"I have something for you." He wanted to give her his gift before the darkness took control.
The power of the full moon already flowed through his veins. He had to force his fangs not to peek through as his wolf clawed to get free. His urge to fuck, to mate, was becoming harder to contain.
She turned around to face him. He took her hand and placed the emerald in her palm, then closed her fingers.
"What is it?"
When he let go, she looked down and held the emerald up to the light in the sky. "Oh my God, Caleb. Is this for real?"
"Women like jewels, right? This one's perfect for you." Then he whispered, "It matches your eyes."
The intimacy sparked in the air. "It's an emerald."
"Don't you like it?" It was hard for him to gauge her reactions.
Human emotions and customs were still a bit of a mystery at times. "I love it. I mean, it's perfect … but it's too much."
He tilted his head, wondering how he managed to fuck this up. "Too much?"
"It's only our second date.
Guys don't usually invest in a woman until much later. This has to cost a lot. I can't accept it."
He cupped her face, forcing her to look up at him. She was so much smaller, a precious little female—his female.
"I'd give you the world if I could. I don't need a timeline to express myself, Bethany. I knew from the moment we met that you were the one for me."
She chuckled softly. "You can't be serious."
"I don't know about men in the city, but when I commit to something, I don't do it lightly." He didn't want to scare her off by going too far. The truth was he already planned forever with her.
There was no way he'd turn back now or ever. He was only biding his time until he felt she was ready to mate.
"I don't know what to say."
"Say you'll be my ma—" He caught himself quickly. "My girlfriend." She bit her lip, trying to hide a little smile. "This is happening so fast.
I've never been someone's girlfriend before."
Caleb leaned down and kissed her. She melted against him, no hesitation. He deepened the kiss, savoring her taste and the feel of her tongue in his mouth.
Within minutes, the palette of color in the sky faded into darkness. The full moon grew in strength, giving a wash of white light to the valley below. Wolves howled in the distance. Some were his packmates.
She clutched his shirt, pressing her body closer. "You hear that? Now what?"
"Shhh, relax, little one. Now we enjoy the full moon." He pointed at the sky. "Do you know what legends say about the moon?"
Bethany shook her head.
"That some men turn into wolves. Do you believe in shapeshifters?" "Don't try to scare me, Caleb."
He smirked, tilting her chin up.
"That's the last thing I want to do." He kissed her lips again, a light caress. "Remember what I told you? I'll protect you from anything."
****
How could he protect her from those hell hounds? He was only a man, flesh and blood, the same as her. Memories of werewolf movies that had terrified her as a child came rushing back. She didn't want to end up as human roadkill.
"You're shaking," he said.
"I'm not used to this. Maybe we should go back." The thought of traversing the forest again to get to his truck almost put her into a full- blown panic attack. She didn't want to be rude when they'd just shared the most romantic moment of her life, but now it was dark and eerie out.
She couldn't even focus on the fact she had the world's hottest boyfriend.
"Nothing will hurt you. Trust me a little," he said.
"Please."
Reluctantly, she agreed to follow him. She held his hand again, loving the intimacy of holding his big, warm hand. His skin was slightly rough from manual labor, a real man. They weaved their way down the side of the low cliff until they reached the pebbly edge of a lake.
"Watch," he said.
He squatted down and skipped a stone across the dark surface of the water. When the ripples settled, she noticed the reflection of the moon on the lake.
It was a work of art, the mirror image of the sky. If she wasn't so damn nervous, she'd be able to truly embrace the beauty of what Caleb was showing her.
She felt his pride and didn't want to ruin the night. She had been dreaming of finding a good man all her adult life. Someone who'd love and care for her—like no one ever had.
"Can you feel it at all?" he asked. He stood and took her hand, pressing it to his heart. "I feel the power of the moon right here. With each breath, it feeds me, strengthens me.
I'm never as alive as I am on the full moon."
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her desire for the man next to her was incomparable. Yes, he was rock solid and tempting, but there was more, a deeper connection. After only two dates she trusted him, felt drawn to him more than any other man.
"I do feel something," she said. Bethany wasn't about to tell him those feelings were mostly between her legs.
"Then you understand why I trust my intuition?"
She palmed the emerald in her hand, still in shock that this man appeared to really want her as much as she wanted him.
All her life, she'd craved a man to put her first. It was so hard to believe this was for real.
"I'm trying…"
"You're the only woman for me. I'll wait as long as you need," he said.
That gave her hope. She bunched his shirt in her fists, feeling the heat radiate off him. He was a force, his shadow swallowing her whole. If she knew he was sincere, she'd let him fuck her right here on the rocky beach.
