Instinct by J.A. Belfield Page B

further. “Sean, what is wrong?”
    Her fingers
pushed into the thick ruffle of fur surrounding my throat, and her
frozen skin told me how long she had waited for me to come. I
leaned into her, hoping to offer warmth, and she knelt before me,
her arm encircling my neck as her face brushed my muzzle. When my
canine purr kicked up a low tune, her other hand joined in the
caress.
    To be touched
that way by her, whilst I stood as wolf, toppled my emotions over
the edge.
    My tongue
tasted the pulsating flesh below her ear. I closed my eyes for a
moment as I savoured her flavour in an effort to quiet my mind. I
told myself that she would understand, and my resolve strengthened,
more so as I recalled her words that she would do anything to be
with me.
    Anything , she had said.
    One small twist
of my head brought her wrist within reach.
    I opened my
jaws.
    And bit
her.
    She jerked back
with a pained gasp, her eyes full of incomprehension as they sought
mine from beneath a brow deeply creased.
    Natural
instinct drew my tongue back to the wound, already crimson from her
spilling blood, but she pushed back, snatching her trembling hand
away.
    “What are you
doing, Sean?” Her panic could be heard in her voice and seen in her
widening eyes, before her lips parted in a startled cry. That,
coupled with the clutching of her wounded arm, told me when my
venom found home in her bloodstream.
    Remaining
sentry at her side, refusing to leave her, I forced my reverse
change into motion at a speed I would, otherwise, have considered
impossible.
    Silent screams
filled my head from the pressure I put upon my muscles to perform
without recuperation from my initial change. The restructure of
broken ribs sent waves of nausea through me, but I could only focus
on the agony in Jem’s eyes and her gasps, as they grew louder and
evolved into whimpering cries.
    No matter how
much pain she appeared to be in, her gaze never once left mine.
    By the time I
thrust forth from my change, I was dizzy with adrenaline. Sweat
coated my skin as though I had bathed in it.
    Ignoring the
burning aches and the chill of cool air over my damp body, I
crawled to her side and lifted her shuddering body into my
arms.
    “W-what have
you d-done t-to me?” Her teeth clattered with her effort to
speak.
    “Forgive me,
Jem.” Beads of perspiration rose to the surface of her skin, as I
brushed hair from her brow. “It was the only way.”
    The venom
showed in the swelling of her vein when I raised her twitching arm
for inspection, and I followed its passage through her bicep to her
shoulder, to where the drumming at her neck increased as her body
tried to resist the invasion. On a cough, a trickle of white frothy
phlegm spilled from her mouth.
    I had not
expected such an adverse reaction. My rationality had assumed the
bite would simply turn her, and she would become like me within
minutes, but that did not appear to be happening. However much it
affected her, though, we had little choice but to move. The others
would soon track my scent and find us, and to remain in the forest,
with Jem in such a vulnerable condition, would be dangerous for
her.
    Scooping her
up, I hugged her close to my chest and took off toward home, but we
did not get far before violent shaking drew my eyes back down, and
my heart seized at the upward rolling of Jem’s eyes.
    Thick discharge
bubbled past her lips, and a convulsion racked her body, making it
impossible to support her, and dropping to my knees, I laid her on
the sodden ground.
    With my pulse
coursing my blood to a panic, I could scarcely think, nor barely
see through tears pooling in my eyes.
    “So it is not
merely a human you choose over your pack, but a sick one at
that.”
    My head snapped
up at James’s voice. When he took a step forward, instinct to
protect Jem kicked in, and I threw my body across hers with a snarl
ripping from my throat.
    His stride
faltered, and the scowl wiped from his face.
    “Move from my
path,” I said