Werewolves in London by Karilyn Bentley Read Free Book Online

around his shoulders, she buried her face in his neck as Tom’s arms surrounded her with the grip of a desperate man.
    Not intending to barge in on their reunion, but in case PL decided to take Elizabeth back, Vonda edged her way closer to Tom, close enough for her fur to brush against his arm. Probably not the best position to take seeing how even that littlest of touches sparked another bout of the mating heat.
    The alpha knelt in front of Tom. “Seems we owe you an apology. We assumed you knew we would come for Elizabeth. But it looks like your mother never told you about herself or about you. Elizabeth belongs with us, the pack. You didn’t change but she will.”
    ****
    Tom looked at the woman, willing breath into his lungs. Change? What the hell did she mean, change? But one glance around the clearing told him what she meant. Even if he didn’t want to believe it, he knew deep down he was different. It didn’t take a genius to realize the sixth sense type of thing he experienced his entire life didn’t happen to everyone. Being a werewolf, and a genetically defective one at that, never crossed his mind.
    Breathe, Tom. In through the nose, out through the mouth.
    Now that air managed to flood his lungs, he wanted nothing more than to laugh. Wild, hysterical laughter that meant craziness knocked at his door.
    Well, hell, laughter was the best medicine, right?
    The writer of that cliché obviously didn’t have his problem.
    “Huh?” squeaked out. Embarrassing. So much for sounding coherent.
    The woman sighed. “Werewolves, Tom. You should have changed, but didn’t. Sometimes it happens. Usually one that does not change doesn’t have a child that does, but Elizabeth will change.”
    “How do you know that?” Goody for him, his voice didn’t sound like a pubescent boy.
    “We can smell it on her. You have a similar scent. Rather surprising since you don’t change.” She shrugged. “But the point is that Elizabeth needs to be raised by us. How else will she know how to be a wolf?”
    Tom’s arms tightened around Elizabeth. They’d pretty much proved he’d lose the fight, but that wouldn’t stop him from trying again.
    Um, excuse me. Vonda interjected. But why can’t she just live with Tom and you can check in on her? Wouldn’t that be better for her? To, like, live with her father?
    Tom and the alpha stared at her. Why hadn’t he thought of that? His first reaction had been to fight, not talk it out. God, he loved that wolf, um, woman.
    The alpha blinked a couple of times, clearly mulling over Vonda’s suggestion. She looked at Elizabeth held in Tom’s white-knuckled grasp.
    The damn bitch best go for the idea. Tom held his breath seeing as it wasn’t doing much good going in and out of his mouth.
    He watched as her head tilted to the side. Emotions played across her face as her eyes drifted to various pack members.
    Tom heard what sounded like thousands of bees buzzing in his skull. He shook his head, but the sound didn’t go away. Vonda’s head turned as she looked around the pack with the alpha.
    No way. But after everything else that happened tonight, why not? He focused on the noise in his head, turning the cacophony into a single strand of conversation. Check him out, eavesdropping on a private conversation.
    He should have remained ignorant. Because who wants to know what the gossip is saying about you?
    Seems like there was some debate on who the lucky wolf that got to visit Elizabeth was. More debate on if Vonda’s idea should even happen, which took longer than he’d like. Back to the wolf who got to visit Elizabeth—of course it was the brown-haired woman. And, whoa Nelly, were they now deciding who he slept with?
    Like hell if they thought they could decide that. The only one he wanted was Vonda.
    The buzzing stopped as most of the pack, including Vonda, turned to stare at him.
    Oh shit. Looked like telepathy wasn’t his thing. They all heard who he’d like to sleep with.
    The