Wild Nights by Rhea Regale Read Free Book Online Page A

as her arousal wetted the inside of
    her thighs. Two men? The idea actually appeased her.
    “Yes. Two. Whites are appointed two mates for good reason.
    First, it strengthens liaisons between packs. It builds a strong bond
    between other wolves that may have gone astray. Second, it provides
    the protection needed to keep you safe from harm. Your uncle was
    right when he said there are people who won’t stop until you’re dead.
    That’s what ignited the massacre that took your parents, your aunts
    and uncles, in a vicious bloodbath of murder.”
    Aya stilled, her gaze locking with Lenox. Her stomach churned.
    Her skin crawled. The moonlight dwindled behind a cloud, casting the
    living room in an ominous shadow. Lust stepped aside and the secrets
    of the night embraced her.
    “Twenty-five years ago marked a devastating blow to the wolf
    community. Packs of rebels stole into Hood River, a quaint little area

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    Rhea Regale
    in northern Oregon. They plowed through homes and businesses
    during the night, slaughtering any wolf that may have protected the
    sacred whites.
    “There were three families. The Smiths, the Whites, and the
    Joneses. I remember the Smith woman still pregnant on that night.
    She was murdered, along with her husband. I learned only a few
    weeks ago that Jacob Smith must’ve saved the baby. She is now with
    her mates in Hood River. The Jones woman had two children, both of
    which I can’t be sure survived. One was a little girl, no older than you
    had been, and she was a white. The other was a little boy, who I
    believe had been killed.”
    A knot formed at the base of her throat. The more she tried to
    swallow it down, the more it became lodged, cutting off the air she
    tried to suck in.
    “Me?” she whispered.
    “Charles was a smart man, Aya. He hid you on the outskirts of
    town in a cave.”
    “The wolves couldn’t trace my scent?”
    The hard thudding of her heart reverberated in her skull, making
    her dizzy. She knew Lenox was about to open a door that would
    change her life forever. The simplicity she’d known for twenty-six
    years was about to be shredded in light of the truth. A flash of
    sympathy shot through his eyes, confirming he knew just what she
    was thinking.
    “Charles had the insight to disguise your scent. He was always
    prepared for anything. I remember asking him on numerous occasions
    why he kept dozens of animal carcasses stashed away in a freezer on
    his back porch.”
    Her nostrils twitched. The little food she had consumed earlier
    threatened to purge her system. Lenox’s eyes scrutinized her
    expression while his wolf caressed her mind, surely sensing her
    unease.
    “The night the wolves attacked, your uncle took you from your

    Wild Nights
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    parents. He used those dead animals to mask your sweet scent beneath
    the foul odor of decay. The man traced back and forth between his
    house and your hiding spot, carrying carcasses to wash away any
    lingering trail leading to you.” Lenox’s grip on her hand tightened,
    pulling her out of the vision he was drawing for her. “He rubbed you
    with those same animals, deterring any curious wolves from finding
    you. You were nothing more than a dead, rotten piece of meat.
    Extremely unappetizing to a hunter.”
    Swallow it down. Don’t let it get to you. He saved your life with
    clever wit.
    Still, the images of being rubbed with rotten carcasses squeezed
    bile to the back of her throat. Warmth washed over her face, and
    weakness spread down her legs. A thin sheen of sweat suddenly
    coated her skin.
    “I-I never knew about any of that,” Aya murmured, wiping the
    dampness from her forehead. Lenox climbed to his feet and
    disappeared into the kitchen, leaving her to mull in the putrid facts
    that had kept her alive. Charles had always been smart, always so in
    tune with the things around him. He had a knack for preparing for the
    worst.
    And still you sacrificed yourself when you could’ve come with me.
    Aya couldn’t