Feral Seduction (Feral Protectors 2) by Liv Brywood

his life.
    Apparently aware that he wouldn’t submit to her screaming demands, she changed her strategy. She padded over to him and stroked the fur on his chest.
    In a silky voice she said, “You’re such a big, strong werewolf. I’m offering you anything you want. You can do anything and I’ll beg for more.”
    He swished his tail as he backed away.
    “You can just lie there and I’ll do all the work. I promise.” She twirled a long lock of hair around her finger and then dropped her hand to cup one breast. “I bet you’d like to lick and suck every inch of me.”
    He growled low in his throat. He’d love to devour her. She was playing a dangerous game.
    “How long has it been since you’ve been with a woman?”
    He pawed the floor. Far, far too long.
    “Just shift back and you can have me.”
    He shook his head and growled. He couldn’t take much more of her teasing. If she didn’t stop trying to seduce him, he’d give in and do the one thing he’d sworn he’d never do again. He barely knew her, but he knew enough to know that she was the kind of woman who could steal his heart. He couldn’t risk opening himself to heartache for one heat-induced night of passion. He wasn’t even sure that she’d want him if not enthralled by the moonlight.
    As she tried to rub her body against his, he bared his teeth and growled ferociously. She jumped back and gasped. Her hand flew to cover her heart. He hated himself for making her fear him, but it was the only way he could resist her feral seduction.
    She scampered back to the bed and pulled a blanket over her body. With her back to the wall, she glared at him. “Fine. I get it. You don’t want me. Why am I even here right now? Why don’t you just throw me out to the pack?”
    Sadness coated his heart. He hadn’t meant to hurt her. And although he had all night to decide how to explain his reluctance, he wasn’t convinced that he’d have a satisfactory answer for her in the morning.
    He turned and stepped onto the ledge. He curled into a ball and rested at the entrance to the cave. His ears pricked up, alert for the sounds of approaching wolves. He couldn’t make love to her, but he could do everything in his power to protect her.
     
    ***
     
    The next morning, sunlight streamed into the cave and with it came the melody of songbirds. Brandy lifted her head from the pillow and stared at Stryde. He lay curled up at the entrance to the cave, his head tucked under one paw. He looked so adorable that for a second, she forgot how stupid she’d acted the night before.
    She hung her head in horror. She’d thrown herself at him and he’d rejected her. She didn’t know what hurt worse, his rejection, or the thick, unquenched longing between her thighs. She’d never acted so wanton, so desperate. She didn’t need a man to complicate her already disastrous life.
    Yes, he’d saved her and she owed him her life, but she didn’t intent to repay him like a tramp. She wasn’t that kind of woman. She’d actually only been with one man. Jimmy, her ex-boyfriend, had wooed her in high school and had said all the right things to get into her pants. Once he’d taken her virginity, he’d lost interest. He’d dumped her for one of her friends.
    Her lack of experience made her behavior the previous night even more bizarre. How would she endure four more nights of full moon heat? She’d barely survived the night. As soon as Stryde woke up, she intended to apologize for her behavior.
    Across the room, Stryde stirred. He stretched his front paws forward and his back paws out behind him. As he yawned, his sharp canine teeth glistened. She shook her head. If a creature like him could resist her in heat, then either he didn’t find her attractive, or he had nerves of steel. As much as she wanted to ask which it was, she kept her mouth shut.
    Stryde lumbered toward her and rested his head on her lap. She stroked the fur behind his ears. “You probably think I’m an idiot for