The Delta's Daughter Chapter 227

MORGAN

The feel of his wolf’s fur between my thighs and under my hands was soft and silky, I couldn’t help but tangle my fingers in the long strands and rub my legs against his sides. A couple of times I felt his wolf stiffen under my touch at first. Then, gradually as I rode the wolf’s back and he ran with determination, the stiffness eased up - his muscles became more relaxed with each mile we crossed.

His smooth and sleek fur felt good against my sunburnt skin. Like silk cloth. Riding the wolf was much different from the horse. I felt more comfortable, more at ease, and found my body fit perfectly against the giant Canis Lupus. He was swift and smooth with long strides that enabled him to glide across the terrain, so I wasn’t bouncing around on his back – unlike with the horse.

For hours he ran, never once slowing down or showing signs of fatigue. I admired his wolf form, more so than his human form. It’s a strange feeling knowing you could have been born with a spirit animal, always left to wonder what it would be like to be a shifter. Of course, if I had a spirit animal it would have been a bear and I wondered, would my bear’s fur have felt as lustrous and glossy as his?

I had read many books on shifters and their different races. I could tell you that werewolves mark their mates and werecats only mark a mate when they become married – or that werebears don’t mark their mates, instead, they imprint which is a much deeper level of connection between two mates. I could tell you the gestation period for each race to give birth or their cultural differences. But I would never be able to tell anyone what it was like to be a shifter or what it felt like to have another voice or other beings’ emotions in your head.

I would never know what it was like to share my body mind and soul with a spirit animal. Or be able to mind-link with a pack. I had never had a clan or pack and I never would.

I could read every book in the world, mix a million and one potions, heal thousands of people – even speak to the dead. But I would never know the meaning of having a counterpart. I once wondered if I would ever have a mate, but that hope was squashed as the years went on and I thought I would never leave my prison. That and I was as good as a human, very rarely were humans and witches given mates. We weren’t shifters. I asked my mother how she had ended up with a mate. She told me the moon goddess had chosen her and the God she prayed to, Dagda, had granted her a mate.

I could very well imagine how much she wished she hadn’t been mated to my father, because it turned out so well. I asked her if I would have a mate and she told me no, that I would have free choice - That shifters’ lives are predetermined by the gods, while witches and humans, their god gave them free choice to love whom they wanted to. Because humans and witches were not given the spirits of gods or the moon goddess’s disciples. In a way, it was bittersweet. On one hand, you knew someone was made just for you on the other, what if you ended up with a mate like my father? Cruel and unloving and tied to them forever.

Luckily, seeing as a witch is genetically made up like humans, my mother didn’t feel the betrayal of the mate bond like I had read shifters do.

I felt Kian’s wolf, Ruda slow down. I lifted my head from where it lay on the top of his neck, looking around to see where we were and why he was slowing down. The sun had changed positions as the day went on and was sitting high in the sky. It must be sometime mid-afternoon. Up ahead, I saw a small shack-like house. Wooden and falling apart, propped against a rocky scenery.  

Ruda came to a full stop several feet in front of the dilapidated structure, which wasn’t as ominous as it first seemed. Still, it was a decrepit-looking building, and I was sure it had seen better days. Ruda lowered himself to the ground and I slid off with ease. I automatically thought my legs would be stiff and shaky like they were on the horse – to my surprise they weren’t.

Riding the wolf felt natural and comfortable. Holding on to Ruda’s fur, feeling his soft strands against my skin and under my fingers sent a sense of calm through my body. So much so that despite the fact I had been riding him all day, I could have fallen asleep on him. I liked the feeling of comfort he brought me. Just like Kian – I felt safe with him.

“Is this where we are stopping for the night?” I asked - praying that it wasn’t. Oh, what I wouldn’t give to be back in that big comfortable bed at Tristan’s house. To be able to take a nice long warm bath. I was burnt, bruised, and smelly and my hair was greasy as all get out. I wasn’t used to roughing it anymore.

I dropped the bag by my feet and Ruda came up to nuzzle at it. “What? What do you need?” I bent down to the bag, his snout rubbing against my face, then licking me. “I suppose that’s one way to get clean,” I laughed. “I could just let you lick me all over.”