But she kept worrying he was a player, trying to get her in his bed before he dumped her and looked for his next victim.
"Please don't play games with me. I'm not the kind of girl that sleeps around."
"No games. I know exactly what you are." Bethany tilted her head to the side. "What am I?" "Untouched. A virgin."
She swallowed hard. How could he know that? Was it an assumption because she was so unattractive?
Had she said something last night and forgotten? No, that wasn't something she would have mentioned. "You don't know that," she said.
"If I'm your first boyfriend…" He leaned down and kissed her temple then trailed kisses along her jaw down to her neck.
Her knees began to wobble as she swayed on her feet. He had some kind of power over her, pulling all her desires to the surface.
"I can smell your innocence. Taste it on your lips."
This guy was something else. Her pussy flooded with warmth, her eyes fluttering closed.
He reached around her, his hands moving lower until they cupped her ass. His erection pressed against her stomach. Knowing how hard he was turned her on even more.
"Is that a problem?"
"You're perfect." He peeled open her cardigan and began to unbutton her blouse. She didn't stop him. She felt so chilled and exposed once her shirt opened to reveal her lace bra.
Her nipples pebbled when he pulled one of the bra cups down, revealing her breast. His mouth was on her so fast, she squealed from the onslaught of electric pleasure racing through her.
He sucked on her areola and nipple, his tongue flicking her in just the right way. "All mine," he said with a growl.
The possessive tone in his voice traveled all the way to her clit. She wanted to be his in every way.
"Caleb…"
She had no words. Somehow, she'd forgotten her fears, the cold, the darkness, and only focused on the way his lips felt on her skin.
"The full moon is tempting. I want nothing more than to claim you tonight. Here. Now." He slid his palm down the front of her pants, cupping her pussy over her panties.
She cried out, not realizing how tightly wound she was.
The pressure from his hand nearly brought her to orgasm. "But I want you to trust me, so we'll wait."
She almost wanted to scream "no" because she didn't want this night to end.
"I trust you," she said. Bethany reached up on her tippy toes and kissed his jaw, reaching up to pull his neck down. The roughness of his stubble and the rustic scent of his skin were like aphrodisiacs.
He slipped his hand out of her pants and shackled her wrists down at her sides. He was so strong.
So capable.
"Stop tempting me, little one. I want to be a gentleman tonight."
She nearly stomped her feet like a child. The pulse in her pussy was all-consuming, and she wanted Caleb's rough hands all over her.
A wolf howled in the distance, but closer than before. There was rustling in the bushes behind them and a deep growling sound she almost thought was the wind.
It wasn't.
"Caleb," she whispered.
He let go of her wrists and turned to face the forest. She'd jump into the lake if she had to, but that was almost equally foreboding in the near pitch black. "It's okay, Bethany. You're safe."
The growling grew louder. She cupped her hands over her mouth and nose, adrenaline running wild through her veins.
Caleb was going to get hurt, but there was nothing she could do to help. She had nothing, not even her purse.
She'd just gotten the best boyfriend ever, her future looking promising for once, and he was going to get eaten alive.
"Caleb, don't go," she said. He ignored her and kept heading to the noise. She could scarcely see him now as he blended into the dark shadows.
The grunting and rustling grew louder until it sounded like two snarling animals ripping each other apart. The trees shook overhead, the earth seeming to tremble. She backed up until her sandals hit the edge of the water.
Whatever was attacking Caleb would come for her next. There was nowhere she could hide. Tears welled up in her eyes as her fear grew to unbearable levels.
They'd be telling stories in the diner for years about the waitress who got eaten by wolves. The diner would probably become a tourist attraction and Joe would rake in the big bucks.
The fight suddenly ceased, and the gentle lapping of the water over the stones was all she could hear for the longest time.
"Caleb?" she whispered as softly as she could. If the animal was gone, she needed to find him and see if he was still alive. Please don't be dead.
Please don't be dead.
Something grabbed her from the other side, and Bethany screamed loud enough to startle herself. "Hush, Bethany. It's just me."
"Caleb?" She whirled around and began patting him down. He had to be seriously injured. Where was the blood? Why wasn't he staggering?
He held her in place, a firm hand to each shoulder.
"I'm perfectly fine. Didn't I tell you there was nothing to worry about? I'll never let anyone or anything hurt you."
"But I heard… What the hell was that?"
"Seems we have a bit of a bear problem this year, but don't you worry about them. I'm at home in the forest."
"You're not afraid of bears?"
He smirked, no sign of fear on his face. "They should be afraid of me."