this for her, had to prove to her that he didn’t think her a callous bitch that would shun him for his scars. He couldn’t expect her to accept what he was saying, what all it would entail for her future without giving her something in return. But did she have to ask for his very soul? She already had a piece of it, would forever have a piece of it. But did she need the whole damn thing?

If he did this, if he allowed her to see all of him, she’d forever hold the ability to crush him. His life, his heart, his soul would literally rest in her two tiny hands.

There was no avoiding this. No matter how many days, months, or years passed, it would always come back to this. He had no choice, but he would not do this in a dream. If she was determined to see all of him, she would see him for real.