Howl (Winter Pass Wolves Book 1) by Vivian Wood, Amelie Hunt Read Free Book Online Page A

watched her closely as she examined the contents.
    Two sleek black handguns, accompanied by what could only be row after row of gleaming sterling silver bullets.
    “Harlan, no,” Penny said, turning to him a horrified glance.
    “Penny, yes,” he said, serious as death. “You are going to take these up to the main house, lock yourself in, and shoot anything that moves. Human or otherwise.”
    “I am not going to shoot you guys,” Penny insisted, her stomach churning at the thought.
    “You haven’t seen a werewolf yet,” Harlan said, that dark humor surfacing again. “When you see a wolf twice your size, I promise you’ll think differently.”
    “Harlan—” Penny started to protest. Harlan shocked her by reaching out and snagging her by the waist. Dragging her flush against the length of his body, he glowered down at her, his gaze hard as steel.
    Harlan’s lips caught hers in a brief, searing kiss, leaving Penny with flushed cheeks and lips parted in surprise. Their bodies pressed intimately, burning Penny up from the inside, making her skin crawl with the desire to wrap her arms around Harlan and drag him back down for another kiss.
    “Do as I say,” Harlan warned. “Don’t let me turn you, Penny. I don’t want to have to live with that guilt.”
    Penny stared up at him, dumbfounded, silly thoughts piling up in her brain.
    What if I asked you to do it?
    I wouldn’t mind it if I got to be with you.
    Neither of us would be lonely anymore…
    “Tell me you understand,” Harlan growled, giving Penny’s hip a gentle squeeze.
    Penny stared at him, feeling for the first time his true depth, the hopelessly complex man that made Harlan so irresistible. She knew he needed to hear the words, even if she didn’t mean a single one.
    “I understand,” she said, her voice a breathy whisper.
    “You’ll protect yourself, no matter what?” His gaze was heavy on her face, his touch a heated brand on her skin.
    “No matter what,” she said, hoping that he wouldn’t read her lie.
    After staring into her eyes for another long moment, Harlan nodded and released her, turning away. Penny was conflicted, glad to be free of his scrutiny but sorry to lose his confident touch.
    Her face flamed when she realized just how turned on she was right now, her core damp and wanting. If such a simple embrace excited her this much, what might it be like for Harlan to touch her boldly, seduce her?
    “I’ll wait for you,” she said, surprising herself as much as Harlan.
    He glanced at her, an unreadable expression flickering over his face. He turned away, shoving his feet into his boots and picking up his coat.
    Then he was gone, the door slamming behind him, leaving Penny alone with her own suffocating thoughts.

Chapter Six
    P enny rolled onto her side , the feeling of the hard floor beneath her makeshift pallet waking her from a light doze. She sighed and rolled again, restless, trying to find a comfortable position. It had to be well past midnight by now, though it certainly felt like she’d been barricaded in Winter Pass’s main lodge for decades.
    She’d locked herself up tight in one of the empty, dust-covered bedrooms, selecting the biggest fireplace she could find. As soon as the sun dropped behind the horizon, the temperature fell with it… and then the power went out. Of course. Just her luck.
    At any rate, Penny was glad she’d brought up a bunch of firewood. She lay before the big fireplace now, all splayed out and cozy. The only things the scene was missing were a bottle of red wine and some good-looking company…
    Tone down the hormones a little , she scolded herself. Just because you and Harlan have some kind of spark doesn’t mean you need to lie around and think about sex all the time.
    The fire had subsided a little, popping and crackling quietly. The sound had helped her fall asleep earlier, but now it was keeping her from falling into a deeper sleep. She squeezed her eyes closed and rolled away from the