Awakened By The Wolf

“Whoa.” Brice netted her in his arms.

“Let me go.” Cassie’s struggle lacked the hellcat fierceness of last night’s battle.

Brice held her tight and stroked her hair. “Bad day?”

“I’ve been a freaking mess.”

“Why? What happened?”

“You happened.” Her long, heavy sigh scraped his bare chest. “I kept imagining everyone with fangs and fur and eyeballing me because I know their wolfy secret.”

He rolled a silky curl around his finger. “No one wants to hurt you, Sunshine. Wahyas are ordinary people who live ordinary lives.”

“Ordinary people don’t maul each other.” Her finger trailed down a scar on his arm.

“Have you seen the news? Violent crimes occur in every society. Ours included. There are good Wahyas and bad, same as humans. We aren’t that different.”

“Except for the teeth, the tails, the paws and all that hair.” The electric charge in her tentative smile pulsed along every single nerve in Brice’s body.

His heart thundered. His skin itched for her touch, and his insides jittered. “Anytime you’re feeling a little wolf envy,” he murmured, “you can pet mine. He’ll even do tricks if you whisper in his ear and stroke his belly.” Or something a little bit lower.

“No way, Benji.” Cassie’s tinkling laugh encouraged him.

“Too bad.” Brice buried his face in her hair. Inhaling slowly and deeply, he allowed her scent to swirl along his senses.

Suddenly he clasped her cheeks between his hands. “I can smell the resort.”

“From here?” Her cute button nose wrinkled.

“On you.” He picked her up and swung her in a circle. “Your hair smells like cinnamon and cloves.”

“That’s great.” Cassie’s face radiated. She looked as happy for him as he felt, which was pretty damn happy. A mischievous glint appeared in her eyes. “Didn’t I tell you that your nose would be fine?”