Lone Wolf.

There was an odd burning in my soul that I hadn't felt in a while. I didn't know why, but the fire pushed me through the day, urging me to be active. I was restless; even after cleaning my entire room I still felt the need to be productive.
After reorganizing some books and stepping into the shower, I slip into my sweatpants and running shoes, not bothering with my shirt, before taking off in a jog. I already knew my body would bring me to Bartlett, and I let it take me. The cars zipping by makes the wind sound faster in my ears as I run past them. The dusty dry land gave way to trees the closer I got, bustling over my head. I duck under a few branches as I cross the road and onto the reserve, my feet leading me down the familiar path. There wasn't one, but I knew these forests by heart.
I soon spot the outskirts of the lake and approach one of the taller and wider trees, looking up. If I could find a sturdy enough branch...
Crouching down, I jump the highest I can, my fingers just skimming some of the leaves before landing back on my feet. My arms stretch before trying again, this time grabbing a hold of it and pulling myself up, slipping them in front of me to get a better grip. I bring my knees up to my chest before hoisting my lower body back down. I repeat the action, my muscles flexing and tightening in response from the strain. It was nothing for me, having done this a thousand times in workout routines.
I clench my teeth as I pull myself another time, grunting at the aching in my arms and at my core. I push through the pain, little breaths and pants leaving me each time I drop down. I could feel my stomach begin to dampen with sweat.
My ears prickle at the sound of footsteps, looking below me and not surprised to find none other than Serena brushing past the trees. She looks around the lake and sighs, mumbling to herself about the first time of her being early.
With a smirk, I swing for a bit to get a firmer hold before kicking off a shoe and letting it drop to the ground with a thwonk. She gasps and spins on her heel, only to stare in confusion at the single shoe. Her head raises toward the tree tops and her eyes widen. "John! I thought you were a wolf, not a monkey?"
"Very funny, sweetheart," I scoff, sliding off the other shoe. She eyes my half naked body and I pull myself up once more, feeling the muscles in my arms pulse.
Serena shakes her head, running a hand through her hair. "You nearly scared me half to death. Are you going to come down or have you found your new habitat?"
"Don't know yet," I hum playfully, holding my breath and grunting. "I've never been big on eating my greens."
She rolls her eyes. "Can you please get down from there?"
Chuckling, I let my legs hang straight below me, my sweats lowering on my hips, then release the branch. I land crouched on my feet perfectly, licking my lips and wiping my forehead with the back of my hand. Her lips part as she gapes for a moment before blurting, "Y-You didn't bring a towel."
"I didn't bring my truck either," I chuckle. "I hadn't planned on going swimming. Just needed to get out of the house and felt the urge for a quick workout."
I approach before standing in front of her. She nods, clearing her throat. "Well. I, um."
My lips twitch back into a smirk as I realize this is the first time I've seen her so flustered. "Is everything okay, babydoll?"
"Y-Yeah," she mutters, looking down and resting her fingers lightly on my torso. "There was just something I wanted to ask you."
My head draws back and tilts to one side curiously. What could she have to ask me? "Yes?" I murmur, playing with an end of her hair.
"Well...see, my dad's going on a fishing trip with some of the guys down in the station, and I'll be all by myself at home. I was wondering if, maybe, you wanted to come over? I-I'm not good at being alone."
My growing smirk falls and my eyes soften at hearing her voice grow so delicate. She wouldn't look at me so I take her face in my hands, bending slightly to be at her level. "I would love to," I tell her with a warm smile.
"Great," she breathes. "We'll have the whole place to ourselves, and you could have as much food from the fridge as there is, in case you have like weird wolf munchies or something."
I laugh, my eyebrows raising in amusement. "Wolf munchies?"
She shrugs before sending me a grin. "You can come over tonight. He was already loading up his things into the car when I left."
I stretch my arms behind my head, nodding. "Sounds good. But just to be safe and he's still there, I should ask if he has a shotgun."
Her lips pull into a smirk. "Don't be ridiculous. Of course he does."
She pokes my stomach as I throw my head back laughing. It was good to know that I shouldn't try leaving ahead of time just in case.
"I'll be there," I assure her. She leans into my chest, her head tipping up towards mine and meeting my mouth. A warmth spreads throughout my body as I snake my arms around her, sighing. Her fingers fall over my tattoos before pulling away. "See you later, Wolfy."
