Cursed Wolf

Heather gripped the wheel of her car, following Thorne to the Captain’s Grotto. She worried her l!p, thoughts racing through her brain. She was still conflicted, despite deciding to give the relationship a chance.

She had loved skating with Thorne today. It had given her the chance to see him in a totally new way. He’d been vulnerable in front of her, and she’d been able to see something very tender and precious inside him.

She’d also seen his strength and determination in the face of adversity. It was inspiring. She liked him a lot. Truly liked him. It wasn’t just that he was totally hot and an amazing k!sser. He had a boyish charm that intrigued her.

His need for her no longer scared her. She was able to see it in a totally new light, now that she knew him better. She could see deeper into his soul and was closer to who he truly was. He wasn’t a dangerous man to her anymore. He was a person who could feel and learn and grow.

When they climbed out of their cars in the parking lot, he wrapped his arm around her waist as they walked to the door. Inside, the host seated them at their table. When Heather sat down and looked out at the big window overlooking the harbor, the sun was just setting on the horizon.

Thorne ordered a bottle of wine, and Heather took a sip of water. She looked up at him, noticing the slight suggestion of anxiety in his eyes. She had to remind herself that this powerful, gorgeous man had never lived in the modern world. He’d been in the backwoods, long before computers or even color television. He came from a totally different reality, and he was adjusting masterfully.

As she inspected the menu, she realized that she couldn’t judge Thorne for his previous behavior. The man was in deep shock, and he’d more than apologized for grabbing her arm.

She could only imagine what a hot mess she would be if she’d experienced anything similar. Being a single mom and a university professor obviously had plenty of challenges, but it wasn’t anything like being cursed to be an animal for seventy-five years and then discovering the entire world had changed.

“It must be strange for you,” she said, deciding on the shrimp and salmon.

“Strange?”

“To be here in this time. I guess I hadn’t really thought about it until now.”

“Strange is an appropriate word.”

The waiter came with wine and took their order. Heather took a sip of her Chardonnay while Thorne ordered the steak and sea bass. She made her order, opting for the chowder for a starter.

“I have to take a potion just to remain human. The side effects are diminishing with each batch that Luna makes, but it’s still painful.”

She gasped. “I didn’t realize…”

“It’s better than being an animal twenty-seven days a month.”

“I can’t imagine what it must have been like for you to live like that for so long.”

“Neither can I,” he said with an ironic laugh.

She laughed with him, the tension breaking. She suddenly had a new empathy for him she hadn’t experienced when they’d first met. Allowing herself to accept his story changed everything. This man had been cursed, tormented, chained to his animal form.

The server approached with a tray carrying their chowder, and placed the bowls on the table. Heather dipped her spoon into the soup, and she chewed on the delicious clams and potatoes. She g*****d at the light flavor and smiled at Thorne.

“This is delicious,” Heather said. Thorne made a satisfied sound of agreement.

“I’ve been thinking about applying for university,” he said.

“What a wonderful idea.” Heather’s eyes widened. She hadn’t imagined Thorne would want to do something like that.

“I was thinking Wildlife Management,” he said with confidence.

“I could see that.”

He growled with satisfaction, and soon the server removed their soup bowls and replaced them with their main courses. The salmon and shrimp dripped with lemony butter, and she popped a piece of sourdough bread into her mouth.

“What made you decide on Wildlife Management?” she asked, curiosity about this gorgeous man increasing by the second.

“I wanted to do something to give back to the nature that provided for me for a century.”

“That sounds wonderful.”

Heather found herself even more impressed by Thorne’s depth of character. He wasn’t at all what she had originally believed.

“You can apply for the fall,” she said.

“I want to join the hockey team.”

Heather almost choked on her salmon with a laugh. But of course he would want to join a hockey team. He was a natural athlete and he’d picked up skating immediately. But all she could see when he first mentioned it was him falling on his as*s the first time he skated out onto the ice.

“How old are you?” she asked. She wasn’t sure if there was a cutoff date for age.

“Hundred and five,” he said without the slightest hint of humor. She shook her head and took another bite of shrimp.

“So you were 30 years old when you were cursed?”

“About that, yeah.” He wiped his mouth. His plate was already empty, and Heather had only finished half of hers. Thorne started in on the breadbasket while she finished.

