Page 14 of The Scent of Seduction

“Yes, Alpha.”

Adam watched as Jasper left his office. There’d been some kind of cleverly concealed emotion in the wolf’s eyes there at the end, but Adam didn’t have time to deal with petty drama. He was confident that the wolf shifter would do his job and bring back Adam’s wayward mate. Until then, Adam would be busy instigating the hunt for the wolf who’d dared to tread where he didn’t belong.

Jaryn picked up Nicole’s hand, which had been resting on the center console of his Jeep. “Are you ready for this?”

“I think so. It is kind of exciting. I’ve never seen a wolf before. Not a natural one, and the shifters at Adam’s compound were never allowed to change.”

“What do you think will make you more comfortable? Do you want to actually watch me change, or do you want to see the result?”

Nicole twisted in the passenger seat. The Jeep hit a rut in the dirt road and she braced her hand on the bar attached to the dashboard. Did she want to watch Jaryn the human disappear and take his alternate form, or did she want to turn around and be surprised? If she watched the whole thing, would she get to see him naked? That thought made her cheeks hot, and she was grateful for the darkness of the vehicle.

Jaryn chuckled. “Yes, sweetheart. I have to get naked to shift. Well, I do if I want to have clothes to wear later.”

She gasped. “How did you…”

Jaryn lifted Nicole’s hand to his lips and kissed the back. “Our bond. I’m getting better at reading your emotions. That and I can scent your arousal. In fact, you’re particularly rich right now because you’re ovulating. It’s been driving me insane all day.”

Nicole tugged her hand out of Jaryn’s grip and placed it against her stomach. She knew the timing was about right, but was stunned that Jaryn could detect something so personal. “You mean if we… tonight?”

“If we made love tonight, then you would most definitely be pregnant by morning.”

“Wow. Um, Jaryn… I’m not sure if—”

“Relax, sweetheart. I know you’re not ready yet. And don’t worry—I can control myself. Just don't be surprised if you find me wrapping you up tighter in my arms tonight and reveling in your scent. It’s so delicious. And there is a good chance that if you watch me change, you'll see that I get hard. It’s a natural response to a mate in heat, but I won’t take advantage, I promise you.”

She’d be able to see Jaryn naked and aroused and not have to worry about being jumped? That was like letting a child loose in a candy store. She could gorge on his presence with no fear of being called a cold fish or cock tease or any other name she’d heard in the past.

“Yes,” she whispered. “Yes what, sweetheart?” “I want to watch.”

Even in the darkness she saw Jaryn’s smile, and seeing the happiness on his face made the butterflies in her stomach flutter in excitement. Jaryn pulled the Jeep off the road and shut off the engine.

“Let’s go.”

He jumped out of the driver’s seat. He’d mentioned earlier that this weekend he would probably put the hardtop and doors on. The nights were decidedly cooler now than when she’d arrived in town a few weeks ago. She looked out the windshield and saw Jaryn waiting for her out in the meadow. He held out a hand toward her, silently asking her to join him in his celebration of the full moon.

Nicole slowly unlocked the seatbelt and climbed out of the vehicle. The tall grass brushed against her jeans-clad calves as she walked deeper into the night. She met Jaryn and together they walked hand in hand across his pack’s lands. Nicole could almost believe that they were simply a couple out for an evening stroll… except she looked over her shoulder and saw the full moon gently rising in the sky.

They paused beside a lake, and Jaryn lifted his head to the sky. His expression softened, mesmerizing her. If the moon actually had energy, she would have said it appeared as if he actually absorbed its power, erasing all the small worry lines that built throughout the day.

Over the last few weeks, she’d seen just how hard Jaryn worked, not only for his pack but also in his and Shaun’s business. Last week, he came to her motel all excited because they’d got the contract on some movie star’s new getaway home, though he wouldn’t tell her who, much to her consternation. The star had loved Jaryn’s design concept, and the new account was a huge coup for their business.

The only downside was that the celebrity wanted to break ground before the first freeze of winter. Shaun had assured the man that if they got a crew on site right away, they could have the foundation poured in a couple of weeks and have the primary structure up and closed in by the New Year.

According to both men, working in cold weather didn’t really bother a wolf crew as much as it would a crew made up of humans. And snow was easily brushed away from the framing as it went up. Of course, as happy as she was for Jaryn, this would add extra pressure on his shoulders in the coming months. Her man would have to learn to delegate.

Wow, it feels good to admit finally that Jaryn is mine. Even if it is only to myself.

Jaryn gave Nicole’s hand a little squeeze. “Come over here.”

She put aside her epiphany for the moment and moved to stand in front of Jaryn. His arms came around her waist, and she relaxed against his chest.

“Did you know that tonight is a blue moon?”

She shook her head.

“The blue moon is a rarity that occurs only once every several years. It’s the third full moon of the season. It’s a special event, especially for us wolves. I wanted to share it with you.” Jaryn rested his lips against Nicole’s ear. “Can you feel her power? Can you feel her calling to you?” he whispered.

Nicole closed her eyes and let her mind drift. There was something inside her that felt at peace underneath the stars. Whether that had anything to do with the moon above them or Jaryn’s arms wrapped around her, she couldn’t say.

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