His Arrogant Human Mate novel Chapter 84

"It was me," I responded quickly. "It... Something took over me." I wiped the water away from my eyes. "I shouldn't have challenged you to come in here. YOu should leave."

"Sugar... I promise, I won't let that happen again-"

"Dominic. It isn't you I'm worried about."

"I'm doing good, right?" Caroline asked me tiredly, hopefully.

She was currently sprawled out on the floor, bare stomach touching the cool hardwood flooring. I was sitting beside her, stroking her hair tenderly. In all honesty, she wasn't doing that great. It was only day two and she was miserable. I had heard it was worse with the mark of an Alpha, but poor Cara was barely holding on. Since that night in the tub, she had launched herself at me three times. Of course, each time only lasted a few seconds, but I was the one that had to peel her off and essentially wake her up from the control of the heat.

"Of course, sugar. You're doing incredible."

She smiled at me. "Thank you." A bead of sweat dripped down her forehead and onto the floor. Poor thing. At this point, there was little to keep her temperature down. She just had to outlast it. "I'm sorry I keep jumping you," she murmured.

With a chuckle, I playfully tugged on her hair. "You don't have to apologize, sweet love. It isn't your fault. Hell, this isn't even you. Not really. This is your instinct taking over, the primal instinct."

"My primal instinct is a bitch," Caroline claimed with a laugh, but it was short and strained, revealing the pain she was in.

I matched her small laugh and ruffled her hair some more. "But you're doing great."

Caroline sat herself up, rubbing her face tiredly. "I'm really not though, huh? This is only the beginning and you're just being nice."

"You are doing the best that you can given the circumstances. Some women have sex as soon as they feel the heat coming on. To make it even two days is a feat."

It was difficult to watch her be in such pain and not be able to do anything to help her. Besides, of course, do the nasty. But we discussed that and I wasn't going to try and coerce her into alleviating the pain.

"Your painkillers are wearing off. Finish eating and I'll get you more," I told her gently.

Her hand ripped away from mine and she leaned away from me. I knew exactly what was happening. It was common with women who tried to hold off. The worst symptoms hit all at once. I knew this from experience and from the scent my mate was suddenly producing. "I don't think I can touch you anymore," she whispered. "God, it's like there's someone in my head."

"That's what it's like having a wolf," I noted, attempting to distract her. It worked. Caroline looked up at me curiously. "It isn't so much like having a full entity, huh? They don't speak directly to you, in words. As I've said of your heat, it is the instincts coming forward. But your instincts are mostly human. My instincts are more animal. A hungry, wild animal. My conscience is only have human, the other half wolf. We work together to survive and live, to provide for the pack. To prepare to have a mate and offspring." At this, I winked at her. "Though because I am the King Alpha, my wolfblood is much stronger and my Shifter genes are more 'pure' than others."

My story was distracting enough that Cara had begun to eat, but kept her eyes on me for the most part. "One of the first times that I felt my instincts beginning to play a role in my actions and thoughts was when I was twelve. My father and I were on a hunting trip - the kinds with guns, not where he or I shifted... Actually, we were using bows, not rifles. It was my first hunting trip, as up until that point much of my training was scholarly. Believe it or not, I was a lousy shot with the bow. Which was why my father wanted me to take a whole trip where I used nothing else."