Tall, Dark and Wolfish by Lydia Dare Read Free Book Online

the worse."
    Elspeth quickly gauged the fastest way out of the room. Truly the quickest way to get to her grandfather was to cut through the woods. She knew the
    woods wel and often traveled that route to visit Sorcha.
    "Lord Benjamin, do ye stil feel led ta climb the terrace wal ?"
    He blinked at her twice and nodded. "Lead the way, Miss Campbel ."
    Elspeth absently gnawed her bottom lip as she skirted the room, vaguely noting Lord Benjamin's presence beside her. She exited through the terrace
    doors, walked to the wal , and peered over into the darkness.
    "I believe it's farther down than ye think. I should go out the front door." She fought the panic that threatened as she realized what valuable time she'd
    lost.
    But before she could go back through the terrace doors, Lord Benjamin scooped her up in his arms. She lifted her face to rebuke him, but the intensity
    in his eyes stopped her. "Please put me down," she choked out as tears threatened to fal . "I have ta go."
    "We'l go together," he said quickly. "Put your arms around my neck." When she didn't immediately respond, he sighed, "I've never had to beg a woman
    to put her arms around me. But I'l start with you. Please put your arms around my neck. Else there's a chance I could drop you."
    Elspeth reached up to wrap one arm around his shoulders and clutched the lapel of his jacket with the other.
    He walked closer to the wal and lifted one leg, then the other, until he sat on the edge. "Ready?" he asked, the intensity in his gaze alarming.

    "Ready." She nodded as she closed her eyes tightly.
    He slid off the wal . It seemed like hours but was only seconds before he landed solidly on his feet in the grass. He dropped her legs and al owed her to
    slide down his body. Thankful y, he didn't expect her to bear her ful weight immediately.
    "I could stand like this with you al night, love, but I feel sure you'd be mad with me later if we did."
    Elspeth shook her head, trying to regain her senses. "How did ye do that?"
    "I'l explain it to you some other time." He took her hand in his. "Which way?" he asked as his eyes searched the darkness.
    "We've no light," she groaned.
    "That's al right. We don't need one," he said as he tugged her fingertips. "I can see wel in the dark."
    Truth be told, he could fol ow the scent she'd
    left on previous journeys down the path to get to her grandfather's, he was so in tune with her at that moment. She showed him the trail that led into the
    woods and raised one eyebrow at him. He immediately realized she had no plans to wait for him to lead.
    She picked up her skirts and dashed ahead of him, leaving him to sputter to a start behind her. He did so with very little thought, except for how beautiful
    she looked with her skirts hiked up about her knees, her hair escaping its knot, which her friends had just restored for her. Her flaming locks caught the
    moonbeams that filtered through the tree branches and shimmered like fire.
    Immediately, Ben felt the cal of the moon. He felt the urgency and the intensity that normal y presented itself to him in the days prior to the moonful.
    Never before had he ever heard of anyone like him changing unless it was at the moonful, but he felt the rush of power. He tamped it down and took his
    gaze from Miss Campbel . His head spun as he wondered which was cal ing more powerful y, the lovely creature before him or the moon. He couldn't tel
    which led him. But he was forced to fol ow.
    She broke from the forest and never slowed her pace as she crossed a meadow. He moved up to run at her side rather than behind her. He'd never met
    a female who could run so far or so fast, and he found a smile erupting as he realized how wonderful it was to run free with her.
    Miss Campbel slowed as she approached a fence. But Ben did not. He vaulted over and then held out his arms to her. She climbed the fence and
    hopped into his waiting arms. He held back a laugh of sheer contentment as he caught her weight with ease.
    The