When seconds passed, and I hadn’t looked away from the mark he’d left on me, he asked, “Are you sure you don’t need myhelp?”
I hurried to remove my leggings, kicking them aside. However turned on I was, my first time wouldn’t be in the middle of the woods against a tree. I shut my eyes and flipped that small switch that transformed me from human to animal. When I blinked, I was on all fours beside a looming dark beast. He nuzzled my neck, and it sent a delicious shiver down my spine. Although chaste, the gesture felt almost as intimate as akiss.
Liam tipped his face toward the sky and let out a long howl. A moment later, a deep keening answered us. The pack was on theFlatirons.
We took off toward them, Liam gentling his speed to match my own. Every so often, I would stop watching the dark forest floor and glance over at him. The irony of how much I enjoyed running beside him and being with him didn’t escape me. I’d spent my formative years despising both Kolane men, believing they were equal in deserving mycontempt.
Son and father were nothingalike.
As Liam ran, he looked at me, his eyes glowing so bright they resembled fragments of stars.Did anything ever happen between August andyou?
His question made me trip and stumble on a sliver of rock that nicked my hock. Liam stopped so suddenly his claws dug into the earth and raised dark dust. Startled, it took me a second to regain myfooting.
He bent his long neck toward the warm trickle seeping from the slice on my hind leg and licked the blood away. Again, my whole bodyquivered.
No. Nothing ever happened,I finally said.But it’s not the first time you ask. Why don’t you believe me? Did August saysomething?
He shook his head.I smelled you on him the night heleft.
Weird. But then I remembered my last meeting with August in the laundry room.I did hughim.
The fur on Liam’s forehead rippled with a frown.He smelled like you’dmated.
I blinked at him.You mean, like we’d hadsex?
He looked off into the distance, as though embarrassed to be asking thisquestion.
Liam, I’ve never had sex with August, or with anyone else for thatmatter.
He swung his head back toward me. Gone was his embarrassment. In its place was pureastonishment.
Oh, God, he really thought I’d whored myselfoff.
Never?He took a step closer, and his nose bumped intomine.
I only became an escort to meet yourfather.
AndAidan.
Ugh.My shoulders tightened at the sound of his name.Dinner with him was an accident. Well, not an accident. I told the escort agency I was no longer interested, but apparently Aidan insisted on meeting me. I said no, but he offered three thousand dollars. I regret every second of thatdinner.
You were so mad when I dragged youout.
Because you think I would’ve admitted to you how relieved I was? I was still convinced you were the devil’sspawn.
His eyes turned somber.I was…Iam.
I’m sorry. That came out wrong.I—
It’s the truth, Ness.My father was a horrible man.He didn’t speak for a long while after that. Just drew in breaths, one afteranother.
I licked his muzzle, and that jolted him out of his dark deliberations.You’renothinglikehim.
Well isn’t thissweet?
Liam whirled around, stepping in front of me to block me from the sight of the whiny-voiced wolf. It didn’t take me long to figure out who it was. A skein of wolves spilled out on either side of the creature who’dspoken.
Julian,Liam saidtightly.
