I WANT YOU

CHAPTER 4

Arthur stripped down and let the change take over. His bones snapped, fur sprouted, and his razor-sharp claws appeared. The three werewolves leapt from the stairs, surrounding Arthur. He threw his head back and howled before he charged the three. They wouldn’t be able to defeat him.

Werewolves were ten times stronger than humans, but Arthur was the first of their kind. His strength was unrivaled.

He snapped the first beast’s neck and then the second’s. The third was a little more careful. It circled around him, steps measured and snarling. Arthur spotted Cristina rushing from the building, and then Conrad emerged, Anna lying limp in her daughter's arms.

Arthur roared at the sight of Anna so lifeless. He leapt on the third beast and tore the thing apart.

“Anna’s hurt,” Christina shouted toward him.

Arthur shifted and quickly dressed.

“What the hell happened?” He scooped Anna’s frail form into his arms, cradling the girl close as they raced toward the car.

“She got sick again,” Cristina said and had the decency to look ashamed. “But she also fell. I think she hurt her wrist.”

Arthur settled into the back of the car and cradled Anna in his arms. Cristina got in and sat across from him. Arthur examined Anna’s wrist and saw that it was already swelling. His eyes snapped to his daughter. “How could you take her to this place? You know she’s frail, Cristina.”

“It was just a stupid party... And I wanted her to enjoy herself..” She argued.

“Yes, but you are a young wolf. You are able to defend yourself against most things.” Though the thought of those three werewolves confronting his daughter and Anna had the hairs on Arthur's arms standing on end. “How could you act so irresponsibly?”

Cristina crossed her arms over her chest and pouted as she settled back into the soft leather. “You know I would never do anything to hurt Anna,” she mumbled. “She’s my best friend.”

Arthur smoothed a hand down Anna’s red hair, tangling his fingers into the strands. Like always, he could smell the sickness inside the human, and it wrenched his heart that Anna was this weak. “You should have used better common sense.” Arthur growled the words under his breath, knowing his daughter could hear him.

“Since when do you go all nutty over me and Anna getting into trouble?” Cristina asked. “You don’t like it, but you’ve never acted this strongly about it before.”

That’s because Eugene is interested in Anna. That’s because my feelings for Anna are growing deeper than I care to examine. “Both of you could have been hurt. There were three adult werewolves heading inside when I pulled up.”

Cristina grew pale. “Three?”

“Now you are starting to understand my anger,” Arthur said.

“You can handle one, at best. You are still in training. Never assume you can go wherever you please and trouble will not follow. We are at war with the vampires, and too many werewolves have given into their beast. It isn’t safe.”

“I know, but I’m not going to live my life locked up at home, Dad,” Cristina argued. “I can’t live that way.”

“And you would put Anna in harm’s way in order to have a good time?” Arthur asked, his tone feral.

Cristina c****d her head to the side, studying her father more seriously now. Hmm. There's something wrong with him and Cristina couldn’t help but said. “You know, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say…” She licked her lips. “Is Anna your intended mistress?”

Arthur glanced out of the window as Conrad drove through the city, heading toward the hospital. His emotions were all over the place when it came to Anna.

The girl had entered their lives by accident, and Arthur had looked upon Anna as nothing more than a human who had been mistreated her entire life. With pity. But as the years droned on, he’d started seeing her as one of the family and had treated Anna as such. But now that the human was grown… Arthur growled to himself. Anna was grown by human standards, but she was still so young compared to Arthur's long years. Yet knowing this, Arthur couldn’t help but imagine her at his side as his mistress. You’ll never find anyone your age or even remotely close. Would it be so bad to have Anna as a lover, as his partner?

“It’s complicated,” he finally answered as he turned back to Cristina.

Cristina crinkled her nose. “My father macking on my best friend. That is so weird.”

The side of Arthur's mouth twitched toward a smile. “And would that be so bad?”

Cristina shrugged, and her amber eyes softened. Arthur had never been prouder than the day his daughter was born. He knew the pup would grow into a fine, strong lady. He just wished her maturity would kick in. But that would come with time. It had taken Arthur himself, three thousand years before he started acting like a responsible adult. But times had been different back then.

“It would be nice to see you smile more often,” Cristina admitted.

Arthur gazed down at Anna’s fevered form and felt his chest tighten. Could he make this young human as his mistress? Could he make Anna happy?

Arthur was not the easiest person to get along with. He was moody, demanding, dominant, and had very little patience for things. But his heart beat an extra rhythm when he thought of Anna at his side.

Just imagining the beautiful woman looking at him lovingly as they spent their time together, Arthur can feel his heart beating. Hopeful for that beautiful future.

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