Page 91 of Vicious Luna

He nods in indication, eyes still fixed behind me. “Because there goes our ride.”

I turn to follow his gaze, spotting Sloane clinging to Madd like a koala as he carries her toward the exit, her curls bouncing and the crowd parting to let them through. I roll my lower lip between my teeth, turning back to Cam. “Tell me he left you his keys?”

He snorts a laugh, shaking his head. “He didn’t trust me in the house by myself, you really think he’d give me his car keys?”

“Maybe we can catch up,” I say, setting my cup down on the table and sliding off my stool. I grab for Cam’s hand, butterflies taking flight in my belly as sparks ignite between our skin. “On second thought, I’ve got another idea,” I say slyly as he eases to his feet.

He narrows his eyes on me suspiciously. “What are you up to, beastie?”

My lips spread into a grin as I start pulling him toward the door. “Just trust me. C’mon.”

40

Considering how long it takes us to fight our way through the rambunctious crowd inside the Stillwater Tap to get to the exit, it’s no big shock that we fail to catch up to Avery’s brother. We push through the door just in time to see his Jeep peeling out of the parking lot, the tires squealing against the pavement as he turns onto the road and speeds away.

“So much for catching up,” I grumble as I watch the glow of the Jeep’s taillights fade into the distance, swiveling toward Avery. The dull thump of the music inside is still audible out here, mingling with the loud chirp of insects from the nearby forest. “Don’t tell me your other idea involves hot-wiring a car or something.”

Her lips pull into that all too familiar smirk of mischief and her grip on my hand tightens. “Nah, it’s way better than that,” she remarks, turning on a heel with her hand still clasped in mine and tugging for me to follow her along the path in front of the building.

I have no idea what she’s up to, but with the way she’s acting tonight, I don’t hesitate to walk with her. She’s got this lightness to her I’m not sure I’ve ever seen before, all her sharpedges softened and a playful smile on her lips. Not to mention how fucking good she looks. Her long blonde hair is wavy and untamed, her skimpy white sundress fluttering in the breeze and catching in the moonlight like she’s some otherworldly, ethereal being.

She drops my hand as we round the side of the building, grinning conspiratorially as she spins around and takes a few steps backwards before tugging her sundress off over her head. I falter in my footsteps, my breath catching in my throat and my eyes flying wide. Because the moment she pulls that dress off, I see exactly what she’s wearing underneath.

Nothing.

Her nipples pebble up as the cool air washes over her flushed skin, the glow of the moon highlighting every curve of her naked body. For a moment, I just stand there like an idiot with my mouth hanging open, drinking in her appearance like I’m dying of thirst. I feel the distinct nudge of my inner beast pushing forward, and with it comes a moment of clarity.

“You were out at a club like that?” I demand, the words leaving my lips in a low growl.

She rolls her eyes as she drops her dress to the ground beside her. “I was at the hot springs all day, my suit was wet.”

“And you didn’t bring underwear?”

She chews on her lip, shrugging. “I did, but I didn’t feel like messing with it,” she says nonchalantly. “Now stop trying to reprimand me and strip already!”

“Excuse me?" I choke, my cock thickening behind my zipper at her insinuation.

“We’re gonna shift and run home,” she states, as if I’m an idiot for not realizing that was her angle here. The thought might’ve occurred to me if I wasn’t preoccupied by her nude body on display for anyone and their mother to see right now.

“What about our clothes?” I ask, uncertainty creeping in. Not that I’m particularly attached to these clothes, since they aren’t mine to begin with, but shifting into my wolf isn’tsomething I’m well-versed in. It hurts like hell. Even though it’s slowly getting easier with practice, I haven’t had much of that yet, either.

“We’ll grab ‘em tomorrow when we come back for Sloane’s car,” Avery replies easily, seeming to have an answer for everything. Then again, transforming into an animal is a regular occurrence in her life. I’m the weirdo here, not her.

She cocks out a hip, resting a hand upon it as she huffs out an impatient breath. “Strip, warden.”

It doesn’t seem like she’s interested in taking no for an answer, so I grab onto the hem of my shirt and ruck it off over my head, not missing how her eyes catch on my defined ab muscles as they ripple with my movements. The corner of my mouth curls up in an arrogant smirk as I unfasten my belt, shoving my jeans and boxers down my hips and stepping out of them.

“Like what you see, Luna?”

She rolls her eyes, waving me off. “Calm down, big man. If you’re gonna be a wolf, then you’re gonna have to get used to seeing people naked without popping a stiffy.”

I dart a glance down to my hard-on currently pointing right at her like a damn beacon, then lift my gaze to meet her whiskey-eyed gaze once more. “Notpeople,” I clarify. “You really expect me to seeyounaked and not try something?”

“Oh no, I fully expect you to try something,” she snorts, flipping her long hair over a shoulder as she pivots on a heel. “But you’ll have to catch me first.” She tosses me a wink, then calls her wolf forward in an instant, the air shimmering around her before she drops down onto four powerful paws.

A shot of pain lances through my skull and I raise a hand to my head with a wince, squeezing my eyes shut and focusing on the wild, snarling beast within. Just like last time, I don’t fight back as he pushes forward, springing from his cage in my mind and forcing himself to the forefront.

This shift is quicker than the last. Less painful, too. I’dventure to say that I’m slowly starting to get the hang of this, and luckily, I’ve got a great teacher. With every shift, I swear I can feel the fragmented parts of my wolf slowly fusing together with the rest of me, the two of us becoming more in sync.

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