For Fox's Sake (#3, Completed)

20. Rules of the game

JAMES

The drive back seemed to take forever since my thoughts kept drifting back to Kerrin and their deal. Anxiety overwhelmed me at the thought of Natalia finding out about it, but also of what the yako was going to do if I failed. I felt like a caged animal, trapped, knowing that I had no way out, even if I was able to keep Natalia in the dark about it all...at least for now.

Still, my mate threw me a lifeline, and I needed to make sure that I didn't screw everything up.

I took a deep breath as I opened the door of my cottage and stepped inside. The sight that greeted me sent my heart racing: my little wolf curled up in one of my chairs, wearing nothing but a shirt of mine while she sipped a hot drink in front of the fireplace.

"I'm glad to see you are not helping yourself to one of my pillows this time, Lili," I teased, fighting the urge to smirk.

Startled by my voice, she leapt from her seat, papers scattering across the floor. Circles, crosses, and question marks adorned the pages. Good, she'd been busy going through the questionnaire I gave her, making me smile as she picked everything up.

"You're back," she murmured, her cheeks tinted pink—either because of my comment or the fact that her pert butt was barely concealed by what she was wearing.

My mate was a fucking vision in my shirt, an exquisite sight that both aroused and tortured me, instantly making me regret my last stop before coming home.

She certainly looks way better this way, Aron smirked, and this time I had to fully agree with him.

"I hope you don't mind that I borrowed one of your shirts. I needed some clean clothes after the shower, and I realised I didn't have any."

"Actually, I do," I said with all seriousness, causing her face to fall. "Mind, that is. It's one of my favourite shirts, but that will not stop me from ripping it apart to get you naked again." Every syllable dripped with a combination of lust and anticipation.

The change in her expression brought life to my soul. She resembled a kid in a candy story, giddy at the thought of my hands wandering all over her body. Her arousal was so strong that I could almost taste it on my tongue, and every fibre of my being ached to savour her once more. But I had other plans first.

"I'll go change then," she murmured, causing something in my chest to twist and roar.

Or perhaps it was that primal, raw reaction she awakened in me, that untameable force that threatened to consume me whenever I was swept away by those blue eyes.

"No, you won't—you are not wearing anything other than that shirt today, Lili," I growled, my voice containing a thousand dark promises. "Although this is for you."

I handed over the bag from one of the boutique stores in Balloch, and watched as she opened it, stunned. Taking each item out one by one, she gasped in awe at the sight of the dresses, jeans and tops laid out on the sofa.

"James... these are stunning..." she breathed, her eyes wide and filled with admiration. "But they must have cost you a fortune. I can't accept them."

"How I spend my money is a decision for me to make, Lili. And if you are going to stay with me until your heat is over, you'll need some clothes. Though I've got to admit that I am beginning to regret stopping by that store now."

Her breathing was ragged, and her chest heaved as she swallowed hard. My eyes roamed her face when she fumbled frantically inside the bag. "There's no... erm... underwear in here."

Pushing away the dirty fantasies that were flooding my mind, I stepped closer to her and whispered in her ear, "You won't need any."

Fuck, at the rate we were going, we were definitely not going to make it to the kitchen, and I needed to make sure she had something to eat before I ended up having her in the living room.