is not abuse.”
“You frightened her needlessly. You know pack law
always gives a woman a choice.”
“Up to a point.” Jared knew once a woman lay down with
a man, even if only he felt the bond, all choice was gone. The woman became his
sole responsibility.
Creed inclined his head. “But until that point, she
will be protected in her right to choose.”
“Protected from what?”
“Vamp males are known for their indiscriminate
mating.” Creed’s lip curled in disgust. “She is a woman who thinks in terms of
forever. That will be respected.”
It was a warning. The snarl ripped from Jared’s throat
without thought. No one told him what to do with his woman.
Creed stepped back, a mocking smile on his lips.
“Snarl all you want, but she is a woman whose compatibility to were mating has
been scented by all. If she becomes someone’s mate, she will not be leaving.”
Great. Just what he needed. Weres on a mating mission.
“She’s not a paragon. She’s as contrary as they come.”
As one, the weres around him smiled, purely male
smiles of anticipation, making Jared wonder if their escort had been picked at
random or from the pack’s most eligible males. Creed was no exception.
“Then she should fit right into the pack.”
Shit.
HE’D kill every damn were in the pack before he let
them get their paws on her, Jared decided as Raisa came out of the bathroom
wrapped in a too-big heavy terry robe, steam billowing around her, framing her
in a fragrant cloud.
“Warmed up?” he asked, keeping his voice as neutral as
possible, which wasn’t all that neutral. The woman stirred all the rough edges
of his personality.
She nodded and clutched the neck of the robe closed.
“Yes, thank you.”
Her hair was still damp, falling around her too-thin
face in a subdued mass of waves. As soon as it dried, it would be that wild
tangle of honey curls that tempted a man to wrap his fingers in the tawny mass.
Her lips were soft but not relaxed, reflecting the tension he could see
shadowing her gaze.
“What’s wrong?”
She crossed the room, her bare feet making wisps of
sound as she came to where he stood in front of the wood-burning stove. “Are we
going to be here long?”
“For a bit, why?”
She shrugged. “I was just wondering.”
Weariness and nervousness came off her in an
undulating wave. “You wouldn’t, by any chance, be feeling a little hunted?”
She shot him a startled glance and then a rueful
smile. “Hard to believe, but even the Sanctuary made me feel less pursued.”
Jared could understand that. “The D’Nallys are a
rather intense clan.”
“Don’t they have any women of their own?”
“Yes, but it’s not that simple.”
He tugged one of the wing-back chairs over closer to
the stove. She flashed him that smile and a touch of soft energy. “Thank you.”
She kept the robe closed around her legs as she sat,
denying him a glimpse of anything other than the tips of her pink, slightly-prunedfrom-the-bath
toes. After years of watching and appreciating the most blatant displays of
female flesh, he’d forgotten how erotic a women’s modesty could be. The
anticipation of maybe catching a glimpse of what was always hidden, the
temptation of the possibility of getting the woman to flash a bit of ankle,
maybe to catch a hint of the top curve of a breast, a bare arm, a dimpled knee
. . .
Longing hit him like a sledgehammer. Longing for a
time when things were simpler, when he understood the rules and was comfortable
with them. The robe’s neckline gaped as Raisa scooted back on the seat. Jared
caught his breath as the shadowed valley between her pert breasts became
visible, a dainty hollow that was just deep enough for his kiss. On either side,
the small mounds swelled in a creamy firm expanse. His mouth watered. If he
kissed her there, she’d taste of soap and clean, willing woman. His fingers
twitched as he stared. She had very white skin. It glowed warm in the soft
light of the
“You frightened her needlessly. You know pack law
always gives a woman a choice.”
“Up to a point.” Jared knew once a woman lay down with
a man, even if only he felt the bond, all choice was gone. The woman became his
sole responsibility.
Creed inclined his head. “But until that point, she
will be protected in her right to choose.”
“Protected from what?”
“Vamp males are known for their indiscriminate
mating.” Creed’s lip curled in disgust. “She is a woman who thinks in terms of
forever. That will be respected.”
It was a warning. The snarl ripped from Jared’s throat
without thought. No one told him what to do with his woman.
Creed stepped back, a mocking smile on his lips.
“Snarl all you want, but she is a woman whose compatibility to were mating has
been scented by all. If she becomes someone’s mate, she will not be leaving.”
Great. Just what he needed. Weres on a mating mission.
“She’s not a paragon. She’s as contrary as they come.”
As one, the weres around him smiled, purely male
smiles of anticipation, making Jared wonder if their escort had been picked at
random or from the pack’s most eligible males. Creed was no exception.
“Then she should fit right into the pack.”
Shit.
HE’D kill every damn were in the pack before he let
them get their paws on her, Jared decided as Raisa came out of the bathroom
wrapped in a too-big heavy terry robe, steam billowing around her, framing her
in a fragrant cloud.
“Warmed up?” he asked, keeping his voice as neutral as
possible, which wasn’t all that neutral. The woman stirred all the rough edges
of his personality.
She nodded and clutched the neck of the robe closed.
“Yes, thank you.”
Her hair was still damp, falling around her too-thin
face in a subdued mass of waves. As soon as it dried, it would be that wild
tangle of honey curls that tempted a man to wrap his fingers in the tawny mass.
Her lips were soft but not relaxed, reflecting the tension he could see
shadowing her gaze.
“What’s wrong?”
She crossed the room, her bare feet making wisps of
sound as she came to where he stood in front of the wood-burning stove. “Are we
going to be here long?”
“For a bit, why?”
She shrugged. “I was just wondering.”
Weariness and nervousness came off her in an
undulating wave. “You wouldn’t, by any chance, be feeling a little hunted?”
She shot him a startled glance and then a rueful
smile. “Hard to believe, but even the Sanctuary made me feel less pursued.”
Jared could understand that. “The D’Nallys are a
rather intense clan.”
“Don’t they have any women of their own?”
“Yes, but it’s not that simple.”
He tugged one of the wing-back chairs over closer to
the stove. She flashed him that smile and a touch of soft energy. “Thank you.”
She kept the robe closed around her legs as she sat,
denying him a glimpse of anything other than the tips of her pink, slightly-prunedfrom-the-bath
toes. After years of watching and appreciating the most blatant displays of
female flesh, he’d forgotten how erotic a women’s modesty could be. The
anticipation of maybe catching a glimpse of what was always hidden, the
temptation of the possibility of getting the woman to flash a bit of ankle,
maybe to catch a hint of the top curve of a breast, a bare arm, a dimpled knee
. . .
Longing hit him like a sledgehammer. Longing for a
time when things were simpler, when he understood the rules and was comfortable
with them. The robe’s neckline gaped as Raisa scooted back on the seat. Jared
caught his breath as the shadowed valley between her pert breasts became
visible, a dainty hollow that was just deep enough for his kiss. On either side,
the small mounds swelled in a creamy firm expanse. His mouth watered. If he
kissed her there, she’d taste of soap and clean, willing woman. His fingers
twitched as he stared. She had very white skin. It glowed warm in the soft
light of the
Similar Books
