Page 5

She smells like dessert.

Unable to control myself, I lick the soft flesh peeking beneath her skirts.

She yelps. “Please don’t try to eat me, wolf. I promise I’m not tasty. I really don’t want to have to use my knife.”

At her words, I stop and lift my head, cocking it to one side again as I study her. My posture seems to relax her.

“Are you someone’s pet then?” she asks. “Is that why you’re acting so strangely?”

Unable to explain without shifting into a naked man, I yip and nudge her with my nose again. Then, I smell it.

Magic. It clings to her skin, faint but discernable.

A relieved laugh escapes her lips. The sound entrances me. My crumbling control dissolves completely. I all but crawl into her lap.

My mate isn’t a human woman. Power runs in her veins.

She’s a witch.

And I am happy to fall under her spell.

Chapter Three

Scarlett

The wolf—no, the Lycan—seems to take my laughter as an invitation. In a blink, the enormous animal is in my lap and burying his snout against my neck. I yelp again, my shoulders coming up because his snuffling breaths are ticklish on my skin. Unbidden, my hand releases my knife, and I end up burying my fingers in the fur at his ruff.

I sensed the magic inside the wolf as soon as he walked into the clearing. Immediately, I knew he was much more than an ordinary predator.

There’s only one type of creature that carries magic and appears as an animal. While there are several types of shifters, only Lycans become a wolf. I’m not sure why he’s behaving this way, but it’s a blessing he isn’t trying to tear out my throat. Especially if I’ve trespassed on his territory.

I give his ears a nice scratch, laughing again when he groans against me. His heavy weight lands on my legs as his nose works its way from my neck, down my chest, to the wide, square neckline of my dress. Before I can shove his head away, the wolf sticks his muzzle down into my cleavage.

My entire body jolts when his hot tongue licks across the top of my breast. Animal form or no, he has no right to behave this way.

“That’s enough,” I say, shoving his snout back. “Stay out of my clothing.”

The wolf pants happily as he stares at me, then licks my collarbone.

I sigh, accepting I can’t stop him from licking my exposed skin. “What are you doing out here, wolf?” I ask, shoving him back so I can free my legs from his oppressive weight.

He doesn’t seem to have an answer. Or, if he does, he’s not changing into his human form to share it with me.

“Well, have a good run in the full moon,” I tell the wolf, still pretending I don’t realize what he is. Since he’s still in animal form, I can only assume he doesn’t want me to know who—or what—he is.

I’ve harvested enough moon lilies tonight. It’s time to get to my grandmother’s cottage. Sighing, I get to my feet and gather my things. The knife goes back into the sheath at my waist, and the cut flowers are carefully tucked between the handle and the top of the basket. As long as I don’t swing it too widely, it should hold them still.

Turning to head in the direction of my grandmother’s cottage, I nearly trip over his large body. Even in wolf form, he comes up to my waist.

I try to step around him, but he shifts, blocking my way. Then, he butts his nose into my belly, a light, insistent contact. It tickles a bit and I laugh, rubbing my hand over his head. “You’re friendly, aren’t you?”

His only response is to lean his heavy weight into my legs as I stroke his ears, nearly knocking me down again.

“You’re a little too heavy, darling boy. Don’t tip me over, please.”

As if my words have decided something for the wolf, he lowers his head and catches a good bit of my cape between his teeth. Then he tugs, making me stumble.

I take several steps in the direction he yanks before I stop again. “I have to get going, Sir Wolf,” I state. “It’s getting late and I need to be in the safety of a cottage.”