Lunar Mates 1: Under Cover of the Moon by Under the Cover of the Moon (Cobblestone) Read Free Book Online

them were too strong.
    He watched her pace the room, agitation clear in every step, and was struck by his need for this woman and how natural that seemed. He liked women, but had never wanted to keep one around. He'd certainly never wanted to share his life with one.
    She looked at him sharply. “Well, maybe I never wanted to share my life with a man either. Especially with a bossy, arrogant, overbearing one. Feel free to leave any time,” she snapped.
    Stunned she had read his thoughts, he bolted up, stopped her in her tracks and grabbed her by the shoulders. “What did you say?"
    “You were thinking you didn't want me in your life. Pay attention, Darius. You've been in town long enough to hear the gossip about me. I. Am. A. Witch. I told you I know things. Sometimes I catch people's thoughts. Sometimes I know what they're feeling, especially if it's strong emotion. That's why I live way out here in the woods. For the buffer."
    He pulled her back to the couch and onto his lap, tightening his arms around her so she couldn't escape. Closing his eyes against the pain underlying her anger, he tried to imagine what things were like for her. How difficult would that be as a child? Picking up the thoughts and feelings of the people around you?
    “What do you know about the wolf?"
    She made an exasperated sound. “Why ask if you aren't going to tell me?"
    He gave her his pack leader tell-me-now look, and she giggled.
    “That works on most people, doesn't it?” she asked. Arching a brow she said, “I'm not afraid of you. It won't work on me."
    “You're an impertinent little imp, aren't you?” he said amazed she was trying to defy him. “I won't like it much, but I will turn you over my knee."
    She gasped in outrage. “You wouldn't dare!"
    “Wanna make a wager on that, sweetheart?"
    He gave her a minute to realize he was serious.
    “Tell me what you know about the wolf,” he demanded.
    Sighing, she tried to stand up, but he tightened his arms around her. She felt too good to let go.
    She shrugged and relaxed into him.
    “There are werewolves here. I'm not sure how many, but several. I don't think they normally do this kind of thing though.” She added dryly, “My grandmother's stories were about lovers, not maulings."
    She's a gift . He closed his eyes. I must have done something right in a past life. Of course, just because she believed the werewolves existed didn't mean she would want to be bound to one. But it certainly seemed as if her grandmother had paved the way for him.
    “They aren't myth,” he said in a low voice.
    “I knew that,” she said with irritation, looking at him through lowered lashes.
    He couldn't resist leaning down to nibble on her pouting lower lip. Once there he had to taste her again and the fire built within his veins. He'd never get enough of this woman.
    “I don't deserve you,” he whispered.
    “Well, of course not,” she grinned with a saucy toss of her hair.
    “I'm one of them,” he said seriously, holding her gaze.
    She nodded. “I know."
    “How?"
    She shrugged. “They were joking about at the bar, and it just made sense. It felt right. I can't explain how it works."
    She squinted at the clock in the kitchen, and tried to move off his lap.
    “It's getting late,” she said. “You should probably be going."
    He felt a wrenching in his gut. She couldn't reject him now.
    “I'm staying right here,” he said more sharply than he'd intended, but he released her. She stood up and backed away.
    “Look. I don't want to get too attached to you. You won't stay ,” she emphasized.
    “Is that something else you just know?"
    “Yeah.” She nodded. “I do. You've had lots of women. None of them last long.” She took a deep breath. “That's okay. I'm not good at relationships either. We should just get this ... thing between us...” She waved her hand, “...out of our systems and move on."
    Anger and possessiveness pumped through him. She would not dismiss him—them—so