Before Midnight by Jennifer Blackstream

fear. The wildness inside her raged nearly out of control. For one hair-raising second she swore she could feel the wolf open its eyes inside her.
     
    “Stop,” she choked. She dropped her hands to his shoulders and shoved, hard. “Stop!”
     
    Etienne pulled back. His grey eyes were glazed over, still locked on her mouth. She pushed at him again, struggling to make him put her down. Fear gave her strength and she jerked her hips hard enough that he grunted and almost dropped her.
     
    “I’m sorry,” he mumbled finally. He seemed to wake up, tension springing to his body and his eyes suddenly growing sharp. “Loupe, I’m sorry,” he repeated, setting her down on her feet. His hands trembled as he took them away from her hips. He stepped back and clenched and unclenched his fists.
     
    “No, it’s all right, I just, I have to go.” Loupe knew she was babbling, but she couldn’t help it. How could she have been so stupid? Was it really worth it? Were a few kisses, a little pleasure, worth risking the life of the man who’d shown her more kindness than any human since her father had died? Her imagination fed her fear, painting a gruesome picture of the wolf tearing itself from her body and falling on Etienne like a ravenous monster. She could almost hear his screams, smell his blood, see his devastated body…
     
    “I’ve upset you. Please, I didn’t mean to scare you.”
     
    Etienne held up a hand, pleading with her to calm down. Tears brimmed in Loupe’s eyes. She’d put that pain on his face, she’d led him on and now she was running away. She lowered her head, too miserable to think straight.
     
    “I’m sorry,” she sobbed.
     
    “Why are you crying? Loupe, please talk to me.” Etienne looked panicked now, and Loupe would have laughed if the situation weren’t so painful.
     
    “No, it’s nothing,” she insisted, swiping at the tears streaming down her face as she kept backing away. “I’m just…sorry to be leaving the pups behind. I’ll miss them terribly.”
     
    Etienne took a step toward her and she almost fell over when she tried to retreat faster. “You’re coming to visit them soon, aren’t you?” he insisted.
     
    He tried to keep his tone light, but Loupe could see that he was fighting not to grab for her. She was upsetting him, worrying him, and she didn’t know how to fix it. All she knew was that she had to run. She had to get away from him, from the feelings he inspired in her…from the future he made her want even though she knew she could never have it.
     
    “I’m sorry,” she whispered.
     
    Then she turned and fled.
     
     

Chapter 6
     
     
    Etienne stared after Loupe, his brain sluggish with heat and his pulse thundering out of control. He gripped the trunk of the tree with one hand, using every ounce of his self-control to keep from chasing her down. The rough bark dug into his fingertips, but the meager pain was a pathetic excuse for a distraction. He couldn’t look away from Loupe, could barely resist breaking into a run. It would take so little to catch her…
     
    “Ahhh,” he snarled, forcing his gaze to the ground. He sucked in deep breaths of cool morning air, forcing the heat from his blood. He couldn’t feel his wolf, not like he used to, but that didn’t stop the beast’s hungers from holding him in a vice.
     
    He’d tasted her, held her in his arms, felt the sweet heat of her arousal between her thighs. It hadn’t been enough. He wanted to run, to catch her, to bring her to the ground and tear away the clothing that kept him from burying himself deep inside her. Blood pounded in his veins, making his aching cock throb with the pressure. He stifled a groan and closed his eyes. He opened them again immediately. Closing his eyes only made it easier to remember the feel of her lips on his, to get lost in the memory of how warm her body had been in his arms, his cock trapped between their clothed bodies…
     
    “No wonder she ran, you