Furever After by Arielle Lewenhart Read Free Book Online Page A

at. I could feel the blush rushing up my face, the heat radiating from my skin. I saw a smirk twitching at the side of his face, and I knew James was well aware of the effect he had on me.
     
    “Is there a problem, Liz?” he asked, quietly. I shook my head no, ignoring the heat burning deep in the pit of my belly. I was shocked at my body’s own reaction; I had gotten instantly wet looking at him. I focused on his injuries, lightly dabbing the cotton ball at the thin cut. It looked as though it was already healing, the wound slowly closing.
     
    “You heal quickly,” I said.
     
    “One of the traits of being a shifter,” he said. “Particularly the alpha. I suppose you could say it was magic. That’s what most of the clans believe.” Something about his tone made it clear he disagreed.
     
    “What do you think it is?”
     
    “Genetics. The alpha is the leader. Perhaps there is an underlying genetic aspect that triggers when you become the leader that allows you to heal faster. That’s what I think. So many of the others are wrapped up in tradition that they can’t see modern science for what it is.”
     
    “To be fair,” I said, “You’re something from a fairy tale.”
     
    James chuckled quietly. I finished applying the ointment to his injuries, and checked the rest of his torso for any other wounds. If he had any, they seemed to have healed already.
     
    “Okay, all done,” I said. “Ethan, it’s your turn.” Ethan nodded, sitting up from his reclined position on the bed. James put his shirt back on — thankfully, I thought — and I turned to his traveling companion. Ethan had his shirt off in seemingly no time at all, and if James looked like a Greek god, then Ethan was the Pantheon.
     
    His torso rippled every time he breathed, clean-cut lines of muscle dancing under the skin. It was incredible. I wondered how often he worked out to achieve a physique like that, but realized it probably had something to do with his status as a shifter. Strange how easily I accepted such ideas. Ethan bore a nasty bruise on his right arm, but even it had already faded to a yellow-green hue, a far cry from the angry black and purple I had seen earlier. He followed my gaze and grimaced.
     
    “Yeah, one of those bastards managed to catch me off guard. It won’t happen again. I think it cost him a few teeth.” I kept quiet, dabbing topical painkillers onto the spot, but it was hard to believe how violent this otherwise gentle man could be.
     
    I gasped when I looked up. Ethan had leaned down, his eyes to mine, and I saw they were once again that strange color and shape. “Thank you, Liz,” he said. If I didn’t know better, it almost sounded like purring. He raised a hand to my face, cupping it gently in his hands, and kissed me.
     
    The touch came quickly and unannounced, and I could barely react for the shock. James made a sound behind us that sounded like a strangled cry, but I felt like it hardly mattered. Ethan’s tongue pressed against my lips, and I gladly opened them, allowing him entry even as his tongue wrestled over mine for dominance. He prodded and explored the inside of my mouth, his hands stroking the skin of my face. Every touch of his hands seemed to set me ablaze, and I felt my mind growing hazy even as lust exploded inside me.
     
    Another touch tugged my attention away, and I realized James had come up behind me, his hands sliding up and down my sides. He leaned forward, close to my ear, his breath hot and moist. “Battle has another effect on shifters — it drives our libido through the roof. However, Ethan and I are gentleman, though we may not always seem like it. Should you object to this at any point, simply say so.”
     
    The knowledge that these two incredibly sexy men wanted me was enough to stifle any objections I may have had. My tongue slid over Ethan’s, but he clamped his lips down on it, suckling gently on the tip. I couldn’t stop the moan that escaped my mouth, and