The Parr

Zeff

It was getting late, and the office had all but emptied. The quiet hum of the overhead lights was barely noticeable, and the distant sounds of the cleaning staff were faint in the background. It was just Liliam and me left, working on the final details of the project. The air between us felt different tonight—charged, heavier. The tension that had been building over the last few weeks was practically suffocating now, thick enough to cut through.

Every time I glanced at her, my wolf stirred inside me, restless, demanding more of my attention. Her scent wrapped around me like a second skin, pulling me in. I couldn't stop thinking about how close we were, how easy it would be to cross the line, to act on everything I had been holding back for so long.

I watched her out of the corner of my eye as she worked, her fingers tapping lightly on the keys, the soft curve of her neck exposed as she leaned closer to her screen. It was maddening, the way my body reacted to her. My muscles were tense, my skin tingling with awareness every time she moved.

Suddenly, her voice cut through the tension. "Someone's calling you," she said, pointing at my phone on the desk.

I blinked, breaking out of my thoughts. I hadn't even noticed it vibrating. The name "Josh" flashed across the screen. I reached for it, but before I could even register the call, a sharp pain shot through my chest. I gasped, my body convulsing as I fell to my knees, clutching my side.

The room around me blurred, and the familiar scent of blackberries grew overpowering, flooding the air. I could feel the heat of my transformation pushing its way through me, my muscles rippling under my skin, threatening to tear through the fabric of my clothes.

Fuck. It was the Parr.

"Zeff, are you okay?" Liliam's voice was laced with concern, and her hand hovered near my shoulder, her touch just inches away.

I squeezed my eyes shut, fighting to keep control, but my voice came out strangled. "Please, no."

"No what?" she asked, and before I could stop her, she touched my shoulder.

The instant her fingers grazed my skin, it was like electricity shot through me, igniting everything inside. My hand shot out, gripping her wrist tightly, and I turned to face her.

Her eyes met mine, and I could feel the shift. I saw the shock on her face as she looked into my eyes—black, swirling with hunger and desperation. My wolf was pushing forward, demanding release, and I couldn't hold it back much longer. Her touch, her presence—it was too much. My body trembled with the effort of holding Gaius at bay, but my wolf wanted her, needed her.

"Zeff, what's happening?" she asked, her voice soft, but I could hear the undercurrent of fear mixed with something else.

Her scent hit me again, harder this time, and it took everything I had not to pull her closer, not to give in to the primal urge clawing its way through me. "Liliam…" I growled, my voice rough, barely recognizable as my own.

She didn't pull away. Instead, she stayed close, her eyes searching mine, filled with confusion and something that only made my desire for her stronger. My control was slipping fast, my wolf clawing to take over. I couldn't stop it.

"You're not helping me here, Liliam," I rasped, my grip on the desk tightening until I felt the wood crack beneath my fingers. I could barely stand the heat between us, the way my body ached for hers. "I'm losing control of myself."

"Help you with what?" she asked, her voice trembling. "What's going on, Zeff?"

I closed my eyes, trying to focus, trying to hold on to some shred of control. "Myself," I ground out, my voice taut with restraint. "I need you to go. Please, for your own safety."

But she didn't go. She didn't move an inch.

Instead, she stepped closer, her hand sliding over my forearm, her touch sending a bolt of heat straight through me. The air between us felt like it was on fire, and the scent of her was intoxicating, pulling me under. I shuddered, fighting to stay on the right side of the line, but my body wasn't listening anymore.

"Zeff, let me help you," she said softly, her voice steady despite the tension hanging between us.

I couldn't stop the groan that escaped me as her fingers brushed my skin. The feel of her, so close, was too much. "No," I growled, my voice rough and edged with desperation. "You can't help me right now. Just go."

But she didn't go. Her eyes stayed locked on mine, filled with that same unspoken connection that had been building for weeks, the same pull I had been fighting. And then, in one swift movement, I gave in.

I grabbed her waist and pulled her to me, my lips crashing against hers with a hunger that had been burning inside me for too long. The moment our lips touched, it was like everything else fell away. All the tension, the restraint—it vanished. I kissed her like I had been dying to for weeks, my body pressed against hers, my hands clutching her tightly as if she might disappear.

Her response was immediate, her hands gripping my shirt as she pulled me closer, her lips moving against mine with a need that matched my own. I could taste her, feel her body pressing against mine, and it drove me wild.

Every inch of her felt perfect under my hands, and I couldn't get enough. My hands roamed her back, her sides, pulling her closer, needing more. She gasped against my lips, her breath hot and her body arching into me. I couldn't think, couldn't stop.

"Zeff," Liliam whispered breathlessly against my lips, her voice trembling with the same need that was tearing through me. The sound of her saying my name like that only fueled the fire raging inside me. My wolf was prowling beneath the surface, growling with desire, wanting nothing more than to claim her, to feel her completely.

But then I felt her pulling back, her breath coming in quick, shallow gasps, her heart pounding wildly against my chest. "I'm sorry," she stammered, her voice breaking as if she was trying to fight what was happening between us.

