Ayla was steady, knowing that she had a wolf hot on her tail.
How could he not be?
She had just kneed him in the groin to escape his grasp, and she knew he was not going to be happy about it.
What she didn't know was how he was going to respond if he caught her again.
The wolf, who was apparently named Titan, had a huge ego, and it seemed he wanted her.
Out there in the endless woods, she didn't really have anywhere to hide.
As she ran for the next hour, she scanned frantically for any spot that might make a temporary shelter for her.
Anything that would conceal her from her pursuer and give her at least a moment to rest.
Titan wasn't far behind her and was doing well keeping pace with her, as she heard him breaking through the brush along the way.
He was fast and did impeccable, keeping track of her, even without her scent.
That's when she heard it, "Little wolf, little wolf, run while you can. One day soon, just know, I'll be your man."
The seemingly deranged man had found a way to enter her thoughts, and he was determined to be hers.
How could he do that without even knowing her name?
"I will never be yours. I am not property to claim."
Her thoughts were loud and clear, but her emotions were nowhere near the same, and it caused her wolf to be unsteady for the first time in her life.
Before she knew what was happening, one of her paws missed a step, and she stumbled a bit, ending up with her side swiping a tree and rolling into the ground.
Ayla let out a small yelp that she did her best to contain, but she failed miserably.
Unfortunately, her little misstep gave Titan what he needed to catch up to her and pounce on top of her.
She wasn't one to take things lying down, or to make things easy, though.
Thinking quickly, she decided that if he was pinning her in his wolf form, she had one option that might catch him off guard.
The shift was swift, and did just that, as she began to slip from under his paws.
It wasn't without its consequences, leaving a set of nail marks down the side of her abdomen as she pulled herself from underneath his massive true form.
With nothing more than a grimace, she bolted and slid under a nearby bush, peering between the leaves in the dark for his next move.
"I can smell the blood. Is it really worth hurting yourself to not at least talk to me? Let me see your wound. The smell of blood will attract enemies. Obviously, you can't stay out here alone now. Stop being so stubborn."
That got under her skin.
She huffed a bit, looked at her side that was now throbbing, and decided to face him her own way as she stepped out of the bush.
"Stubborn. Me. You are the one who keeps attacking me and pinning me to trees and the ground. Why can't you leave me alone?"
Titan gave a half smirk before answering, "Because you are the most tantalizing wolf that I have ever laid my eyes on. You're beautiful, smart, tactical, and I want to spend the rest of my life figuring you out. You entrance me. Now, you're hurt because of your stubbornness. I promise not to restrain you, unless you want me to, if you let me check your wound. Deal?"
Ayla was cautious of the deal being proposed, but she was aware that blood was running down her side, too.
"No attacking me, and we have a deal."
Titan nodded his head in agreement, but he had a bit of deviance in his eye as he approached her.
"You did a good job getting away from me, but that wound needs to be cleaned and tended to before you can even attempt to continue to wherever you are headed," he said as he leaned back and gazed at the damage his claws had done when she slipped away.
Ayla couldn't help but notice how gently his hand was now embracing her hip as he glanced over the blood-soaked skin that stood between them.
What was he playing at?
She knew he was not a wolf to give in on his hunt so easily, but he was keeping to his word for the moment, so she raised an eyebrow and followed him intently with his every move.
"Well, come on. There's a stream a little ways ahead that we can use to wash this off and see how bad it really is."
Unsure just how much danger she might be in, she knew keeping the fresh blood wasn't an option, so she willingly followed him.
"For once, I guess I will be the girl who follows the girl. Just this once."
Titan was beaming at her words.
He had won, at least this round.
The last thing he wanted to do was push her, so there was no attempt to grab for her hand.
Titan made it clear he was trying to stay true to his word.
"So, still not willing to tell me anything? Where are you from? Who are you traveling with? How did you get separated? You're name? It's a shame because you already know so much more about me than I know about you."
Ayla wasn't amused.
She just looked at him as he turned back to check that she was at least paying attention and looked back ahead.
He seemed more determined than ever to get through her barriers; he just had to figure out how.
"How about I guess instead. You are traveling in a small pack. You are seeing one of them, but you don't have that overwhelming sensation that he is your forever."
"That, sir, is none of your business. Quite frankly, it's rude to say such things. How dare you even think it's okay to talk about my personal life?"
He knew he struck a nerve.
"So you are seeing one of them. Is that why you think you shouldn't be interested in me? I could smell the arousal earlier, and it smelled so Devine."
Ayla paused almost instantly.
"You could smell…but I…you are mistaken. You were just merely being played so I could get you distracted and escape. Nothing more."
"Right," he chuckled, "you can't fake that smell. Everything else can be faked, but that sweet scent of desire cannot be merely turned on and off at will."
Ayla was irritated, "You were right earlier, you don't know anything about me. The best part is, before you do, my friends will be here to help me."
That time, her words had a bit of a bite.
"You think your pack will have to save you from me. No. The packless wolves, things that rummage these woods, and dark witches will be the things your friends need to save you from."
