Hunger of the Heart (Wolves of Ravenwillow Book 1) by Magenta Phoenix Read Free Book Online Page A

with Sarah, their grandmother. But there was only one picture with Eric. It was her favorite picture out of them all, because it was the only photo of them that she’d taken.
    Taken last month at the park, the photo showed Eric lounging on a blanket with Emma and Travis crawling over him in a mock of a wrestling match. Eric’s handsome face glowed with happiness as his large arms wrapped around the two wiggling children. They really made a happy family. A family, Rebecca knew she’d never be a part of.
    With her family gone, Rebecca found herself constantly marveling at the beauty of many family photos wherever she worked. But never had she stared at a picture of her employer the way she did now. She didn’t understand the strange pull she felt towards him. It wasn’t as if Eric even liked her. Several times she’d caught Eric looking at her, but it wasn’t soon after meeting her gaze that he found an excuse to leave the room. No doubt; he found humans to be unattractive and beneath him. Maybe if she’d been a shifter…
    Rebecca immediately shook off the thought before her idle brain could complete it. Eric was her boss and he would remain so if she valued her job and life. He would never see past her weak human form and she couldn’t look past the vicious beast that she knew lurked beneath the surface.
    After straightening up the slightly cluttered living room, she found herself near the end of her nightly chore list. Standing in front of the double sink, her hands moved quickly across the soiled dishes. When one dish was spotless, she deposited it in the other sink, filled with clear, rinse water. From there she plucked it out and laid it gently on the wooden dish rack beside the sink.
                  Finally finished, she grabbed a dish towel and dried her hands. Turning to the dish rack, she began putting the newly cleaned dishes where they belonged. Setting the last of the dishes away, her ears picked up the sound of several male voices coming from the porch.
    Giving the clean kitchen one final look over, she headed to the laundry room located by the staircase. Taking the last load out of the dryer, she focused on ignoring the conversation that became louder as Eric and his visitors entered through the kitchen. Not wanting to interrupt or be introduced to anyone in her rumpled appearance, Rebecca stayed in the laundry room as she sorted and folded the last load of the night.
    The sound of heavy footsteps nearing the dimly lit room made her heart begin to race. She prayed they were just heading into the living room to watch some TV and had no intention of coming near her. When the footsteps seemed to draw closer, she felt her heart race more.
    Looking down at the polished red washier, Rebecca winced at her blurry reflection. Her high ponytail was crooked and many strands of her hair fell tangled around her face and her blue t-shirt was dirty and damp from dish water. She didn’t want to meet Eric’s colleges like this! Her only hope was that she could finish folding the clothes and put them away quickly, then slip out before being seen.
    “There you are.” Gasping in surprise, Rebecca closed her eyes, holding a hand over her racing heart as Eric’s tall frame suddenly filled the doorway. “Sorry I didn’t mean to scare you.”
    “You didn’t.” Dropping her hand from her wet chest, she roughly shoved her tangled strands of hair behind her ears. “I’m just finishing up and then I’m out of here.” Gently setting the three piles of folded clothes in the square basket, she tried to slip past him; but he refused to move from his position in the doorway.
    “That can wait a second.”
    Reaching out he tried to gentlemanly extract the tan weaved basket from her delicate arms. Rebecca repositioned the basket on her opposite hip, away from him, her eyes flashing challengingly at him. Moving toward her, Eric tried once again to take the basket from her and once again she stepped aside, evading