Chapter 9

Monte stepped outside the cabin, needing to clear his head after finishing cleaning up after dinner.

Kiri's scent still clung to his nostrils—that intoxicating blend of a field of flowers that made his pulse race. It lingered, clinging to him like a second skin, igniting a fire in his loins that refused to be extinguished. Her presence had become an almost unbearable temptation, a constant reminder of what he could not have—or perhaps, what he dared not reach for.

Out here in the midst of nature, he tried to breathe in lungfuls of crisp mountain air to drive it from his mind.

But it was no use, not even the night air could help him—the tension in his body remained stubbornly knotted.

The sky was a tapestry of stars, each one glistening, as if they were trying to outdo each other to grab his attention. The approaching full moon hung low, its silvery light washing over his fur, whispering promises of lust and power.

He could feel its ethereal pull deep in his bones, heightening every sense, every desire of his—transforming his body into its mating prime.

Monte gripped the porch railing, his claws digging into the weathered wood as he fought against the primal urges surging through his body.

Images of her flashed through his mind—the way she smiled at him over dinner, the swell of her breasts straining against her sundress, the curve of her hips as she walked to her room using the stick he'd carved for her.

Monte shook his head, trying to banish the torturous thoughts, but they persisted, fueling the ache in his groin.

"Dammit, Kiri," he growled under his breath. "What are you doing to me?"

He needed to get a grip. Kiri was his guest, injured and vulnerable. He had no right to lust after her like some kind of beast, some monster. But the more he tried to resist, the stronger his desire grew, consuming him from the inside out.

She was just pouring her feelings to him over dinner, about her past and what the poor excuse of a male had done to her. His heart broke hearing about how that filth had treated her.

She deserved better. She deserved to be worshiped and treated like a queen—a goddess.

Perhaps her arrival on his land was the will of the Moon Goddess, for him to heal her injuries—both inside and out.

With a frustrated snarl, Monte pushed away from the railing and stalked into the night, his hooves pounding against the earth, crushing the fallen leaves and sticks scattered on the ground. The forest closed in around him, their branches whispering secrets in the night breeze but it offered no respite from the fire raging in his blood.

Every breath he took was saturated with Kiri's scent as it clung onto his fur, refusing to let go. Every thought tainted by the memory of their heated kiss, his growing need for her.

Monte knew he was fighting a losing battle, but he had to try. For Kiri's sake, and for his own sanity, he had to resist the pull of the moon. If he didn't, he feared he would lose himself completely to the beast within, and there would be no coming back from that.

He needed to form a plan for when it came, so she wouldn't get hurt in the process.

He couldn't bear to cause her any more pain. The thought of adding to the weight she already carried made his heart ache.

So he ran, deeper into the forest, further away from temptation, even as his heart ached to turn around and surrender to the desire consuming him. He ran until his lungs burned and his muscles screamed, not caring if he'd passed out from exhaustion in the middle of the woods.

Nothing would dare cross him, especially on his land.

The forest was alive with the sounds of nocturnal creatures, stirring restlessly and hidden from his sight. Just like him. He paused by an ancient Moonstar, one hand resting against its rough colorful bark. He closed his eyes, focusing on the texture under his palm, trying to ground himself.

"She deserves better," he whispered to the night. "Not a monster."

Yet even as he said it, he knew it was a lie. Kiri saw beyond his monstrous exterior. She had shown him kindness, understanding. She saw him. And that scared him more than anything.

Why else would she kiss him?

"Dammit," he breathed, pulling his hand back from the tree and stared at the moon in the night sky. It taunted him and his situation, knowing full well what Kiri was doing to him and how she'd bewitched him. "What do you want from me?"

His response came from a swift blast of wind that brushed by him and shook the trees.

With a deep, resigned sigh, Monte pulled out his vidphone from his kilt's side pocket. The moonlight glinted off the screen as he scrolled to Jasper's number and hit call. He needed a distraction—something tangible, something that could ease Kiri's discomfort and show her how much she meant to him without words.

The gargoyle deliveryman answered on the second ring, like always.

"Monte! To what do I owe the pleasure at this late hour?" Jasper's gravelly voice held a note of amusement. "What's up, big guy?"