~
I turn off the ignition from across her driveway, seeing it was empty. Biting my lip, I fix my slightly damp hair. I'd gone back to the house as soon as she'd left to freshen up with another shower. I took advantage and washed my truck beforehand before hopping inside to head to Serena's.
Slipping on my ray bans, I step out and cross the street up her front porch. I wore a simple crisp white t-shirt and beige capri pants, having slipped on some old Toms. I didn't want it to seem like I was trying too hard. We were just hanging out at her house, no big deal, right?
As she opens the door in a little black camisole and high waisted jean shorts, I can't help but want to think differently.
I clear my throat. "Uh, hey."
"Hi," she says, beaming brightly. "Come in."
Moving aside to let me enter, Serena leans against the edge of the door, biting her lip. I chuckle and kiss her nose. She smiles before closing the door and tugging on my hand. She leads me through her house into a kitchen, where there's a variety of ingredients out on the table.
"I was just making a snack, want one?" She skips into a stool in front of a cutting board, slicing at a tomato. I spot the bread and cheese on a plate and grin. "I'm good, thank you."
"Sucks for you," she scoffs playfully. "I make a killer sandwich."
"She says as she holds a knife," I tease and she points it at me with a narrowed eyed look and a wink.
She finishes up and bites into the sandwich, humming as she starts putting everything away. I watch her move, unable to look away from the backs of her thighs. I see her stand on her tippy toes as she reaches to put something on a cabinet. My jaw clenches and I swallow thickly. "D'ya want help with that?"
She huffs, dropping back down with a half whine half laugh, her hair falling over her face. "Please," she pouts.
I smirk as I walk over, pushing her hair back and giving her a brief kiss before sliding the jar onto the shelf. "Thanks," she sighs and saunters back over to her snack.
"How long is your dad going to be gone?" I ask as she eats.
"A day or two," she mumbles through her mouthful. When she sees the relief wash over my face, she laughs. "So yes, you don't have to worry about that shotgun."
Once she's done, we move further into the house, where she opens a door painted a coral red. Inside, a king sized bed was in the center of the room with the headboard against the wall, a wide canopy set up at the corners. The thin, satin curtains were tied to each end and peach, standing out against the brown poles. Her room was a soft yellow, with Christmas lights hanging from the walls and draped along her dresser in the corner of her room, as well as over the canopy.
I shake my head in astonishment. "Wow," I chuckle.
"I know, I'm a spoiled brat," she mutters with a roll of her eyes, sitting on the edge of her bed as she crosses her legs. "I call it my room de Soleil."
"Well, you've got the whole shebang," I tease, making my way around the room. She had various photographs taped to her mirror, and a few picture frames. I pick one up, recognizing her with her arms thrown over another woman while sitting on a boat, the both of them smiling widely and with blue eyes. The resemblance was obvious.
"Your mother?" I ask and she sits cross legged, nodding. I look back at the pictures, noticing that most of them were of her, or her with Serena. One of them was of the whole family, and she was a lot younger. Right beneath it, was the same photo years later, except a dog was perched in Serena's lap. Her mom was bent down too, petting him beside her.
"You look just like her," I say softly.
Serena smiles, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I've been told."
I place the frame back down before sitting down on the made bed. "You've got a nice room. I wish mine was this...kept."
She chuckles, reaching for a black and white zigzag pillow at the head of the bed and I raise an eyebrow. "Hey, is that-"
"No," she blurts, blushing deeply. Sighing in defeat, she grabs the wolf plush from the carnival and places it in her lap. "Okay yes."
"You sleep with the toy I won you?" I say, a hint of teasing to my voice.
"It's not a toy," she mumbles, her arms around it as she pulls it to her chest. "It helps me sleep when I'm here alone."
My face falls slightly. "Do you have a hard time sleeping?"
"Sometimes," she says with a light shrug. She plays with the stuffed animal's ears, looking down. "It just feels empty at times. It's bad enough with my mom gone and everything, but after my brother Jackson moved out, there's no one to talk to if I need to distract myself."
I rest my hand on her knee, rubbing it gently as gesture of understanding. I wished I could be the one to comfort her on those sleepless nights. "I wish I could help. Imagine having me instead of that fake pup. I bet you'd much rather snuggle the real thing than that phony."
She laughs at my playful jealous tone. "I won't deny that," she admits through her smile. It was extremely contagious.