The Parr and the scent of her essence was still thick in the air, intoxicating, pulling me deeper into her orbit. My eyes locked onto hers, and I could see the same hunger mirrored back at me, despite her attempt to pull away. A soft moan escaped her lips, almost as if she couldn't help it, and that sound was enough to drive me over the edge.

With sudden, fluid grace, I reached out and lifted her effortlessly, placing her on the desk. My hands were firm but gentle, every movement controlled yet charged with an urgency I could barely contain. I leaned in close, her warmth, her scent enveloping me, drawing me closer. My mouth hovered near her ear, and I could feel the tremor in her breath as my lips brushed her skin.

Her hands slid to the back of my head, fingers tangling in my hair, pulling me even closer. I could feel her body trembling against mine, and it only made the need coursing through me stronger. I was growling softly with desire, the sound vibrating from my chest and into her. Her legs wrapped around my waist instinctively, pulling me in, and I could feel the hard press of my arousal against her.

This was getting out of hand. Fast.

My mind was screaming at me to stop, to get control, but her scent, her touch—it was all too much. I was on the verge of losing myself completely, letting my wolf take over, when—

"Hello?" A voice echoed down the hall, cutting through the haze of desire like a sharp blade. The night janitor.

The interruption made the wolf in me snarl in frustration. I felt Liliam tense beneath me, her body stiffening as reality came crashing back down on both of us. She pulled away suddenly, panic clear in her wide eyes, slipping out of my grasp before I could react.

"Liliam," I called after her, my voice still thick with the tremor of my arousal, but I forced myself to soften it, to try and be gentle with her. I didn't want her to leave like this, not after everything that had just happened. But she didn't stop.

"I need to go," she blurted out, not even looking back at me.

Before I could reach out, she turned and bolted for the door, leaving me standing there, the scent of her still lingering in the air, driving my wolf mad with frustration.

Shit! I cursed silently, trying to wrestle back the control I had been so close to losing. The Parr was still there, a tangible force in the room, pulling me toward the door where Liliam had fled, urging me to chase after her. But I fought against it, forcing myself to stay still, to calm the storm that was raging inside me.

This is bad. My mind raced as I tried to pull myself together. The Parr, my wolf, everything was spiraling out of control. I had come so close—too close—to crossing a line with Liliam. And now she was gone, running away from me, confused and terrified by the pull we shared.

I couldn't lose control like that again. But no matter how much I tried to push it down, the need for her still burned deep inside me.

*******

The icy water cascaded over my back, the cold biting into my skin and slowly calming the raging fire within. I had rushed home, barely able to keep the transformation at bay, and now stood under the shower, letting the freezing water help me regain control. The Parr had hit me harder than ever before, and it had taken every ounce of willpower to hold back from losing control right there in the office.

The water streamed over me, and I closed my eyes, focusing on my breathing. In and out, slowly and deliberately. The cold helped, numbing the intense heat and primal urges that had surged through me. Gradually, the tension in my muscles began to ease, and my thoughts became clearer.

The cold water continued to pour over me, calming my body and mind. I stood there for a few more moments, letting the chill seep into my bones, before finally turning off the shower. I wrapped a towel around my waist and picked up my phone, hesitating. Should I text her?

How could I explain something like this? How could I tell her about the pull of the Parr and the force that drove me to the brink of losing control? How could I make her understand the intensity of my feelings, heightened by the primal instincts that Gaius brought forth in me?

As I dried off and got dressed, I couldn't shake the memory of her touch, her eyes filled with concern and confusion. The Parr had brought out a side of me that I had always struggled to control, and now, more than ever, I needed to find a way to manage it.

For Liliam's sake, and for mine.

I sighed, feeling a mix of relief and guilt. The Parr wasn't just a force of nature; it was a sexual drive that amplified every instinct and desire I had. It was why I had to be so careful around Liliam. Her scent, her presence, everything about her intensified my need, and it took all my strength to keep it in check.

I thought back to the office, to the way her lips had felt against mine, the way her body had responded to my touch. It had taken every shred of self-control not to lose myself entirely in her. The raw desire coursing through me had been overwhelming, almost painful, and her touch had only intensified it. The way she'd looked at me, with that mix of fear and something else—something deeper, something that mirrored the longing inside me—had nearly driven me over the edge.

I couldn't let that happen again. Not until I knew she was ready to understand what this all meant. For her, for us, if there could ever be an "us."

As I sat on the edge of my bed, I knew I had to explain things to her, but the timing had to be right. She deserved to know the truth, but I needed to make sure I could control the beast within me before I could let her in on that part of my life.

I took a deep breath, feeling Gaius stir inside me, still restless from the encounter. I had to find a way to calm him, to keep him at bay. For now, the only thing I could do was stay away, keep my distance until I could trust myself around her again.

I couldn't risk losing control. Not with Liliam.

For now, I would focus on calming the storm inside and protecting her from the force that threatened to overwhelm me whenever she was near. And maybe, just maybe, find a way to explain it all without pushing her away for good.

I sighed again, running a hand through my hair, still damp from the shower. There was no easy answer here, no clear path forward. But one thing was certain: I couldn't stay away from her forever. And sooner or later, she would have to know the truth about what I was, and what she had come to mean to me.