"Jasper," Monte began, pacing a bit faster now, his eyes scanning the forest edge. Moonlight spilled across the woodland floor, casting long shadows on the ground. "I need a huge favor. Can you get me the largest Jacuzzi available? Like, tonight?"

"Tonight?" Jasper chuckled, the sound like rocks grinding together. "Oh wait. You're serious?"

"Dead serious. There's a female staying with me. Kiri's leg... it's been bothering her. I thought a warm soak might help."

Monte didn't mention the other thoughts swirling in his mind—the candles, the soft music, the way her skin would glisten under the water. He didn't have to. Jasper knew him well enough to read between the lines.

"Finally having a chance at love, eh? It's about damn time you try your shot at finding a mate." Jasper chuckled. "I have the perfect one for you. I'll have it there by sunrise tomorrow."

Heat crept up Monte's neck. "It's not like that. I just want to help her."

"Uh huh. Sure." Jasper's tone dripped with skepticism. "You live in a lake front cabin. Why would you want to purchase something so expensive if it isn't serious?"

"Maybe I want to finally spend some of my money on something expensive for once."

"We both know that's not true." Jasper grunted. "But whatever makes you sleep better at night."

"Thanks, Jasper. I owe you one."

"Just one?" Jasper laughed. "I owe you at least a dozen by now. But hey, I was wondering when you would cash in. Anything for love, right?"

"Yeah... right." Monte ended the call, slipping the phone back into his kilt's pocket. He took a moment to breathe, the cool night air finally doing its job at quelling his body's heat.

He felt it was safe for him to return, take a shower to get rid of the grime, and then retire to bed, hoping fatigue would swiftly claim him. The morning would arrive soon enough, and he wanted to get up early enough to prepare breakfast for them both once again.

As he walked around the cabin, Monte's ears perked up when he heard a faint sound coming from the direction of Kiri's bedroom window. Curiosity piqued, he hesitated for a moment before drawing closer, careful not to make any noise.

"Focus," he muttered under his breath, trying to regain control over his emotions. The last thing he wanted was for her to think he was some strange creeper before he could explain himself to why he was outside in the middle of the night. "She deserves her privacy."

And then, something else—a faint sound, that sent a shiver down his spine, a low, breathy murmur that carried his name on the wind. He stopped dead in his tracks, muscles tensing, heart pounding. He strained to hear it again, every instinct screaming at him to move closer, to find the source—and yet, he knew it was wrong.

His chest tightened as he retreated, feeling torn between his desire for closeness and respect for Kiri's boundaries. A part of him knew that the growing connection between them was something rare and precious, and he would do anything to protect it.

"Damn this full moon," he whispered to himself, the weight of his feelings bearing down on him like a physical force. "Why must it make everything so much more intense?"

"Monte..." The whisper reached him again, so faint yet so laden with need that it ignited a firestorm of desire within him. He clenched his fists, fighting the urge to rush to her side, to claim her then and there.

His feet moved of their own accord, drawn toward her window like a moth to a flame—answering her voice as if it was a siren's call. The rational part of him screamed to stop, but the beast within was stronger, its hunger insatiable. As he neared, the sounds grew clearer, more urgent, making his blood roar in his veins.

He stopped just shy of the window, leaning against the rough wooden wall of the cabin. He closed his eyes, focusing only on the sounds of the night and the female inside who had turned his world upside down.

He inhaled deeply, sorting through the night's scents until he caught Kiri's familiar aroma. Wildflowers and sunshine, with an undertone of something richer. Darker.

His pulse kicked up a notch as realization dawned. That scent... It was pure, molten arousal.

"Monte... Please..."

Monte's breath caught in his throat, desire slamming into him like an avalanche. Kiri was moaning his name, her voice husky with need. The sound shot straight to his core, igniting a fire in his blood.

He squeezed his eyes shut, hands clenching into fists at his sides as he fought for control. This was wrong. He shouldn't be here, shouldn't be listening to such an intimate moment.

But Moon Goddess help him, he couldn't tear himself away.

