Chapter 34: Sawyer

I heard the growling before I was even fully awake. A low, menacing rumble that had me rolling, covering Elodie with my body as I answered in kind, looking around for the threat.

Then I realized that the rumbling was my stomach.

I blinked, pushing the wolf back, and looked down at Elodie. She lay very still beneath me, eyes now very wide and awake, fixed on me. I could feel the shallow rise and fall of her chest against mine and the wolf came back for entirely different reasons. I wanted her mouth, to drown in the taste of her. I wanted my hands on that lithe, lean body, to lose myself in the feel and scent of it. I just plain wanted her. My mate.

Too soon. I shoved it back again. "Sorry. False alarm." I rolled off her and waited for the backpedaling and awkwardness.

She exhaled. "Nice to know you're on guard." She sat up and did some kind of yoga shoulder stretch that plastered her t-shirt against her breasts.

I looked away.

My stomach lodged another protest.