Page 20 of Catnip

The wolf extended his handexpectantly.

Slowly, reluctantly, she closed the distance she’d managed to create between them and shook it, still not quite sure what the hell was happeningthere.

“Nice try, birdie. But I just want my shaftback.”

“Oh.”

Feeling stupid, she handed him the damn sheath. He could obviously kill her even if she kept it, anyway. He hadn’t eventried.

“What was that all about? She’s fucking healing,” Coveney seethed, rushing to her side, and pulling her t-shirt high enough to check on herwound.

“I’m alright,” she replied, although she also would have loved to know what the hell it had been allabout.

The First Wolf smiledagain.

“I heard women were made of something more in Dale. I had tocheck.”

“Well, this one is taken,” Coveney stated simply, holding her againsthim.

And he must have been utterly suicidal, because he went as far as throwing his dominant vibes at the First fucking Wolf. The two-thousand- year-old ex-gladiator who’d just moved like a fucking ninja without breaking asweat.

Knox, Fenrir, or whatever he went by, tilted his head, and raised a brow, like he found Coveney’s little displayendearing.

“Is she now? Shame.” He turned his back on them, disinterested. “Now, I sincerely hope you have some tea for me, dearest,” he said, taking Aisling’s arm, and letting her guide him to the diningroom.

What.The…

“Did you just get into a pissing contest over me with an ancient, murderous, and potentially insanewerewolf?”

“Looks likeit.”

Yeah, that’s what she’dfigured.

She attempted to looking forbidding. “I’m not a thing a guy can just claim, youknow.”

“I know,” Coveney replied, still not offering any sort of apology, or letting her go, for thatmatter.

“Youshould…”

“You can stop talking now. I’m about to kissyou.”

She had some sort of reply in mind, but the instant his lips found hers, she had no fucking clue what it might havebeen.

His lips were cool, yet everything in her burned when they touched her skin. She folded against him, wanting, needing more; her hands flew to his neck to ensure she could keep him there for the rest of time. But, just like that, he stopped, taking a stepback.

“See? That’s why you’re taken,” he said, winking playfully, before walking in the livingroom.

The Enemy

Ava madeno damn fucking sense. Shy. Skittish. Flying around like a goddamn ninja, faster than anyone he’d ever seen untiltoday.

Which was hot. Very, very hot. And reassuring, too; he hadn’t quite known what to do with that precious girl who looked like she might break. Turns out, she might be the one breaking him. With her little finger. Wearing ablindfold.

And, by the gods, her lips. Her soft, soft lips. What he would have given for another taste just then. But he knew, without a doubt, that he wouldn’t have been able to stop himself if he’d given in, even just a little more, and they had issues to deal with right now. Like the weird-ass, Earl-Grey-tea- drinking wolf in their livingroom.

Knox sat in Rye’s armchair, like he’d instantly known that it was the Alpha’s place. He looked goddamn satisfied, as the females in the pride rushed around to serve him. Ace brought him his tea, and Clari offered him acupcake.

He stared at the plate with some amusement before takingit.

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