Chapter 143 - No, Nero. Don’t!

EMMA

The ground is soft beneath my feet and the leaves ruffle with every step. We are far enough from the town and the only sounds come from the wind brushing against the leaves and birds chirping on the branches.

Hadrian stops walking and starts to pull his t-shirt off. He crosses his arms over his abdomen as he grabs hold of the hemline of the black fabric and lifts it up. I nearly trip over the fallen leaves and watch how the muscles in his abdomen stretch with the action. His lean physique shows every hill and dip of the strong cords. Veins are visible as they disappear in his jeans.

His torso and abdomen are one of the few parts of his body that have always been unscathed from silver and are free from scars. His scars don’t take away from his handsomeness, but they are evidence of the hurt he has gone through.

“Emma?” Hadrian watches me with a raised eyebrow and amusement tugs at his lips. “You know I would, but we have some things to worry about first.”

I’ve only ever seen him direct his smile at me. This playful part of him is only for me. He is only for me.

I’m overcome with emotion as if everything that happened in the past twenty-four hours just decided to catch up with me now. I throw my arms around his neck and I’m unable to catch the tears that spill.

“What’s wrong, my mate?” He whispers in my hair. His playfulness is replaced with panic.

My toes barely touch the ground and Hadrian picks me up. He brings me to his height. It makes it easier to lock my arms around his neck and I wrap my legs around his waist.

I snuggle my face into his neck. His skin is hot and it warms up my nose and cheek. “I’m so glad that you’re okay.”

Hadrian releases a deep exhale and I can feel some of the tension in his muscles flow away as well. “I’m here, always.” He runs his fingers through my hair and down my spine.

“I’m scared,” I confess in a small voice and I feel like that little girl from years ago. My grip around him is strong and I never want to let go. I want to stay here in my warm bubble where we’re safe together.

“Me too.” Hadrian whispers against my shoulder and his exhale warms my skin. He reciprocates my hug and my huddle becomes more like a prison of muscle. His big arms cage me in a tight embrace.

I pull back to look at him, but there’s barely any room to do so. “You are?”

Hadrian nods and there is sadness. “I know that in certain ways you’re stronger than me.” His nose caresses along my cheek and travels to my neck. “But I’m still afraid that you’re going to get hurt.” He places a kiss on my bandage and lingers there for a moment.

“I’m afraid to look,” I say honestly. I know that I don’t need a bandage because there’s no injury.

“Do you want me to do it?” Hadrian asks and I nod.

Hadrian sets me down on the ground and I reluctantly place my feet back on the earth. He carefully peels away the bandage. I watch his features instead of down at my shoulder. Hadrian keeps his features stoic as he peels the bandage off with utmost care. A small frown appears between his brows, but he’s quick to smooth it out.

“It’s gone,” I conclude so that he doesn’t have to say it.

Hadrian shakes his head and it gives me a burst of hope. But when I look down, I only see smooth skin. I’m two seconds from bursting to a new level of sobs. I’m devastated for something I never thought I would be. But then Hadrian presses his thumb over the spot where my mark used to be. The sensation is not something I was prepared for, it has me bucking my knees and I fall into his arms.

I open and close my mouth in confusion. Hadrian repeats the actions with more pressure and I close my mouth shut and swallow the moan at the last second. I can’t help the flutter of my eyes.

Hadrian smirks with satisfaction and knowing in his eyes. “Don’t be sad. I will mark you a hundred more times if I have to.” He says and leans down to kiss the spot on my shoulder.

I place my forehead on his chest when he pulls back. I close my eyes and calm my labored breath. The effect he has on me is just embarrassing.

“We should get going,” Hadrian says.

“Yes, we should.” I agree and pull back from him. Getting hot and bothered right now is about the worst time ever.

In my line of sight, I see Hadrian unbutton his jeans and I step back. “What are you doing, we don’t have time for that.”

“I know, sweetheart.” Hadrian continues to zip down his jeans and drops them to the ground. His erection is hard and prominent. It demands all my attention as it moves with every one of Hadrian’s movements. Hadrian picks up his jeans and folds them together with his shirt that has fallen on the ground.

His shaft stands tall and straight like his owner. The head of his erection is blooming purple and it beckons my gaze as it sways from left to right. My vision is blocked by the incoming heap of fabric. It hits me square in my face and I catch them before they fall to the ground.

“Can you hold it for me?” Hadrian asks. His voice is lower and more raspy than normal.

I blink and realize only seconds later that he’s talking about his clothes. “You’re hard.”

His eyes are smoldering gold and portray his urgent hunger. “Yes, and if you keep staring like that, then I’ll fuck you in the open air. From behind with your hands and knees in the dirt. Just like the animal, they claim I am.”

“You’re hard,” I say again as if that justifies everything, but I’m not making any sense. I stopped having a coherent thought when he pulled his shirt off. It only went downhill after that.

Hadrian chuckles. “I’m always hard for you.” He takes a step back and with a deep inhale of his breath, he shifts into his wolf form.

My mind was already jumbled, now I’m also in awe. There’s just something about watching Hadrian shift. It only lasts less than two seconds and my brain has a hard time comprehending what I see. One moment he’s human and the next he has tripled in size and is covered in black fur. Four large paws, the size of my head, land on the forest ground. He has big amber eyes and he has his sight on me.

The big black wolf charges for me. Not in a murderous way but more in a joyous puppy kind of way.

Only this puppy is overwhelmingly big and it has me take a step back. I miss my footing, stumble backward and fall toward the moss and leaves.

Nero barks and his large teeth and canines grab onto my shirt.

“No, Nero. Don’t!” I clamor and hold onto him as he pulls me upright.

Nero releases me and his canines pull out of my shirt and leave behind four holes. I cross my arms and I scowl at him. Nero whimpers and lowers his ears. His eyes show guilt and remorse. I sigh and shake my head. I just can’t stay mad at him.

Nero is quick to take advantage of my forgiveness. He ducks his nose between my arms and pries them apart. His head spans my whole torso and I scratch him between his ears.

“We should get going, huh?”

He sniffles along my neck and he rests his heavy head on my shoulder. His fur is coarse between my fingers and his breath is heavy on my back.

Nero growls before he pulls back. He stamps his paw to the ground and falls onto the moss and leaves with a huff.

I watch his odd behavior. Nero makes an incomprehensible noise.

“Oh.” *He wants me to climb on his back.* I frown at my realization. I’m not really sure how I figured it out.

Nero engulfs my wrist between his teeth and the sight should make me scream. But his bite is soft and his sharp teeth don’t even scratch my skin. He guides my hand to the fur at his neck and tugs until I grab a handful of his fur.

I do as he instructs and I climb on his back. I don’t get much time to mentally prepare for what’s coming because Nero shoots off into the forest at a speed that turns my body inside out.

I’m pretty sure that this is the moment that I die.