****
"I don't understand," Ariel said, letting her fingers fall away from the scar.
Max took her hands in his, a slightly desperate look on his face as if he was afraid she was going to run. She was startled by how beautiful he was with the moonlight touching his skin and illuminating the melting color of his eyes.
"I knew you the moment I saw you," he whispered, his voice no longer reflecting the worried look in his eyes but sounding smooth, controlled, and irresistibly sexy.
"You did?" she asked back, stepping forward as the strange, unexplainable magnetism from his body seemed to draw her toward him.
Max's face brushed lightly against hers, nuzzling her. He nodded.
"You knew, too. I could see the way you looked at me. I could smell you."
His whisper sent hot breath down Ariel's neck and her breath caught at his words. She knew those words, what they meant.
"I can smell you now," he continued, his hands leaving hers to trace the swell of her hips and the soft curve of her belly.
Ariel moaned softly and leaned into him to seek more of the delectable pressure of his body.
"What do you smell?"
"Your body," he dipped his head and Ariel felt the tip of his tongue glide across her neck, "Your blood," he bit the curve of her shoulder just hard enough to create a thrilling, pleasurable pain, "How much you want me." His hands slid around her hips to fill with her flesh and hold her firmly against him where she could feel his hardness pressing into her belly, "I can smell my mate."
Ariel gasped and Max caught the sound with his mouth, drawing her into a deep, primal kiss that felt like their souls were reaching out and melding, connecting after a lifetime of waiting. She pulled away from the kiss and opened her mouth to speak, but instead let out a scream. Behind Max she could see a silver wolf stepping out of the shadows, his sharp teeth gleaming in the moonlight as he stalked toward Max.
Max spun around at the sound of her scream and she immediately felt him push back on her, shoving her back toward the gate as he faced the wolf. The silver animal took another step forward and in the middle of his stride she watched him shift into a human. Ariel's eyes widened, but she couldn't make any sound.
"Hello, Max," the other man said, the sliminess in his voice sending a chill down Ariel's spine, "I see you found yourself a snack."
"Back off, Laurence," Max growled.
Ariel covered her mouth with her hand, trying to hold back the terrified sounds now trying to tumble out of her. She was watching what she thought were just characters in a book come to life in front of her very eyes, witnessing the chapters of an unwritten book unfurling somewhere between reality and her fantasies.
"She is quite delicious," Laurence said, taking another step forward, "And it looks like there is more than enough of her for both of us. Maybe we can share."
At that, Max leapt forward, tackling Laurence to the ground so he landed on top of him.
"She's mine," he snarled.
Laurence grappled with Max and Ariel could hear him let out a mocking laugh.
"So, that's what this is?" he said, finally pushing Max away and climbing out from under him so that both men stood, staring each other down, "The Alpha has mated a human."
Before Ariel even realized what was happening, Laurence shifted back into a wolf and surged forward past Max so that he came down on her. She screamed as she hit the ground, curling away from the stagnant breath and sharp teeth coming toward her. A moment later she heard a blood-chilling growl and felt Laurence torn away from her.
She looked up and saw a massive black wolf holding Laurence by the back of his neck, his teeth sinking deeply into the other wolf's coat. As he tossed Laurence away, Ariel realized that black wolf was Max. Despite the terror, desire rolled through her as she felt the same intense, animal need for him that she had since she first saw him.
The two wolves tangled and fought, teeth and claws tearing at one another as they battled for dominance. This was the fight she had been waiting for as she read the books, the conflict she thought would have culminated after Laurence shot the crossbow at Lazar; at Max. As she watched the fight in horror, she wondered what had happened in the months between that moment and this one, how these rival Alphas had gotten here after what she feared was her beloved character's death.
The need to protect Max surged through her and Ariel lunged forward, reaching for the silver wolf.
Max turned to her and let out a sound that made her stumble back, somehow knowing he was telling her he didn't want her involved. In the moment that he faced her, Laurence was able to regain some control.
Suddenly Laurence slashed at Max, his claws cutting into Max's shoulder and soaking his black fur with blood. An instant later, Max's head reared back and he sank his teeth ferociously into Laurence, flipping his head to the side to rip away at his flesh. The other animal yelped and fell back away from Max, shifting back into a human as he tried to get away. Max mirrored his shift, standing above him with blood streaming down his skin, his rough breaths causing his shoulders to rise and fall rapidly.
"I won't kill you here," he said, his voice as rough as his breath, "but if you ever touch her again, I will rip you apart like I should have a long time ago."
Laurence stood shakily to his feet and disappeared into the darkness of the cluster of palm trees where he had been hiding when they first stepped onto the beach. A few seconds later, Ariel could hear muffled steps retreated through the undergrowth, punctuated by yelps as if the plants were continuing the punishment by scraping at his wounds.
Max turned to her and Ariel ran into his arms, allowing him to sweep her against him and bury his face in her hair. She could feel the warmth of his blood seeping through his shirt onto her skin and she stepped back.
"You're hurt," she said, touching the tattered fabric surrounding the deep gash in his shoulder. "I'm so sorry."
"I'll be fine," he said, brushing loose strands of hair out of her face, "As long as you're alright, I'll be fine."
"No. Come with me to my room. Let me take care of you."
Affection mingled with intense attraction flashed in his eyes and he nodded. Ariel slipped her sweater off and draped it carefully over his wound so that anyone they may encounter wouldn't notice the blood. She knew this wound would not act the same as it would on a normal human; it would heal much more quickly and didn't require stitches or other measures. Cleaning it, though, would soothe his pain and help it to begin to heal.
She guided him through the hotel to her room and stepped inside. Daniel was still sprawled across the bed, snoring deeply, and she led Max carefully through the suite and into the bathroom. Locking the door behind them, she started the faucet in the soaking tub and reached forward to unbutton his shirt. Her hands shook slightly as she undressed him, revealing his gorgeous body beneath the shirt.
She wanted to touch him further, but the wound on his shoulder kept her back. Placing her hands on his hips, she guided him gently backwards so that he sat on the wide edge of the tub. Ariel sat beside him, positioning herself on her hip so that she could reach down into the tub and fill a soft sponge with warm water. Kissing his chiseled arm muscle tenderly, she brought the sponge to his shoulder and squeezed it so that the water flowed out across his skin.