Ruda whimpered and backed away slightly, throwing his head to the side. I opened the bag and took out a pair of Kian’s shorts holding them up to Ruda “You need these for your human?” I asked him, reaching out to scratch his head when he pulled the shorts from my hand. “Yah thought so.” I stood up and watched Ruda go around the side of the beat-up shack. A few moments later Kian emerged wearing the shorts and only the shorts – Showing off his magnificent physique. 

My mouth watered the more my eyes roamed down his body, pausing where his shorts covered his manhood. I had seen a glimpse of it before, in the halls of the Megaron. Was it wrong that I wanted to see it again? I was curious, I had felt it against me when we kissed – all hard and big. I had only read about a man’s penis in the romantic and erotic novels Margarita would give me. I was 23 and I was ready to experience things for myself. My mind thought of all the dirty things I had read about and how I wanted to experience those things… Then that kiss… was like something right from one of my books.

“To answer your question – Yes. We will be stopping here for the night.” Kian’s voice startled me from my thoughts, and I was super glad shifters weren’t mind-readers. Kian had already told me we could never be together. That it had nothing to do with mates, or at least that’s what I assumed, but still he was the first man I had kissed, the first I had craved – and was truly all man. Rugged, handsome, every dip and curve of muscle carved in perfection. Scars like claw marks covered his front and even more littered his back, but those didn’t look like any animal had administered them. No, they were even more deep-seated in his skin... and so many that stretched down his shoulders, across his back, and even further down to where they covered his legs. Either way, the scars only enhanced his attractiveness making him look all the more dangerous and scarier.

“What?” I half asked, still in a daze staring at him.

“Morgan. Stop staring at me. I said yes, we will be stopping here.”

“Oh,” I pulled my eyes from his body, shifting them up ever so slowly to his face. My gaze met his dark eyes. A scowl was plastered over his face, he did not look amused. I shook the thoughts from my head and focused. “I was just thinking how nice the bed at Tristan’s house was” I half lied. “And how nice a warm bath would feel on my skin.” I was so dried out I could feel my skin beginning to crack like my lips.

“Follow me.” Kian turned on his heel, his short words giving no indication of where we were going. I assumed we were going into the shack – that I was not excited to sleep in. I think I would have preferred the cave from last night. I hurried after him around the back of the tumbling building towards the rock formation.

“Where are we going Kian?” I cringed thinking he would reprimand me for using his birth name, but when he didn’t, I remembered he said he liked it when I called him by that name. That thought brought a smile to my lips. He liked me saying his name.

“You will see, it’s just behind this ridge. I found this place many years ago when I was traveling the continent. Ruda remembered it was here.” He turned his head to look over his shoulder offering me a wink and cheeky grin.

Kian stood at the top of the rocky ridge and waited for me to scramble up behind him. Huffing and puffing I finally came to stand beside him. “Seriously Kian, I just want to sit in the shade for a while. My skin can’t take any more heat today… I’m so dehydrated th….” I cut myself off as I stood there with my hands on my hips trying to catch my breath when my sight shifted to what he was looking down at.

“Holy devil’s buttholes! Am I imagining this? Tell me this is real. Please tell me this isn’t a mirage?” My voice rose in excitement, and I was already thinking of the fastest way I could get my boots off and dive into the pristine-looking large body of water.

It was too small for a lake but way too big to be called a pond, either way, I didn’t care. It was water and looked like the most refreshing body of water I had ever seen. Well, it was the only body of water I had seen in person.

“I thought you might be excited. Come on we can swim in it and wash the horse shit residue off us.” He chuckled stretching out his hand for me to take.

Placing my hand in his, I let him lead me down the other side of the rocks until we came to the bank of the water. “Oh look! There are aloe vera plants and over there is Arnica!” The smile on my face widened at the sight of the plants. Immediately I peeled off the hot leather boots dropping them unceremoniously onto the rocks.

The aloe was good for my burns and the Arnica I could mix with the aloe and create a compound for my still bruised face and knees. They were almost healed, but the medicinal plants would help immensely and speed up the process to a matter of hours if I manipulated the plants correctly.

