I can't Give in

Chapter 17 ~ Smell of Fear

“It d-doesn’t feel like nothing,” I stuttered breathlessly as his lustrous touch coursed through my body. I heard Damon chuckle as he lightly trailed his lips down my neck and to his imprint, pressing his lips to it and grazing it with his fangs.

“You’ve been under a lot of stress the past couple days, baby,” he told me huskily as he moved his hand up to my waist. “It’s not healthy for you or the child.”

“And this is your way of calming me?”

“Is it working?” I thought about it as he caressed the mark with his lips while his hands wandered upward. Again, I shuddered, taking in his affection.

“Yes,” I admitted, tilting my head back so to give Damon better access.

“Then yes, it is.” He pushed me back against the stone’s surface, climbing on top of me and furiously capturing my lips. My hand flew to his skull and my fingers weaved through his dark hair while my other hand went to press him closer to me. While he used one hand to support him, the other opened my blouse, exposing my bra and slightly swollen stomach. Damon pulled his lips away from mine and placed them on my collarbone, slowly moving down between my breasts and stopping above my bellybutton.

Damon turned his head and rested his ear against my stomach. A small smile came to my lips as I realized what he was doing, why he had softened me up and taken down my guard. He gently massaged my sides with his thumbs as he listened with his keen ears, a tender grin on his lips.

“It’s beautiful,” he breathed, listening for another moment before looking up at me with glistening brown eyes. He crawled forward so that his head was level with mine, his lips faintly brushing my own. “Even when life around you is so dark, your eyes, somehow, still find a way to shine,” he chuckled, his hand cupping my cheek and softly stroking it with his thumb.

“I can’t let the darkness blind me,” I claimed as my content smile faded, my mind wandering to Doyle and Abby. Damon noticed my dimming expression and immediately pressed his lips to mine again, massaging mine with his own.

“You said that today is the day to recuperate before training. That’s exactly what you’re going to do today, and I’m going to help you,” Damon said as he leaned his forehead against mine, brushing his thumb along my bottom lip.

“How are you going to do that?” I questioned flirtatiously, looking up at him through my eyelashes. He smirked as his eyes flickered black and his lips found mine again.

“I think you already know the answer,” he growled possessively, passionately claiming my lips again.

           

Damon’s P.O.V.

The late afternoon sun shone through the towering trees, particles suspended in the air reflecting the light like miniature stars. They disappeared now and again due to the clouds that passed overhead, blocking out the rays of sunshine.

I was in my wolf form, resting with my eyes closed and body curled up beneath KC’s head. She was sound asleep, the exhaustion from the past two days catching up to her. I was worried for her, for our baby. With Doyle on the prowl and Abby missing, KC was more determined than ever to protect the pack and kill the son of a bitch. However, I had this pain in my stomach that told me not everyone was going to make it out of this.

I opened my eyes to look at KC, studying her beautiful, round face. She looked so young when she slept, even angelic compared to how she was when she was awake. Her black hair was sprawled around her head like a dark halo, but her lips were painted red with sin.

She was-

A twig snapped nearby and my head shot up, my ears pricked to a point and listening attentively. With careful eyes, I scanned the area, searching for movement along the brush. My claws scraped against the surface of the stone as my anticipation heightened and I glared into the forest.

A buck lunged from between the trees, speeding right past us without any hesitation. I watched it disappear into the greenery again; confused by the way it was jerking its antler –studded head as it dashed by, almost as though it were frightened.

Before I could think about it some more, the ground began to quiver and KC shot up as though she had just awoken from a nightmare. She looked around, dazed and concerned before looking down at me with questioning eyes.

I couldn’t summon any words before a herd of deer bounded out of the shrubs, galloping past us with fear trapped in their glistening black eyes.

“Damon, what’s happening?” KC questioned over the beating of hooves before I could shield her with my large, canine body. The deer maneuvered around the stone slab and kept running until they faded into the brush again. It was as though something or someone was chasing them.

When the last of the herd sprinted past, I crawled beside KC and felt her arm wrap around my neck, searching for reassurance.

“What the hell just happened?” she whispered, staring in the direction the deer had fled.

“Something’s scared them. Deer don’t just run like that unless they’ve been forced to.” I replied, resting my head reassuringly on KC’s lap.

“What could’ve frightened a whole herd of deer like that?” she questioned, but her concern darkened and I could see it on her face that she knew. “Doyle,” she stated darkly, glaring in the direction that the deer had come from.

“Let’s head back to the house,” I said as I jumped from the slab, landing beside my clothes. I shifted and quickly dressed as KC grabbed my backpack. I turned to her after I pulled my shirt over my head and grabbed my bag from her.

“By the way….” I opened the backpack and pulled out the plastic bag, a meat-lovers sandwich inside. I saw KC’s eyes flicker silver as she hungrily stared at the food like a starved wolf. “Thought you might get hungry,” I said as I handed her the sandwich. She looked at me in brief appreciation as she tore into the snack. I grabbed her free hand, intertwining our fingers as I led us back through the forest, her hand gripping my own in worry.