"Well, c'mere. I'll give you a taste."
"It's the middle of the day-"
I hold my arms out and she sighs, scooting closer into them and my chest as we lay back. I hold her gingerly, my thumb brushing along her arm as we look at the array of lights overhead. Her hair smelled of raspberries and her skin of jasmine. I could even smell the scent of her cherry lip balm, and I wanted desperately to taste it myself.
Her head raises the same time that I turn mine, our mouths inches apart. Her sapphire eyes seemed to glimmer beneath me, watching me as if I held a world of secrets. I reach up and let my fingers trail along her cheek before cupping around her chin, closing the distance we longed to constantly have between us.
I kiss her long and hard, my hand moving to her waist as the other stays wrapped around her. She slides her hands up into my hair and the touch sends sparks through my muscles like the night before.
My leg hooks over her hip as I straddle her gently, my tongue sliding along her lips. She pants and tips her head back, giving me access to her long neck. I cup her face as I kiss down it, my teeth grazing her throat and meeting the small indent of her collar bones. A moan slips out of her and I suck in a breath, my heartbeat speeding up. My spine tingles and my bones feel on fire as I move back up to clash my mouth onto hers. She reacts with a gasp, her back arching and rubbing the back of my neck with her thumb. The innocent caress makes me shiver as I deepen the kiss.
"J-John," she breathes and I pull away cautiously, in fear that I've gone too far. Almost immediately, she pulls me right back. "Don't stop kissing me this time," she whispers, our breaths mingling and my insides going up in flames.
I press my lips to hers firmly, biting lightly and savoring the sound of her moan.
I feel my adrenaline pumping as I snarl against her lips, my fingernails wanting to all but tear at her clothes. A growl rumbles deep in my chest and Serena gasps at the feel of my hips against hers. She tugs on my shirt until she's inched it up and yanked it over my head. Our lips reconnect hungrily, a thick veil of heat between us as our bodies move and react to each others. I grip her legs, holding them against my waist as I grind against her.
"Oh God, that feels good," she whimpers, sending my mind reeling. I growl, gripping the hem of her shorts after unbuttoning them and pulling them off in a haste. She tugs on my hair to bring me back down. I press my hips back into her and hiss at the friction. My mouth moves relentlessly against hers, our tongues lashing as I pant. "Ser-"
Her eyes close as I kiss down her neck, my fists at her sides. I claw at the sheets and I could feel them ripping beneath my nails. She places her hands on mine, moving them under her shirt. I huff, trying to compose myself before I even thought of touching her. I didn't want to hurt her.
Serena begins to kiss behind my ear and my skin lights up. "Baby," I moan. "That's not a good idea."
"Why not?" she whispers, taking my lobe between her teeth. "I don't just like them when you're an animal, wolf boy."
I growl, a bit too guttural for my comfort and I lower my head. I take deep breaths as I grip the pillow. "Just...just don't."
She pauses, pulling away to look at me. "John, I'm sorry-"
"Don't be sorry," I mutter. "I...I'm the one that should be sorry."
I rise from the bed and run a hand down my face.
"Hey, no," she whispers, standing up and moving behind me. "You didn't do anything wrong, John, I shouldn't have tempted you like that."
I huff exasperatedly. "You don't get it. I'm a fucking freak," I breathe. I push my hands through my hair, wanting to all but pull it out. How could I think this was safe?
"John-"
"Serena, I am an animal," I explain in a panicked voice. "You have no idea how much I wanted to just rip your clothes to shreds. You don't know what was running through my head."
Her eyebrows furrow in the mirror and she steps in front of me. "John, you're not a freak and you're not an animal. You weren't going to hurt me, I know you weren't-"
"And what if I did, huh?" I snap. "What if I for some reason wanted to? I couldn't do that to you."
"You wouldn't," she whispers. She puts my hands on her hips. "Just relax."
I shake my head. "I'm sorry," I croak.
"Don't apologize," she mutters, her nose bumping against mine. I hide my face in her neck, holding her as gently as I could and she squeezed me tightly back. My stomach twists and it's the first time I really think of this thing as a curse.
Serena brushes her lips against mine and takes my hand. I let her pull me back onto the bed, but we lay facing each other, my eyes never moving from hers.
"Can we take this slow?" I ask quietly. Her lips lift as she moves to lean over me. "I'd like nothing more."