Chapter 11: The Discovery of the Wolf.

Like a thief in the middle of the night, Askeladd dangerous and powerful predator of the Forest, slipped into the small chamber. He had broken so many rules and principles in the last couple of days that sneaking into a human's chamber was no problem for him, rather it was as simple as breathing.

After all, how important was pride when the greatest treasure lay just a few steps away?

He left the shutters half-open and, careful not to make a sound, Askeladd rose above the narrow bed. With an intense and fierce gaze, he admired the countenance of his sleeping human.

The human was sleeping soundly, lying on her side. Her thick black hair was a fan spread across the white pillow. One small, pale fist tucked under her chin, the other hidden under the pillow. The monster paused, his gaze on the soft curve of her breasts tightening her nightgown and on the pale expanse of bare skin at her hips and rounded rear, on her slender, pale legs. Heat exploded in his bloodstream and he took a step forward.

Curse. He grunted and stopped stiff, pressed the heel of one hand over the aching erection filling his pants, and groaned once. Damn, it wasn't for this that I came and now I don't have jealousy as an excuse.

How much would she hate him if he attacked her like a wild animal again? The thought alone was enough to cool his lust. Not to make her disappear, of course, but to regain control over her actions.

Askeladd was no fool, and even among his own, his actions would suffice to bring him before the law. Now, the question was ...

How to conquer a human?

He shook his head. Human, no. Sascha. He savored the name silently, enjoying how syllable after syllable slid down his tongue. His Sascha. He liked it. Hell if she liked him. And it was not enough. The need tugged at him. He wouldn't touch her, not really, but he needed something, a little taste at least.

He crouched at the foot of the bed and lowered his head, leaning slightly closer to her. Askeladd flicked the soft lips relaxed from sleep and stopped stiffly. But not out of lust this time. He growled softly low in his throat, savoring the bitter, salty taste of tears.

She had been crying.

The sudden flash of anger and darkness shook her back to his senses. Surprised, he gritted his teeth. He still hadn't matched up and was already reacting like that.

That doesn't bode well. He thought, with dark realization, he was dangerous on a good day and even if he had nothing or no one to treasure. It was not smart to give something or someone of importance to beings like him. Beings as dangerous as Armageddon and now that he had found her ... If I am already like this, how deadly will I become when you are mine?

He sighed because there was nothing to do, that train had already left when he met her and he did not think of giving her up. Never.

He narrowed his eyes, studying her more deeply. Faint wet marks streaked his pale face. He frowned again, discovering the lines of stress and tension around her eyes.

Would she be she ill her? Was that why she was crying? Because of her pain? He growled at the thought. Why did humans have to be so damn fragile?

Like a stab, a cold realization slid through his mind. The monster's spine stiffened.

She was human. His lifemate was a human.

Askeladd slid down, sitting on the ground. Collapsed by knowledge. She was a human and he was a monster. The worlds of him are separated by blood and magic. He rubbed his face, how the hell was he going to get it to work? He shook his head, don't burn the bridge until you have to cross it.

For now, he gathered mana in the palm of her open hand and laid it on her forehead. With its eyes closed, the monster conscientiously examined the body of her companion in search of toxins or diseases that could put her at risk.

It was then that Askeladd was taken down for the second time that night. Shocked, he looked at the woman who had been sleeping the entire time. She was not ill. No more than any other woman in her circumstances would be.

The monster leaped into action. Determination hardening his features. He whispered an Arcane dream over the human and cursed when nothing happened. He had forgotten that her core was sealed by the Suppressor. Without the magic core to generate mana that all monsters and demons were born with, Askeladd had the mana levels of being human. Enough to activate magic tools, but useless to do magic.

He grimaced and took the manic core hidden in his cloak. He squeezed the sphere, absorbing the mana charge inside it. He tried once more, the arcane glyphs sliding off his tongue with swift agility.

Sascha's breath deepened and the lines of tension around her eyes disappeared as the sleep spell dug its claws into her.

A deep breath later, the monster held his human clinging to her chest. Askeladd lay down on the bed, his legs too long for the piece. He bent his knees and put his boots on the ground to steady himself. He was uncomfortable and did not care, he adjusted as he could. The weight on him filling him with savage pleasure.

She snuggled like a small kitten against his warmth, and her body tensed. He growled under his breath, she was going to kill him.

He snorted between amusement and resignation. Then he got down to business. Askeladd channeled a steady stream into her body and closed his eyes.

Despite what human society believed, such phenomena were possible between humans and monsters. It wouldn't be easy, but she would be fine, they would be fine, as long as Askeladd nourished her flow with her mana. Everything would be fine.

He closed his eyes and thought. It wasn't smart to give so much to a being like him. Nope, it wasn't. He only prayed that the world would never have to know why.