“We can gather them for you after we swim.” Kian let go of my hand and I heard a splash. Tearing my eyes from the plants I looked around, not finding Kian. I was about to start worrying when his head emerged from the water.

I breathed out a sigh of relief and laughed. “Incoming!” I shouted and hurled my body towards the water jumping in. Feeling a rush of adrenalin when my body hit the cool liquid. I sunk down below the surface and that’s when I realized I couldn’t swim. Panic took over and I began to flail my arms and legs desperately trying to get my head above water again. A strong pair of hands secured themselves under my arms and hauled me up and above the surface. I coughed and spat out some of the water I tried to inhale in my panic.

“Put your feet down Morgan,” Kian’s calm words reached my ears. I turned in his hold, securing my arms around his neck, and my legs around his waist, clinging to him for dear life. Our faces mere inches apart. “Put your feet down, sweetheart.” He said again, his husky voice gravely, his breath fanning my face.

I unwrapped my legs and stretched them down, keeping a lock around his neck. My toes felt the muddy bottom of the lake under them, and I placed my feet flat finding I could stand up and the water came just above my chest. I didn't let go though and kept my eyes locked on his. “I forgot I had never swum before.” I could feel myself blushing, but still, I didn’t look away. “I was just so excited…”

I let my words trail off searching his eyes for a clue as to what he was thinking. The black onyx orbs gave away nothing. I wanted him to kiss me again. I wanted to feel his hands grip my waist and his rock-hard body surround me. My lips parted and my face inched closer. I licked them, watching his eyes watch me.

“You can’t want me, Morgan.” Kian pulled my arms from around his neck and stepped back creating space between our bodies. I bit my lip in frustration. “Please don’t give me that look. We shared a kiss. That is all that can happen between us. Even that was too much.”

I cocked my head at the sad look that flitted across his face. He wanted to kiss me. I knew it to be true. But why wouldn’t he, what was holding him back? My heart dropped at the rejection, and I bobbed my head, dropping my gaze to the water. “Sorry.”

I was a silly little inexperienced girl, why would someone as worldly as him want me? I wasn’t even a shifter. I was weak and inadequate in comparison. I swallowed the lump in my throat and shook the feelings of hurt from my body and mind.

Now that my feet could touch the bottom, I dipped my head back underwater a few times, letting the water run through my hair. I felt cleaner already even if there was no soap or shampoo to lather onto me.

“You ready to get out?” Kian asked after a while.

“Yeah, I feel much more hydrated and cleaner.” I chuckled. “I want to grab a few of the plants,” I began wading through the water back to the bank where I left my shoes. Hauling the flimsy dress, I was wearing, over my knees so it didn’t drag too much. “Are you coming?” I turned around to see Kian hadn’t moved from his spot in the water. Instead, he had a hard glare set on me.

“Morgan.” His voice was rough, and I could visibly see the bob of his throat as he swallowed hard.

“Yes?” His look made me feel uncomfortable. Something was terribly wrong by the way he was looking at me. I shifted my stance, side glancing left and right.

“I can see through your dress.” His voice was tight and still rough.

“Oh shit!” I stammered covering my tits and lady garden with my hands. I knew I was bright red. I could feel the heat in my cheeks burning with embarrassment. Then I had an epiphany - Realizing, only moments ago and almost the whole day I wanted Kian to kiss and want me. So why was I covering myself up? Boldly I dropped my arms to my sides and stood up a little straighter. I was being daring, and dare I say a little forward. But Jalaya Jarrow the main heroine from my favorite books wouldn’t shy away from her leading man, so why should I?

“Well, I’m sure you have seen plenty of naked women in your time, looking at me should be no different.” I turned, giving him my back, and sauntered to my boots, adding extra sway in my hips.  Grabbing my boots and climbing back up the rocky terrain barefoot.

I was desperate to turn around, to see what his face looked like. Did I manage to shock him? If I turned around would his eyes be full of lust? I didn’t dare, or I wouldn’t know what to do if he was looking at me like that. I didn’t know the first thing about seducing a man, but I was going to have fun trying.