Chapter 12

Shirley

All I can hear is growling and what appears to be harsh kicks or punches landing against bodies. At one point or another, the sound of bones crunching meets my ears, causing me to shake harder as I can’t see anything.

Whoever was holding me is no longer at my side, but I know it’s because they’re currently taking on the group of rogue wolves - I pray that they’re winning.

Eventually, my shaking becomes so bad that I can’t even stand anymore. I’m on my knees, hugging myself on the ground as the brawl continues. It feels like a dream - a bad dream as my ears become numb and everything sounds so far away.

I don’t know how long I sit there, but it feels like hours as I still shiver and rock, unable to calm myself. I know I’m perfectly capable of removing the bag from my head now, but I can’t get my arms to move. I simply sit there, listening to the fight, and wishing it would all just stop.

And soon it does.

I hear footsteps as multiple wolves run away or even a few groans before there’s sluggish shuffles. But I quickly forget those steps as I notice a heavy set growing closer, causing me to sink within myself.

However, I stop grimacing the moment I feel a large, gentle hand take my arm, the heat of the person’s palm strangely soothing me as they help me to my feet.

And that scent. That familiar scent hits me again.

Standing, I remain painfully still as the hand leaves my arm and instead lowers until the person’s arm wraps around my waist, drawing me closer. But I don’t hear those same alarms in my head, I just breathe as their other hand reaches for the edge of the bag, slowly pulling it off my head.

And then I’m blinking, waiting as my vision clears and the world reveals itself to me again. Once the blur fades away, I feel my breath stagger as I’m left staring into a pair of gorgeous golden eyes.

“Why?” I’m asking before I can stop myself. “Why you?”

Keith…he’s here. And from the looks of it, he just took on all six of the rogue wolves by himself. Just to save me…

But why?

And why is he holding me? Both of his arms are around my waist now, keeping me close as I rest my hands against his solid chest. So many questions are flying through my head, but the one that sticks out above the rest…

Why don’t I want to pull away?

I can tell Keith is a little thrown by my words. His expression is hard to read - tense and almost wounded. I don’t understand it.

“Why can’t it be me?” he asks, his soft tone taking me by surprise. “I’m the Alpha. It’s my job to keep everyone safe and protect the community. Even wolves who aren’t part of this pack.”

Right. That’s right…that’s all it was. An Alpha protecting his turf. I want to offer him a reply, maybe even officially thank him since he just fought half a dozen wolves to save me, but I don’t get the chance as he shifts away.

He doesn’t pull back completely, still holding me close as his hands remain on my waist. But he puts a little space between us so he can scan me, looking as though he’s trying not to notice my skimpy costume.

“Are you alright?” he asks, his voice nearly a whisper. However, I can still hear his concern, leaving me to hesitate before I nod.

“Why are you out here alone?” Keith throws out another question, hints of disapproval in his voice. “Shouldn’t Ralph be here? Or did he finally come to his senses and realize he should be spending time with his family?”

And just like, his concern seems to melt away. In fact, there’s slight delight in his tone, wearing onto his features. It seems he’s trying to lighten the mood a little, but his evident glee of discovering that Ralph isn’t accompanying me is annoying. It makes the last of my trembling disappear.

“Stop your gloating,” I press out. “He’s in the hospital due to a nasty cold.”

Shouldn’t his best friend know that?

I want to gloat, to throw it in his face. But I decide against it as I see a crease appear between Keith’s brows - as if he realized Ralph’s sickness is why he hasn’t heard from him either. Apparently we’ve both been at a loss.

Keeping my comments to myself, I finally swallow, one of my hands brushing against his jacket.

“Thank you, by the way,” I finally say. “I don’t know what they were planning to do…but I’m glad I didn’t have to find out.”

For once, it’s a good thing that Keith decided to randomly show up. I’m not a useless wolf and can fight my own battles most of the time, but having a bag thrown over my head doesn’t exactly help. Remembering how suffocated I felt within the material causes me to shudder, making Keith wrap his arms around me again.

He’s still holding me…the realization hits me hard, and yet I don’t slip out of his grip. I stay in his arms, not even removing my hands from his chest. I don’t know why I have no desire to move away, but I can tell the feeling is mutual. Keith doesn’t seem like he plans to let me go anytime soon either.

Maybe it’s because of what we just went through…but I have no idea. All I do know is that his heated touch feels good around me, and his handsome face has my head a little dizzied as I breathe in his scent again. He really is too attractive for his own good, and right now all I want is to be a girl being held by a goodlooking guy.

The thought makes me move my hand again, running it lightly over his chest as my palm slides up so my fingers can brush the lapel of his jacket. Keith notices the movement too, his chin slightly dipping so he can study the new position of my hand.

He clears his throat as he adjusts his feet, his eyes gradually raising back to mine. However, the way he shifted his body has us lightly grazing each other. And then that’s when I feel it.

Feel him.

His pelvis is gently pressing against my stomach, but nothing about him is soft. He’s hard and his obvious erection twitches against me as he realizes I’ve caught him.

“Keith…” I breathe, rather wickedly as a hint of a smile appears on my lips. “Are you…aroused?”

His jaw tightens at my question and so do his arms. It causes me to press closer to him, feeling his cock brush me again as I give a mocking gasp.

“You are aroused!” I declare.

In return, Keith growls.

“Would you stop?” he bites out. “I have a beautiful girl in my arms - I can’t help how my body reacts.”

“Oh, sure,” I tease. “Chalk it up to science.” I then wiggle a little more, enjoying my little game. Especially as my movement causes our bodies to collide again and I stroke along his bulge for the third time.

“Stop. Moving,” he says between his teeth, but I only answer him with a giggle. This is too much fun. If he really cared that much then he would pull away, and yet he doesn’t.

“You know, I’m surprised you saved me,” I begin, wanting to annoy him even more. “Especially because you think my behavior is so - oh, what was it? Immoral?”

Keith lets out a huff, the sound elongated as I try to squirm in his arms again. But he stops me, not allowing me to come closer as his hands tighten. And if that isn’t enough to make me freeze then his poisonous stare is.

“Just because you’re an immoral minx, it doesn’t mean you deserve to be hurt,” he says dryly.

A minx, huh?

I want to tease him again, push more of his buttons. But I can’t. I’m distracted as I notice how his face has moved closer as he punched his words. I can feel his breath on my lips, see the different shades in his eyes as they’re only inches from mine. I’m sure mine have widened now, small huffs passing through my lips.

His eyes are so beautiful…But it’s no longer his eyes I want to stare into - I want to let my gaze slip down and look at a spot lower on his face. Even he looks like he may want to do the same as I watch his features change, mirroring my own as his eyes flicker between mine.

And maybe one of us would have given in to temptation, if we weren’t saved by a voice yelling down the street.

As if a spell is broken, Keith and I step away from each other at the same. The distance allows me to breathe, to get some cold air on my skin as I focus my attention on the person getting closer and closer.

Or rather, a very beautiful woman.

“Keith,” she says once she’s reached us, her eyes only on him as she tries to catch her breath. “Where have you been? I thought we were supposed to spend the celebration together.”

She’s sullen, clearly disappointed. And suddenly, my eyes are turning in Keith’s direction as well.

Was this…his girlfriend?