Page 2 of Midnight Hunt

Her gaze finally dropped below my chin, taking in my lean muscular frame and the dark tattoos winding up both arms. Water still dotted my golden skin, and her eyes followed their downward path to my waist. When they dipped lower, I thought about letting the towel slip and revealing the goods. Before I could, she looked away.

“That was six months ago, Griff. I was in a vulnerable state, and a lot has happened since then. Kolton appointed you as his third, and you live across the hall from me now. I don’t think we should complicate that with sex.”

I kept my tone casual, but tension lined my body as I dared to ask, “What about when you go into heat again? What will you do then?”

Her shoulders fell. “I . . . I don’t know.”

“It’s okay, Vi,” I reassured when her expression turned troubled. “You don’t have to decide anything right now. Just know that if you need help again, I’ll be there for you. It doesn’t have to affect our friendship.”

Worrying her lip, she whispered, “Promise?”

“Cross my heart. We’re family. That will never change.”

She nodded but still wouldn’t look at me.

“How about this,” I continued. “Let’s make a promise to always be there for each other, no matter what.”

She finally looked up at me, her eyes suspiciously wet. “Even if I date dickish guys?”

I smiled at her despite the persistent ache in my chest. “Even if you date dozens of dickish guys. Which I’ll beat to a pulp if they dare disrespect you.”

She rolled her eyes, her anger from earlier gone. “Fine. I promise.”

When she stuck out her hand, it was my turn to roll my eyes. “You know me better than that, Violet Jane. Come here.”

She immediately rushed forward to accept my embrace. Just like that, my tension evaporated. Over the years, we’d hugged each other more times than I could count, but hugging her felt different now. Maybe not to her, but it sure as hell did for me.

We’d been intimate, our bodies exploring each other in every way possible. When I touched her now, every inch of me became hyper-aware of her. And when she touched me, my body yearned for more.

But she’d made it perfectly clear how she felt about me. Even if she allowed me to help with her heat again, we were only friends.

Still, I didn’t let that stop me from tightening my arms around her. She might never see me as anything more than her brother’s best friend, but I would always be there for her.

No matter what.

1

VIOLET

The crowd erupted into chaos. I joined the excitement, rising from my seat to clap and holler at the top of my lungs.

“Yeah, Reid! Woohoo!”

It was the first football game of the season, and we’d won by a landslide—not surprising, considering who the quarterback was.

For four years running, Reid Zimmerman had led the New England Rebels to Super Bowl victory. Never before had the NFL seen a quarterback throw with such speed and accuracy. He’d taken the industry by storm, quickly rising in fame and securing the adoration of millions.

Girls fawned over him at every opportunity, all but willing to donate a kidney for one of his megawatt smiles. Charities loved him, benefiting from his giving nature, and fellow players respected him for his down-to-earth attitude.

Reid was the epitome of an all-American hero. Friendly, kind, hot as hell, and to his female fandom’s chagrin . . .

Taken.

That’s right. The six-foot-three, twenty-five-year-old quarterback with golden hazel eyes, dark brown hair, and gorgeous light brown skin was my boyfriend.

Oh, and did I mention he was a werewolf?

That part wasn’t common knowledge, though. In fact, no one in the packed stadium but me and a handful of others knew that he could transform into a massive black wolf. Hiding his furry side from the public wasn’t always easy, but he somehow managed. He usually only needed one night a month to wolf out, often choosing to head home to his pack in Maine for the occasion.

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