My heart beat twice as fast as usual. It almost felt like it was going to explode.
"Do you mean…?" I asked.
Animus leaned in closer, his nose practically touching mine. "I want you to fuck me."
Twelve
Animus
Was I aware this was terrible idea? Absolutely.
Did I care? Absolutely not.
Leveret's touch set my blood on fire. My entire being felt charged and electric. Every single step in this series of mistakes dug me deeper into the hole I found myself trapped in, yet I couldn't stop taking them. How could I resist when Leveret held my hand? When he embraced me?
At that point, I was already too far gone. Once I got a taste of his scent, it was over.
I didn't just want him—I craved him. I needed him carnally. The idea of being this close and rejecting him was unthinkable.
And just because I had sex with him didn't mean Ihadto fall in love. There was physical, and there was emotional. I had enough self-control not to fall victim to the latter.
That was the mantra I clung to as I dove headfirst into kissing Leveret.
He made a soft sound of surprise as my mouth pressed against his. His lips were plush and warm—I melted into him without a care in the world.
Kissing him was just as sweet as hugging him.Everythingabout him was sweet. That was the problem. I kept desperately hoping he'd do something terrible to make me like him less, to prove he wasn't the perfect mortal alpha my heart kept telling me he was. Except that never happened. Leveret simply continued to be perfect.
Red alarms blared in my mind. I played a dangerous game. Embracing Leveret and inhaling his scent like a bloodhound hot on a trail was bad enough—now that I'd kissed him, it’d be harder than ever to let him go when the time came.
Because the time would come. Leveret had a pack, a family to return to when this wild adventure was over. I'd stolen him away from them, and I knew they wouldn't rest until Leveret was safe at home. If they didn't hate me before, they certainly would now.
And once Leveret was gone, I'd be completely alone.
I pushed down the despairing wave of shame and sadness. There was plenty of time to feel sorry for myself later when I wasn't getting laid.
Fortunately, I was distracted a second later when Leveret ran his tongue along my lower lip. I shivered. A tiny sound of pleasure slipped from my lips. Leveret exhaled shakily, excited by the noise, and used his tongue again. Arousal lit up my nerves, turning them painfully sensitive. Just the simple act of kissing made me hard.
Now there was something that hadn't happened in centuries.
I leaned back while pulling Leveret on top of me, encouraging him to take the lead. He seemed surprised by the sudden change in position. He broke away from the kiss, his lips swollen and his cheeks flushed.
"I'm on top of you," he commented.
"Yes, it appears you are."
"… Is that okay?"
I ran my hands up his shoulders. "Why wouldn't it be? I'm the one who lured you into it."
Leveret shuddered under my palms. He licked his lips and hesitated, like he couldn't find the correct words for what he wanted to say.
"You don't like alphas," Leveret said, a statement rather than a question.
I gazed into his honest eyes for a beat.
"No, I don't," I admitted. "But I like you."
His eyes flashed with emotion, shining brighter. I could never get enough of that adorable expression.