His words were sharp and had lost all the charm and flirtation they once held as he spoke.
Suddenly, Ayla was slightly happy that he was helping her.
But what about her friends?
Where were they, and did they know what lurked in the shadows?
That's when her stomach gave a little rumble that wasn't so quiet.
"When is the last time you ate?"
Her lips perched themselves to the side, "Well, before the sun came up this morning. It's been a rather long day of people chasing me."
If she was good at anything, it was laying the guilt on others in just the right way.
Ayla was out of practice, but she still had it, because Titan was instantly searching the woods with all his senses for anything that might sustain her.
"Being chased or not, you always have to take care of yourself. As soon as I get you to the water, I'm finding you something to eat."
A lady in distress, that sure does send a man's primal instincts into overdrive.
It wasn't long before they had finally reached the little creek, and the water was chilled just enough to be refreshing and perfect.
Ayla wasted no time slipping right into the waste deep, crystal-clear waters that sat before her.
All she could imagine was how beautiful it must be in the daylight hours.
Now that she was submerged in the waters, cleansing the now-drying blood from her flesh, Titan was on his way to find anything scurrying along the trees to feed her.
The new wolf in her life had managed to round up a few large rabbits and had made his way back to the well of perfect water when he noticed the moonlight dancing effortlessly on her skin.
She was a goddess glowing under its beams, and he was truly mesmerized by the vision before him.
Hiding behind the trees, just shy of the water, he watched her as she bathed herself in moon beams and chilled water, as it glistened off her skin in beads of formed droplets.
Taking a moment to enjoy the beauty of the nameless wolf, before he had to disturb her peace, was a moment in heaven for him.
Ayla was the most independent and fearless she-wolf he had ever met, and he had met a lot of them.
Knowing that she had to be starved after running all day, he knew he couldn't stand there all day watching her, so he stepped through the trees and made his presence known.
"Finally, I thought you were going to stand there all night watching me while holding my dinner hostage," she blurted when he was finally visible.
She knew.
Ayla knew that he was standing there watching her, and she just let him.
Was she just trying to tease him?
"Well, if you knew I was back, why didn't you come out and grab some of this rabbit? I'm not your servant. Come on then, let's see the damage while you eat."
Ayla gave out a light laugh, "You expect me to eat that the way it is? Not happening. I'm starting a fire. We are roasting our rabbits tonight. I am not a savage."
"We are wolves, we eat our food raw. Why would we start a fire and draw attention to ourselves just to make the meat tough?"
She just shook her head, "Do I look like a wolf to you. I'm pretty sure I have two legs and two arms currently. When I'm a wolf, I'm a wolf. Right now, I'm human."
A look of amusement ran across Titan's face as he turned and started gathering twigs and branches with Ayla.
"A fire it is. This is a first, but at least I will be able to see your wound better. I tend to keep a low profile and stay in wolf mode out here, but let's give it a try your way."
Ayla cut her eyes at him.
She knew there was more he wanted to look at, but neither of them said it.
Before they knew it, the fire was bright and warm, the rabbits were skinned and roasted, and the pair were sinking their teeth into their dinner.
"So, you are different, Miss Nameless Wolf. Eventually, it would be nice if you would tell me what it is. Your name, I mean. I do have to call you something."
"It's better if you don't know my name. Especially with your title or ranking, should I say. You are the last person I need knowing who I am."
That made him even more interested.
"Let's not focus on that now, then. Your wound. Lift your arm so I can see it. Come on."
It already looked better than when it first happened.
The waters did wonders for it, as Titan knew it would, but he had a suspicion he could heal it even faster if he could get his way.
"Looking better since the swim and food. How's it feeling, Stubborn?"
"Stubborn? Is that what you are choosing to call me? Real original. It feels fine. I've had worse."
"I would imagine you have. Long life of running and hiding, I assume. You would have had to experience it a good bit to be as good as you are at our age. I'm assuming you're around my age, maybe a little younger, since you won't tell me anything."
His fingertips were now tracing the edges of the lines that were now dug into her side, freshly closed but still sensitive.
Goose bumps were jumping to life from one end of her body to the other.
Ayla was trying desperately not to give in, but Titan's nostrils flared just a little as he detected a distinct scent again.
For the second time that day, he could smell just how aroused Ayla was getting.
It was working, slowly; he was breaking down Ayla's walls.
His fingers ran the edges of each deeply etched claw mark, just light enough to know he was there, but not enough to feel his fingers themselves.
"Let me clean them so they don't get infected. I promise it's innocent and doesn't mean anything more than me just trying to help you."
Ayla was unsure, and her stomach was in knots.
She had never been that nervous or scared in her life.
This man sent her whole nervous system into overdrive, but was it in a good way or a dangerous way?
"You can clean the wound, but that's it. Nothing more."
She had no idea what he intended to do, but it had to be something that would make her uncomfortable if he promised it was purely innocent.
Right?
What had she just signed up for?