Images flashed unbidden through his mind—Kiri's golden hair spilled across the pillow, lying on the bed, tangled in the sheets, flushed and wanting. She arched her back as she touched herself, chanting his name from her kissable lips like a benediction.

Aching for his touch.

Monte bit back a groan, his body responding with savage intensity. He ached to go to her, to replace her hands with his own. To watch her shatter apart in his arms as he wrung every last ounce of pleasure from her beautiful delicate body.

But he held himself in check through sheer force of will. She hadn't invited him to share her bed. Hadn't given any indication that she wanted more from him than friendship. He refused to jeopardize what they had by presuming too much.

Still, he lingered there in the darkness, unable to pull himself away as Kiri's soft cries wove a sensual spell around him. He was painfully aroused now, his need clawing at him with razor-sharp talons.

Monte bit back a groan, sharp teeth sinking into his lip.

"Monte, please," she whimpered, the plea sending another bolt of pure need through him. "Take me. I'm yours."

"Kiri, you can't say something like that," he murmured, unbuckling his kilt and letting it drop to the ground, freeing his throbbing erection. "Moon Goddess, I can't resist you anymore."

He surrendered to instinct then, wrapping his hand around his thick shaft and stroking in time with her moans. The rough texture of his calloused hand abraded his sensitive flesh, but he welcomed the burn. It grounded him, kept him from barging into her room and claiming her properly.

Monte's hips bucked into his makeshift sheath, chasing the pleasure building at the base of his spine. He imagined Kiri touching herself, delicate fingers dancing over soft skin, dipping into slick heat. Did she dream of him? Long for his large hands spanning her waist, his broad tongue tasting her essence?

"Ah, Kiri." Monte gasped, picking up the pace. "If you only knew..."

Her cries pitched higher, more desperate, and he matched her fervor.

"Oooh Monte, yes, right there!" She moaned.

As he pumped his hand back and forth with urgency, the pressure of the impending release was ever present, as he pictured Kiri writhing in her bed. Her legs spread just for him as her fingers brought her own pleasure.

Each burst of Kiri's amplified cries of ecstasy served to expand Monte's own, driving him to mimic her heights. He quickened his strokes, matching her pace, his chest heaving with desire. Their synchronicity grew ever more powerful; their panting breaths and sighs blending together with only a wooden wall separating them both.

His balls drew tight, as the tension boiled over. With a strangled groan, Monte spent himself onto long grass, hips jerking erratically as ecstasy crashed over him in waves, painting the ground with his seed.

Kiri fell silent then, her own completion found. Monte remained leaning against the cabin wall panting, his softening member still pulsing with aftershocks. Shame and satisfaction warred within him, but he could not bring himself to regret this stolen moment.

Monte stumbled toward the bathroom, his body trembling from what he'd done. He fumbled with the shower knob, his large fingers clumsy in his haste.

Steam billowed out as the water cascaded over his broad, fur-covered shoulders. Monte braced his muscular arms against the tile wall and let the heat soak into his aching body. But it did nothing to quench the fire Kiri had ignited deep in his core.

He couldn't deny the truth any longer—he wanted her, needed her, more than he'd ever needed anyone.

Monte closed his eyes and groaned; the blood rushing to his manhood swelled and throbbed insistently, once more.

"What is this magic?" he growled. "How is she making my body react the way it does with just a mere thought of her?"

He was a beast, a monster, yet one coy smile from her pretty mouth turned him into a lovesick fool. For so long he'd locked away any notion of companionship, accepting his life of solitude. Now, a relentless ache blossomed in his chest, a desperate yearning to hold her, cherish her, make her his.

Monte grabbed the soap and lathered his heaving chest, trying to focus on the mundane task of washing up, ignoring his hard stav, begging for another release. But his treacherous mind kept drifting to forbidden fantasies—pinning Kiri against these tiles, water cascading over both their bodies, her fingers threading through his fur, touching him in ways no one else ever had.

Him claiming her thoroughly, eliciting those addictive whimpers...

The idea was maddening, and he knew he couldn't afford to lose himself to such fantasies. Not yet. Not when everything between them was still so fragile, so undefined.

"Damn," Monte muttered to himself, running a hand through his wet mane. "This is going to be difficult."