One More Night

It was one night until the eve of the Mating Moon and I was drying bits of fruit and gorging myself on the food in my hut and ensuring I'd have everything I needed to survive the night hidden.

Now I was working on weaving a basket I could keep it all in when I heard the knock on the door and nearly let the whole thing unravel.

Marta? Sometimes Marta would come to my hut late in the evening to have tea next to the fire with me.

The young males didn't bother her since she was already mated and an elder.

But as I put my hand on the handle I could feel the waves of power rolling through the door.

"Go away Draven..." I took a step back.

"Open the door, Lyra Lani." He coaxed.

I shook my head and retreated further.

"Don't make me kick it down." He crooned before his voice hardened to a snapping order. "Open the door."

Without any real conscious thought I lunged forward to toss it open. Instinctively obeying my alpha.

He didn't hesitate to duck the frame and step inside.

Making me retreat backward.

***

"Why are you here, Draven?"

"I wanted to give you a last chance." His movements were different tonight. More silken and predatory. His head was turning to take in every corner of my hut as though looking for something.

Another male?

Or signs of who I am?

I felt somehow very small with his large frame dominating my hut. He lifted his foot and lightly kicked the door closed.

He was nearly vibrating with energy.

"A last chance for what?"

"To submit. To make things easy." He was still scanning the room. "I don't want to hurt you."

"Then don't." I took another hesitant step back. Feeling as though I couldn't breathe with him so close.

Why was I so afraid of him? I knew part of it was simply because he was the alpha. But Edrick hadn't made me feel this way.

But Edrick had also been a mated male.

Not a tall, virile, lone male looking to mate me.

***

"I'm not for you, Draven."

His swinging head snapped to me and his dark eyes were flecked with yellow again. As though they were reflecting the flames of a hundred candles in my hut.

"What the devil makes you think that?"

"I don't want to be."

He smirked. "We'll see about that...But I think you know better. You had respect for what my father did. You told me so once."

"That was when we were very young, Draven." I barely remembered that conversation. I fumbled for the back of a wood chair and slid it from the table to position it in-front of me.

That made him lift a haughty black brow. "That supposed to protect you from me?"

I chewed my lip. Unwilling to admit that I hoped it would.

"I could kick that thing across the room and have you on the floor in seconds." He was nearly vibrating with energy tonight.

Too close to the Mating Moon. Panic was starting to swell through me.

He's already feeling the animalistic need to breed.

"Draven, please." I tried to plead.

"Don't say that to me." He said harshly. "It makes me want to hear it while you're panting with pleasure."

"Pick someone else." I blurted, a begging note hitting my voice.

His eyes narrowed. And he pointed leisurely at me. Though the threat was clear. "I don't want someone else. You best come to terms with that, Lyra Lani."

"Draven..."

"Don't make me chase you." He warned.

I gave him a long look. That was absolutely my intention if he went after me tomorrow night.

"Because I will absolutely catch you. And be twice as hungry from the run..." His eyes trailed over me from head to toe.