Page 36 of Burning Embers

Our eyes lock, and another bolt of heat slashes at my chest.

Before I realize what I’m doing, I’m stalking after her, ignoring Desiree’s annoyed voice from behind me.

This woman’s face is all I can see, the sharp curves of her cheekbones and the dusting of mascara on her lashes dominating my attention. She’s fucking breathtaking, and I find myself hypnotized by the way her breasts brush against her shirt with every inhale and exhale she takes.

Mate.

My mate.

Ourmate.

My gaze briefly snaps to Ethan’s, who dons a sheepish smile, and I feel my eyes instinctively narrow.

Did he…knowabout her? And kept it from us?

Questions rattle around in my head, each one demanding my attention, but I find that I can’t voice any of them. I don’t dare to.

Because this woman ishuman.

I can tell that almost immediately as her sweet scent funnels around me.

Human.

My mate is human.

I’ve always heard stories about packs finding their fated mates, but when my eighteenth birthday came and went without feeling any connection to another wolf, I knew that I would have to accept that I’ll never find the one meant for me and my packmates. I’ll never find my Heart.

But now, I’m staring into the eyes of the woman I know is the missing piece of my soul…

And she’s staring at me as if I’m a goddamn stranger.

Her gaze volleys between me and my brother, and I find that I don’t like that. I want her attention to be on me, only me. Not him. Never him.

I allow a cold smile to tug up my lips as I survey her from head to toe. I lick my upper lip, and my tongue catches on the piercing there. “Hello, pretty lady. What’s your name?”

Thirteen

IZZY

There’s no denying the similarities between Ethan and this new guy. For one, they’re both unfairly attractive, with blond hair and verdant-green eyes. For two, they’re built like running backs, all tight muscles and strong forearms that leave my knees weak.

Ethan, however, wears a pair of glasses that give him a chic, almost nerdy look that contrasts greatly with his muscles and tattoos. He embodies the “boy next door” persona down to a T. Everything about him is warm and inviting, calmness seeming to radiate from his pores.

This new guy, on the other hand…

Well… I’m not certain he has a calm bone in his body. His strong, muscular frame is rigid with tension, and his eyes are hard, rife with some indecipherable emotion. He’s dressed entirely in black—a skin-tight black shirt and black jeans—and has more piercings than any person I’ve ever met before. I count at least three in his ear, two in his right eyebrow, one in his left brow, a hoop through his upper lip, and a ball in his tongue.

It’s that tongue piercing that captivates my attention. I can’t help but gape as he slowly, almost leisurely, traces his lips with that damn silver bulb.

Mocking me.

Enticing me.

Fuck.

My stomach tightens and flutters like a horde of butterflies has just been unleashed.

Ethan, on the other hand, has gone stiff beside me. The same tension that seems to emanate from his brother in almost palpable waves ripples from Ethan’s frame now. Both men regard each other with barely veiled distaste.

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