The Lycan King's Fate Calling (Shawn Gibson and Sylvia)

Rufus' POV:

I coaxed Crystal to open up to me as I leaned closer.

When she did, I touched her tongue with mine, hoping that it would distract her. Sure enough, I felt her slowly relax. It fed into my relief, and I, too, relaxed and gentled the kiss.

Initially, the kiss was only meant to keep her from hurting herself, but I found myself getting lost in it, wanting more, wanting it always...

My heart was pumping furiously, and I felt hot all over. This was the first time I had ever kissed a she-wolf. It wasn't as bad as I thought.

I was pulled out of my musings by a sharp sting at the tip of my tongue. Crystal had bitten me.

I pulled back and flicked my tongue against the roof of my mouth. Instead of being dissuaded, the metallic taste only seemed to urge me on. I tightened my hands around her wrist and went in for another deep kiss.

Before long, I was on the bed with her, burrowing as close as I could get against her body. I didn't want to be apart from her for even one second. Now and then, I would pause to give ourselves a chance to breathe, but I wasn't willing to end our little entanglement just yet.

The feelings that washed over me were intoxicating, and I wanted nothing more than to indulge myself.

I didn't let up until I felt Crystal completely stop squirming.

I took a deep breath and wiped the corner of my mouth as I gazed down at her. For once, she looked peaceful, lying there with her eyes closed.

She was asleep. More importantly, she didn't seem to be in pain anymore.

I didn't know how long I sat there, just staring at her quietly. Emotions that I had been suppressing bubbled into the surface.

I recalled the moment when I learned that Crystal had been captured. I could almost feel the terrifying chill that had raced down my spine back then.

What would have happened if I had

arrived a little later? Would she have died? Or would she have lived the rest of her life as a vampire's blood slave? Either way, I didn't like the fact that she had to go through that by herself. I gnashed my teeth together as I pictured the horror she must have suffered.

A sliver of reason came over me, and I took a few deep breaths to calm myself. Still, it felt like my heart was still burning with rage and sorrow, if only she had alerted тё that time, that she had spotted Arron, I would have gone with her. She wouldn't have been caught.

My eyes drifted back to Crystal's face, to her rosy, luscious lips. A voice inside me whispered that I had to punish her for being so impulsive. Another rough kiss ought to do it...

The breath caught in my throat. I had no idea what was happening to me. It was like I had become a whole other person.

I peeled my eyes off her face and

looked down at her arms. The scratches were still fresh, though thankfully, they weren't that deep The forces within her had finally subsided, and she doesn't seem to

be struggling against them anymore.

I reached out and pressed my palm against her forehead. Her temperature had gone down to normal. I could also sense the blood curse slowly recede.

But then my attention was grabbed by the black

lines on her body. They were getting more and more prominent, and it made me a little nervous. By the looks of it, the power of the black witch had won over the other two. I sighed and tucked Crystal under the covers.

I wanted to rage at her for her recklessness, but I couldn't bring myself to even get mad at her. All, I wanted was for her to be fine again, and revert to her witty, feisty self.

If... If she really died, I didn't know what I would do. I knew that I would hunt don whoever had hurt her and let them suffer a hundredfold of what she had endured.

As soon as the thought formed in my mind, I felt a burning heat on my back, as if a flame was held up against my naked skin.

I got up and strode over to the dressing room. I took off my shirt and checked my back on the mirror. There, just a little under my shoulder, was a small, black mole that I had never seen before.