His arms circled her waist, pulling her back into his chest. "You torture me," he whispered against her ear. "As a man, I want to be gentle, cherish you, be patient, but the beast inside me is clawing to take control." He spun her around and tilted her head up, his lips a mere inch away, parted around shallow, shaking breaths. "He wants to devour you..."

Jenna chewed her lip as heat pooled into her stomach. She'd give anything to have that. She'd give anything to have a man want her in that way. The few boys she'd dated in school had been flighty at best, cold at worst. They'd never understood her need for romance. The more she tried to love them, the more they turned away. They called her a stalker, clingy, crazy, and when she hadn't been up for losing her virginity in the most dispassionate way possible, they'd all turned toward more practical girls with lower expectations.

Jenna closed the book and looked over at her wolf. He was sleeping, had been since breakfast. The light through the shudders had already dimmed, and she knew she'd need to feed them both soon if she ever wanted him to regain his strength and curb his appetite back to normal.

She stood quietly, not wanting to wake him, and moved toward the kitchen to start an early dinner. Her intention for the ground beef had been to make burgers to last for three days. Now, she supposed it would be better suited for a meal. Tomato paste, seasonings and bread crumbs all lined the bottom shelf of her pantry, and she gathered them up with both hands and placed them on the counter. A meatloaf. It was the perfect first dinner. The men in her books were always like that. Meat and potato men.

It took over an hour to prepare the meal. She spared no expense, took no shortcuts. Hand-mashed potatoes, creamed corn, homemade biscuits, and even a vanilla icebox cake for desert.

The wolf was awake by the time she'd finished, and this time, when she set the plate down in front of him, he didn't move as fast.

Jenna pulled a chair from the kitchen table and positioned it close to him, then sat her plate in her lap and watched as he slowly admired the smell of each item.

"You slept so peacefully," she said, taking a small bite. "I would have made us lunch, but I couldn't find it in my heart to wake you."

He was so attentive, waiting until she'd stopped speaking before turning back to his plate. He took small, testing bites with the side of his mouth, focusing on the meatloaf.

Jenna smiled. "Once we're finished, I need to change that bandage and have a look at how it's all healing."

He didn't acknowledge her, just sniffed at the remaining food, licked at the potatoes a bit, then laid back down with a huff.

Her smile fell. He didn't like it. She'd messed up, again. Things were so much easier for the women in her books. In her stories, the main love interest had an instant connection. The moment he saw her, he fell head over heels. She shook her head. She couldn't be like that. He was injured. He was probably in pain. Horror struck her as she realized she hadn't given him anything for the pain.

Quickly, she jumped up, startling the wolf in her hurry. She grabbed a handful of painkillers from the cabinet, pushed them inside another huge slice of the meatloaf, and replaced the unfinished plate he had with the new one.

He devoured the new portion, seeming grateful for her thoughtfulness. When he finished and looked up at her, she gasped. His eyes were brighter, more focused, and he was... he was smiling.

He smiled at her.

Jenna smiled back, so hard her cheeks hurt. "You're very welcome." She almost laughed she was so excited. Forgetting her own food, she picked up his plate and took both of them to the sink. Her heart soared. She was right. She knew it. The minute she saw him in the snow, she'd known there was something special there. This wasn't a normal wolf. All her dreams were coming true. This was fate. All the years she'd dreamed of fantasy had been because she was destined to have one. The other boys hadn't been right because they were never meant to be.

The wolf was sleeping when she returned, and she was careful not to wake him as she removed his bandage and checked the wound beneath. It wasn't bleeding. It didn't look infected. She replaced the old bandage with a new one, cleaned up her mess, then returned.

His fur was beautiful, unlike anything she'd ever seen. It was soft beneath her hand. She scooted closer and stretched her body out beside his, then ran her hand through the mass, behind his ear, over his neck, avoiding the bandages. "My wolf," she whispered. "My very own."

Jenna fell asleep in that spot, her arm circling him, and she slept more peacefully than she ever had before.

Is Jenna crazy, or do you think there's something more to the wolf she's brought home?

Hope you enjoyed!