A Wolf's Obsession: Part One: (BBW/Shapeshifter Paranormal Romance) (Alpha Lands Serial) by Josey Alden Read Free Book Online Page B

had to think of Raub. It would be terribly unfair to drop him because she lusted after another wolf. He was kind and smart and protective. He was handsome enough in human form, and his wolf was striking. She loved to lie next to him and play with the soft fur on his back.
    Raub didn't deserve to be treated poorly. She just needed to give the relationship time to evolve. That's what mature adults did, right? Follow the safe, comfortable path until it converged easily with the other person's path?
    She just couldn't shove Jared out of her heart long enough to take a breath. She really was doomed.
    ______

Chapter 19

    After the trip, Rosa helped Jared collect the cameras from the kids while the other teachers led them into the building. She noticed that he avoided looking her in the face as she handed him the equipment. She wanted to feel relieved, but as the minutes passed, disappointment swelled in her chest.
    When the last camera was put away, Jared finally looked at her.
    "Thank you for helping," he said in a formal tone.
    "Everyone really had fun," Rosa said. "I had no idea kids that young could understand f-stops and aperture."
    "I know," he said. "I was shocked the first time I came out here. When I downloaded their photographs to the computer, I couldn't believe what I was seeing."
    "Kids are amazing."
    Jared looked away again. They stood there awkwardly by the drivers side of the truck. Rosa wanted to say something else, but her mind was blank. Standing this close to him with no one else around reignited every cell in her body. She felt like they were at a crossroads, and she was the one expected to direct traffic.
    "Jared," she said, and then went quiet again.
    "I know," he said, still not looking at her.
    Her heart leapt at this acknowledgment. Maybe her feelings were not as one-sided as she thought. Possibilities flooded her brain, pushing Raub into a smaller and smaller corner of her mind. He simply didn't awaken the raw sensuality inside her like Jared did. Her body had made the choice for her.
    Without saying a word, Jared took her hand and led her back to the trailhead. Just inside the trees, where no one from the school could see, he pulled her into a kiss that made her world shake. She became aware of just how large he was, how solid. His kiss was full of hunger that she wanted so badly to satisfy. As their lips came together again and again, Rosa felt like she was in the safest place in the world and the most dangerous, at the same time. Nothing could make her leave his side until a tiny fraction of her desire for him was satisfied.
    Jared abruptly broke off the kiss and moved farther up the trail, eventually going off the trail altogether. It was clear that he knew these woods well, and he had a destination in mind.
    Rosa followed as quickly as she could, but she didn't know how to dodge tree limbs and step over rocks like he did. She held her arms up to protect her face from the branches, but then, she missed one of the bigger rocks in her path. She stumbled and fell to her knees.
    Jared responded instantly. "Rosa, I'm so sorry. Are you hurt?"
    "I don't think so." She was shaking from the combination of their fast-paced walk, the adrenaline from falling unexpectedly, and the pure pheromones from Jared's body. He helped her to her feet effortlessly.
    "Just a bit longer," he said, taking off again, but at a slower pace. This time, he held the branches for her as he forged their path parallel to the river.
    Rosa knew they'd reached their destination when the woods gave way to a small waterfall. She caught her breath. It was stunning, appearing out of nowhere. At that moment, she couldn't think of any landscape more beautiful. Jared helped her navigate the large, flat rocks leading to the curtain of water cascading down in front of them. He showed her the way to go behind the wall of water without getting soaked. At that point, though, she didn't care if she was wet or dry, hot or cold. All she wanted was