Falling into the White (The Ancients Series) by Christine M. Butler Page A

kiss. There was no longer an innocent brushing of lips, his tongue slipped in my mouth, slick and hot, dancing with my own. I’m not sure when it happened, but before I knew what was going on my legs were wrapped around Mikael’s waist, and he was the only thing holding me up in the water. I could feel that he was excited by my closeness. Parts of him were suddenly touching parts of me that Evan hadn’t even gotten that close to yet. One wrong move, and I could kiss my virginity goodbye right here and now. As he continued kissing me, I wasn’t sure I cared anymore. He pulled back from me momentarily, and when I looked into eyes all I could see there was desire, hunger, need… maybe those were my own feelings I was projecting on him in the moment. I just didn’t even want to think about it anymore. I reached my hands up and grasped either side of his stubble-covered face and pulled him back to me, initiating the kiss this time all by myself.
    Mikael groaned deep and low, which sent my hormones into overdrive, and then he was moving, maneuvering us over to the shelf on the side of the thermal pool. His mouth never left mine as we moved. I was completely swept away in the kiss, my hands gliding from the stubble on his face to the short hairs behind his ears, then through the longer hair that normally hung long across his face. As we continued kissing his stubbly face was scratching at mine in a delicious contrast to the slick tongue that was maneuvering in my mouth expertly.
    I felt my butt backed up to the ledge of the pool as his hands cupped around my ass to lift me a little higher, a position that would make it easier for him to…
    Giggling erupted from behind us, near the mouth of the cave, breaking the spell I’d been under. I looked up and saw a girl and boy from the pack that were probably three years younger than I was. I leaked out some power so they’d feel we were there.
    “Oh sorry, we didn’t know anyone was here.” The boy called out. He was squinting, trying to see what it was he had interrupted, or more importantly who. Then the girl tugged on his arm, and started pulling them out of the cave. As the two left I pushed Mikael away lightly. He didn’t try to stop me, and I appreciated that, as I was still trying to catch my breath.
    “I’m sorry.” He offered as he backed up a little to give me space.
    “For what?”
    “I don’t normally lose control like that. It went too far…” His head was down and I could tell he meant it. Who knew Mikael was actually a gentleman underneath all that rough exterior?
    “There’s nothing to be sorry about. We were both swept up in the moment.”
    “Jess, I just know that you made your decision to be with Evan already, and it’s not really as simple as all that.”
    “I’m learning nothing is really simple anymore.” I leaned back in and put my hand on Mikael’s chest, then kissed him lightly on the lips before I turned and swam away. I didn’t ask him to turn his back as I got out. He got the full view of me from the rear, before I called my wolf forward. My transition from human to wolf was almost instantaneous, that familiar warm tingling sensation came over me when it happened, and then the human in me faded out, seamlessly replaced by my wolf. Our shift was magical. The only time it ever came with pain was when it was forced on us or when a human, who had been turned, shifted for the first time. I walked to the edge of the cave on all fours, and then sat on my haunches to wait for Mikael to catch up to me. We ran back to the house together. Bumping into one another, playing, and cutting loose like I hadn’t been able to do in my wolf form for a long time. It was refreshing, with a bonus of keeping me from dwelling in my own head for too long.
    Once we got back, my robe was still on the porch, but my mom must have picked up after me, because instead of being on the floor there, it was neatly laid out across the swing. I tapped the outdoor storage