“If you went to school, we’d get to see each other every day.”

“Mm. I’d like that. We could share lunch at the cafeteria where we met.”

“I’m not sure that’s the best memory to share,” she laughed.

“It was the moment I knew I needed to have you.”

Heather’s heart raced, and she gulped. Taking a drink of water, she tried to cool off. Her face was flushed. You’d think he’d said something obscenely dirty for how she was reacting. Something about the way he said it made her tingle all over. The deep rumble in his chest, the sultry smooth rhythm of his words. She caught her breath and looked up at him. She knew her cheeks were red.

“It took me a bit longer.” Heat rose from between her legs and into her ch3st. Her n!pples pricked.

“But you feel it now?” he asked, leaning forward on the table. He reached out for her, grasping her hand.

His thumb caressed the sensitive skin between her knuckles, heat and strength radiated from his touch.

“I do.” Her voice was a murmur.

Thorne’s chest rumbled, the sound burning deep into her soul. She bit her l!p. She wanted to go home with him. She didn’t want to wait for dessert. But the server arrived to take their plates and bring the final course. Vanilla and raspberry cream tarts.

“I never thought I would feel this way again,” she said when the server walked away. But Heather had never felt this way before. Her feelings for Thorne were completely new, an experience she couldn’t quite comprehend. It was so big and deep and real that nothing in her life had ever prepared her for this moment.

The dessert came, and she slid a small spoonful into her mouth. The creamy sweet flavor washed over her tongue, and she m****d in satisfaction. Thorne’s eyes penetrated her soul, pinning her to the chair. She took another bite of dessert, this one bigger than the last. She savored the deliciousness as she felt herself growing wet under the intensity of Thorne’s stare.

They gobbled up the dessert and drank the last of the wine when the server returned with their check. Thorne threw a few hundred dollar bills in the bill fold and asked her if she was ready to leave.

They prepared for the cool spring air, grabbing their coats on the way out. She took Thorne’s hand when they walked out onto the patio and down the stairs to the sidewalk below.

“My apartment is right nearby. Would you like to have a look?”

“Yes,” she said before thinking. She wanted to go to his apartment, and she knew exactly what she wanted to do when she got there.

His hand was warm on hers, and she felt held and guided by him as they walked down the street along the harbor. The moon was low in the sky over the silver water. The boats swayed on the sloshing waves. Soon they were at his building, riding the elevator up to his floor.

His apartment was nice, if sparse. Everything was clean and tidy and had an air of good taste. Thorne helped Heather take off her jacket. He hung it up in his closet with his own.

“I have a bottle of red wine,” he said. “Would you like a glass?”

“Sure,” she said, l!cking her l!ps and looking over at him. His blue shirt sleeves were rolled up and she could see his muscles flex as he removed the cork. He poured her a glass and brought it to her on the couch. He sat beside her, holding his own wine. He took a sip from the elegant glass, and his eyes roamed her body.

She’d worn tight black jeans, and mid-calf boots, with a flattering orange sweater. He looked like he wanted to burn them off of her.

Thorne clicked on the remote and turned it to a movie channel where he started a brand-new action/thriller she’d wanted to see but hadn’t had time for.

“I started that book you suggested,” he said, motioning to his coffee table. “I like thrillers too.”

She snuggled closer to him, and he put his arm around her shoulder while they watched the opening action scene. As the story progressed, she grew increasingly attached to the protagonist, and gasped every time he had a close call. At a very tense moment, Heather sat up on the couch and started to yell at the screen.

Thorne laughed and rubbed her back. When the hero escaped death by the skin of his teeth, she exhaled and sank back into the couch beside him. He looked down at her, his expression that of a handsome wolf. She lunged for him, taking his k!ss like it was her last breath before drowning. He growled into her mouth, pulling her closer.

He cupped her face, caressing her skin while his other hand roamed her back and side. He gripped her h**s and pulled her astride him. Something exploded on the TV behind her, and she gasped and arched her back as her needy core met the hardness of his e******n. He pulled down the neck of her sweater and k!ssed her bre*ast, gripping her as*s with his other hand.

His tongue found her n!pples under her br*a, and he svcked. Heather gr0aned, running her fingers through his hair as she tilted her h!ps against his c0ck. He roared and picked her up by the thighs, carrying her through the living room.