Page 45 of Nightmare Island

My body’s reaction to him is getting harder to ignore. There’s this constant warmth under my skin, a restlessness I can’t shake. When he’s near, it gets worse—my pulse races, my skin feels too tight, and there’s an ache deep inside I don’t want to think about. Something’s changing in me, and it’s equal parts thrilling and terrifying.

The guy with the wild, dark hair and tanned skin drops to all fours in human form and lets out a howl. Several others join in, and I can’t help but laugh at them.

One of the men with Ghost has a collection of small scars across his face. His khaki cargo pants and loose top give him a more casual air than Ghost, but his careful assessment of me is anything but casual.

“How is your leg?” Ghost asks first, studying me up and down, his attention the kind that misses nothing.

“Good as new. Well, except for the sexy battle scar.” I pause. “That’s what we’re calling injuries these days, right? Sexy battle scars? You all seem to have them, too.”

Knut howls with laughter. “Oh man, Ghost, she’s perfect for you.”

Ghost seems to ignore his comment but has eyes only for me. He smiles a bit too long before turning to his two companions.

“This here is Axel,” he says, nudging the casual-looking guy, who hasn’t taken his sights off me. I can’t deny he’s cute, but nothing compared to Ghost. “And there, we have Knut.” He points to the one acting like a damn wolf in human form with others. “My two closest commanders.”

“Hey,” I say, smiling, unsure what else one says. I’m not exactly practiced at socializing.

“So, this is the infamous new arrival,” Knut calls out, finally standing up and joining us. His amber eyes are intense, fixed on me. He’s extremely gorgeous, with that chiseled look that would make any girl’s legs buckle.

I tilt my head to the side. “Infamous already? I’ve barely had time to earn my bad reputation here.”

Ghost’s laugh is heavy and rich. “Give it time. You seem to find trouble easily enough.”

“Trouble?” I press a hand to my chest in mock offense.

Axel grins. “Oh, we’ve heard stories.”

“All lies, I’m sure. Unless they’re really good stories, in which case they’re absolutely true.”

Ghost moves closer to me, and there’s something different about him today—more intensity in his gaze, more tension in his shoulders. The air between us feels charged, and the moment he lays a hand around my waist, which I realize is his way of declaring to everyone that I’m his, my insides melt. I’m suddenly breathing harder and lean into him because my body seems to be taking over now.

It’s been getting worse as I’ve been healing—this constant thrumming awareness, the way my body seems to know when he’s near even before I see him. Sometimes, I wake up burning, sheets damp with sweat, and his name on my lips as I come undone from an orgasm.

I glance over at Awa, who’s settled on a nearby log, watching a few Alphas prepare meat for cooking. The excuse to escape this moment where all three are staring at me, and I’m not sure what to say, presents itself.

“I should probably…”

“Of course,” Ghost states as though he read my mind, but his gaze doesn’t leave me. That mask hides so much, but his eyes… they give everything away if you know how to look.

That’s when I spot Eve around the other end of the fire.

My blood runs cold as memories flood back to her tricking me into getting stuck out in the woods at night. I remember the fear.

She spots me, too, and immediately tries to move out of my line of sight.

I hurry away from the men, smile at Awa, and keep going. My healed leg protests the sudden fast motion, but I ignore it.

Eve moves toward the tree line, but I follow. She’s wearing a flowing dress that catches on roots and overgrown shrubs, and her brown curls bounce as she walks. When I catch up, she’s staring into the shadows like they might offer an escape route.

“Hey there, bestie!” I call out, layering on the fake sweetness. My heart is pounding, but I’ll be damned if I let her see how much she rattled me. “Thanks so much for trying to kill me the other day. Really thoughtful of you.”

“Are you insane?” She laughs nervously, fingers twisting in her dress as she looks at me. “I heard you got lost and went out of bounds. That’s on you for not following instructions.”

My mouth falls open for a moment, then I close it up and step closer, anger burning me up.

“Oh, you mean the ‘go down these steps and out this door’instructions? Those super helpful, totally not murderous instructions? Because I’ve got to tell you, your tour guide skills need serious work.”

“Look, I don’t know what you think happened?—”

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