Chapter 33

"You were going to bite me" Nellie whispered this time.

Earl kept running his fingers through his teeth, what was happening to him? Not only were his fangs elongated, his gum was also itching, he sat up on the bed confused. This only happened when his wolf was angry or when he was fighting an enemy, was he going to eat Nellie?

Nellie sat away from him with a look that told him she was frightened, he couldn't tear his gaze from her face because he saw the confused look on her face.

"I am…sorry" Earl muttered like a child that was caught in a wrong act.

"Were you really going to bite me?" Nellie's tune was softer now, probably because she saw the confused look on his face.

"I don't know Nellie, I honestly don't know what is happening to me. But I had no intention of biting you" Earl hated himself for initiating a kiss in the first place.

"It's alright" Nellie didn't know what to say, it was awkward enough that they had kissed like it was a very normal thing to do.

With his fingers still on his teeth, Earl headed into the bathroom, what was wrong with him? He had never experienced something like this with Ina, why was everything so different with Nellie? Maybe because he was not even supposed to be closer to her in the first place? Looking at his reflection in the mirror he could still see tiny traces of blood stains on his canines which had already retracted by now. The look on Nellie's face when she had seen his face… fear. She had stared into his eyes like something strange was happening in them, had his eyes changed too? It was possible of he saw a prey, but Nellie was not a prey and he didn't know how far his wolf had gone, was it trying to scare her off?

Taking off his clothes, he sat inside the tub and let the water wash him, whatever he had done was not a normal thing to do and he had to find out what it meant. But who could get ask? He couldn't possibly ask Ma'am Dodda because she might have little or no knowledge of it since she was not a werewolf, besides asking her might give her a whole new meaning to whatever is happening between him and Nellie. He didn't want her to egg him into 'doing the noble thing' as she put it.

Charlie would definitely laugh his head off at first if he finds out Earl and Nellie had kissed, not once but twice. Once might be a mistake, but twice was certainly intentional as he would say, Earl had to agree with Charlie on that. Because why did he initiate the kiss? He had just felt the simple urge to kiss Nellie and he acted on impulse. She was beautiful yes, and maybe he couldn't resist her, but that was all to it, he simply wanted her and once the need is satisfied, the fire would equally quench.

But Ma'am Dodda might not see it in that light, if she found out he had as much as kisses Nellie, he might be forced to marry her.

'Noble thing indeed' Earl snorted, he was never going to trust a woman enough to keep her as a wife again, women should be kept for pleasure and procreation, they couldn't be trusted. Ina had taught him that the hard way. Whatever reaction his wolf had about Nellie was probably just to scare her away, the girl was a tough one.

Running his tongue through the insides his mouth and his teeth, Earl tasted Nellie's blood in his mouth, she tasted… sweet. Earl had tasted blood before but something in his wanted to keep tasting this particular blood, there was this hunger in him for her. A need to take, to claim, to own, whatever it was it would never go away until it was satisfied.

With a sigh, Earl left the bath, he slipped on a robe and moved back into the room. Nellie was sitting by the mini study table in the room reading a book, she appeared so focused in the book that she didn't hear him come in, she was more calm now. Earl watched as she flipped through pages, her dark hair covering one part of her face.

"I never knew you loved reading" Earl finally broke the silence.

"Nellie looked up from the book and flashed him a brilliant smile, "Sometimes it helps, I feel you can find solutions to every problem in a book"

"I only read when I have to" Earl was relieved she was no longer scared.

"That is understandable, but sometimes it's essential for a leader like you"

"That was why I said when I have to"

Nellie scoffed and continued and took her attention back to the book in front of her, Earl stood still watching her, it was both relieving and surprising that she was acting like nothing had happened, why? Or maybe she knew something he didn't? Fuck! He had wounded her, almost bitten her and she was so calm about it? He didn't know her to be like that.

"Nellie I'm really sorry about what happened earlier" Earl cussed himself silently as he forced the words out of his own mouth.

"It's alright, Earl. You gave me your word that you were not going to kill me anytime soon, I believe you."

Really? This woman was really something, so she was just going to take his word for it?

"You trust easily, My Lady" Earl said the last part in a sarcastic tone.

"There you are wrong, dear Alpha, I don't trust easily" Nellie closed the book and stood up to stand before Earl now, "Thinking about it now, you have kept me in your pack and castle for two moons and you have treated me well, except of course maybe you love your prey very healthy and comfortable then my instincts are not wrong when it tells me I can trust you"

Nellie's eyes pierced through Earl's in a manner that made him uncomfortable, he shifted his gaze away from her eyes and focused on her head instead. He understood just what she was doing, she was using his word against him, he had just hurt her- involuntarily. As an Alpha, when you give your word to protect a person you had to stand by it, Nellie knew that and was using him against him.

"I won't harm you, Nellie" Earl rushed the words out like they were going to choke him.

"I need you to swear" She crossed her hands on her chest now and looked up at his eyes in a daring glare.

"I give you my word Nellie, I will never harm you intentionally" Earl added the last part because he wasn't sure what his wolf could do these days.

That did not seem to sit well with Nellie because she cocked her eyebrows in a questioning manner "You will harm me unintentionally then?"

Earl rolled his eyes at her, "My wolf, he reacts when I touch you"

"It wants you to kill me then??" Nellie's eyes widened as if in a sudden realization.

"No no no, not that kind of touching. I mean…"
Earl's voice trailed off not knowing what to say again, it was almost like she was compelling him to do whatever she said.

"Oh" Her mouth remained in an 'O' "Was that why you kissed me then?"

She was not giving up, was she? Earl groaned inwardly, "I kissed you because I wanted to. You, why did you kiss me?"

Nellie turned away from him immediately, she had clearly not expected that, "I… Because I was compelled to"

"Compelled?" Earl tried to suppress his laughter.

"We are even now, you kissed me and I kissed you. Let's just forget about a this"

"No. You kissed me and I kissed you" Earl retorted in a feigned annoyance.

"Fine!"

Nellie moved away from him and went over to look out the window, Earl came up to stand beside her. She only reacted when his hand brushed hers before he steadied himself. The night was warm and the moon peeked out from behind the dark clouds, they watched the gloomy sky in total silence, Earl wondered what was going through Nellie's mind. He did not want to listen to her thoughts because he might be forced to talk about what he heard and she would not like that. Her heartbeat was steady, her eyes reflected the night sky, Earl caught himself in time when she turned and glanced at him.

"The night is beautiful" She smiled now.

Yes. Just like you, he thought. "Yes it is," Earl nodded.

"You said we could go out for a ride in the moonlight sometime" She suddenly turned and held his eyes pleadingly.

"Did I really?" Earl pretended he was trying to remember.

"Come on, please"

"Fine, let's go. I'll just change into something"

When he appeared again she was now dressed in a light shirt and a cowboy hat and boots. Earl had to stop himself from chuckling.

"You really enjoyed dressing like a boy, huh?"

"I'm more comfortable that way, let's go already" He was staring too much and it made her uncomfortable.

"Come with me"