Page 198 of His White Moonlight
He slowly got to his feet as something approached.
Please be Bennett.
The wolf didn’t look like anyone in my family and stopped a healthy distance from me before shifting.It was Milena.
“You were supposed to chase her to the river.”
“Yeah, well, she climbed a tree.”
“And they’re too heavy.Are you willing to risk everything to climb up here and get me, Milena?”
Her gaze flicked to me, showing all her hate.
“Listen, you’re all barking up the wrong tree here.Literally.I wasn’t given any choice about being Bennett’s potential mate.If you don’t like it, convince him to let me go.Going after me isn’t going to fix the problem.It’ll make it worse.He likes throwing things when he’s mad.And you killing me is going to make him mad, not horny and desperate for a new mate.”
“We won’t know until we try,” Milena said.
“By all means.”I gestured to the branches below me.
She didn’t move, though.By attacking me now, she’d leave her scent on the tree and me, which would ensure Bennett’s hate, and she knew it.
Another howl rang out.
Both men swore.Milena looked from me to the direction from which she’d appeared.
“Plan B,” she said.“Regroup in the clearing.”
She shifted and sprinted back in the direction she’d come.
The men grumbled but shifted and ran off in the opposite direction.
Like any smart human, I kept my ass in the tree and my eyes on the ground, watching for a sneak attack.It didn’t happen, though.
After several muscle-cramping minutes balanced in the tree, I watched Bennett approach in his fur.He sniffed where the two men had fallen, then looked up at me.
“Don’t shift,” I called.“I’ll climb down to you.They’re regrouping in the clearing, so I suggest that we avoid that and head for the car.”
As I spoke, I started the arduous trip back to Earth.
“After they realized they couldn’t get me down, Milena showed up.They were supposed to drive me to the river so whoever was waiting there could take care of me without leaving their scents all over.”
Bennett growled below me.
“Hey, don’t blame the messenger.Blame yourself for all of this.I told you this was going to happen.You could have claimed any of them as your potential mate and made everyone’s lives easier.Did you honestly think that a pack of shifters would openly welcome a human as theirfuture alpha’smate?”
During my tirade, I focused on where to place my feet and carefully lowered my weight each time.My hands were aching, and my arms were shaking by the time I reached the last branch.
The hands that gripped my waist were both a blessing and a curse.
“I told you not to shift,” I said, knowing he was now completely naked behind me.I squeezed my eyes closed just before he spun me around.
“Look at me, Wrenly.”
“No thank you.”
He growled again, grabbed my chin, and kissed me.The gentleness of it made my heart race faster than his demanding kisses.I tried to fight the need to melt…to soften my mouth and welcome his touch, but it was impossible.
Heart thundering and chest aching, I parted my lips and kissed him back.
