Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 75578 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75578 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
I shrug. “Why? Nothing.”
“Don’t lie to me. I scented pain.”
“Are you sick of driving me around?”
Wilde shocks me by swerving sharply to pull over. “Hey.” It’s a command of sorts.
I give him my gaze, and he holds it.
“Rayne-bow, I’m gonna keep driving you every fucking day. It’s my job. As far as I’m concerned, no one needs to know you got your license. I just want you to have all the empowerment you need.” He shrugs. “You should have a license. And I’m sorry I haven’t taken you yet.”
Oh damn. Everything in my chest goes soft and gooey.
Wilde’s being sweet.
“Oh. Thank you.”
He flashes me a grin. “We good?” He waits for me to nod then puts the Jeep back in gear and climbs back on the road.
“Why today? Are you missing practice for this?”
“Yeah. I have plans for you afterward.”
“What plans?”
“You’ll have to wait and see.”
Oh.
My insides fizz and pop with excitement. I hope it’s sex. I really need more sex.
Wilde takes me to the DMV, and I pass the driver’s test. Afterward, he takes me to celebrate at a gelato place.
“Were these your plans?” I ask as I scoop the last spoonful of double dark chocolate gelato into my mouth.
“Nope.”
“What are they?”
“No questions, Rayne-bow. Come on, let’s go.”
“Are we going to Abe and Austin’s cabin?” I persist.
Of course, he doesn’t answer. He drives us back to Wolf Ridge and then winds back up into the mountains. He parks on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere and throws open his door.
“Come on.”
I follow him out, looking around. “I don’t understand.”
“We’re going to take a little walk,” Wilde says.
I look around again. There’s not even a path. We’re going to be bush-whacking through the wilderness. I don’t think the surprise is sex.
How sad for me.
I follow Wilde through the brush for a solid twenty minutes. I’m confused as hell, but I don’t try to ask any more questions, since he’s obviously not going to answer them.
Eventually, we come out to a cliff’s edge, and then I understand. Wilde knows this place from his full moon runs. He doesn’t usually park a Jeep and hike in. He’s running here on four paws from below.
I mean, it’s cool and everything. I don’t know if he thinks it’s romantic. I definitely would’ve preferred a repeat of the cabin experience.
“What is this?”
“We call it ‘the ledge’. It’s a meeting spot for the full moon runs.”
Right. Something I’ve never experienced and never will.
“Oh.” I’m still not getting it. Not at all.
Wilde tugs my shirt off over my head.
Um…okay? Why here? And how? I mean…there are prickly things around. And the ground looks hard and rocky. I’m not sure I’m into it at this moment.
“Take off your jeans,” he commands.
“Why?” I demand.
He ignores the question and unbuttons the jeans himself. I comply with his efforts to get my jeans off, which of course, requires kicking off my shoes and getting my socks all dirty.
And then Wilde picks me up and tosses me up into the air.
Over the side of the cliff.
I scream on the way down.
Wilde plunges down next to me, yelling, “Shift. Rayne–shift!”
Betrayal takes a back seat to downright terror. My vision tunnels and then goes dark.
I pass out completely before I hit the ground.
Wilde
Fuck!
It failed.
Rayne doesn’t shift mid-air as I’d hoped, and I can’t risk her hitting the ground. She may have healing abilities, but I don’t know if they’re complete.
I contort my body to land on my feet and catch Rayne before she hits the ground.
She’s passed out cold.
Well, I fucked this up royally.
“Rayne, baby. Rayne. Wake up, jellybean. You’re okay.”
I don’t breathe until her eyelids flutter open.
“You’re okay, baby. I’m sorry. I thought you would shift.”
Rayne wriggles as if to get out of my arms.
I set her feet down on the ground, and she gives me a shove that has more power behind it than I would expect. “I hate you, Wilde Woodward.”
I laugh. She’s damn cute when she’s mad. “I’m sorry. I really thought you would shift. But I caught you, baby. No harm, no foul.”
“No harm…total foul!” she stomps her socked foot. “What is your problem, Wilde? You just can’t handle that I can’t shift?”
I rub my hand across my face. Shit. This isn’t going well. “The moon’s almost full. Your scent seems like it’s changing every day. I just thought…”
“Maybe I don’t want to shift.” Her eyes flash silver with anger, contradicting her words.
“It’s not a matter of want. It’s who you are.” I reach for her, and she jerks away, but I persist. I snatch her up and hold her with my arms wrapped tightly around her middle, trapping her arms to her sides. “I’m sorry I scared you. I did mean to, but it was for a good reason.”
She doesn’t stop leaning away from me, trying to get free. She’s in a sky blue bra and panty set that matches her eyes and is making my dick hard.