Page 68 of The Wild Moon
“How far do you think we came today?” I asked Aaron softly while I stared into the fire, mesmerized by the flickering lights of the flames.
“Eight, maybe ten miles,” he said.
I blinked. “That’s it? We hiked for nearly eight hours.”
“Through the forest,” he pointed out. “Going up and down hills. Backtracking around that gorge added an hour as well. When you’re not moving in a straight line, it takes a lot longer. We probably walked closer to fifteen.”
“Oh,” I said. “That makes more sense. I guess.”
I wasn’t really used to this kind of expedition, and it was showing. I didn’t ask any more questions that would betray my ignorance. Aaron had been right to call me out on my bluster. This was nothing like living in the country. If it weren’t for his team, I would never have made it this far on my own.
My wolf tugged at me, and I glanced upward toward the sky through the canopy of trees. Above, the moon loomed into view, the cloudless skies giving us a beautiful view.
“It’s so much brighter out here,” I remarked as my wolf stirred again, empowered by that silver orb. Tomorrow night the Wild Moon would be here, and she would be stronger than ever. Until then, however, I was in control still.
That didn’t stop her from feeling active tonight. She was like me, frustrated and confused by what we were feeling. Aaron helped to calm it, which is why we were perched on a fallen log, as close to him as we could get without being in his embrace.
If this keeps getting worse the closer the Wild Moon gets, then that just might be where I end up.
The Soulbond and my wolf were a mirror of one another. With only one night to go, I was having a hard time ignoring it. Especially with Johnathan growing closer. I could practically feel him gaining on us with each passing hour. I wondered if he was in his wolf form. That would let him pace us as he saw fit. Watching. Waiting.
But beyond him was that other pull. The unknown.
“Are you okay?” Aaron asked gently.
I needed to do a better job containing my inner turmoil.
“I’m fine,” I said, trying to ignore the blatant lie we both knew I was telling.
For a moment, I almost leaned into him to rest my head on his shoulder. I caught myself in time, stiffening my spine to sit straight instead. This was impossible! I needed to be as close to Aaron as possible these days to keep my head clear, but the more time I spent near him, the harder it was to resist the call of my body.
I was being torn in multiple directions, and nothing I’d learned growing up as a wolf shifter had prepared me for something likethis.
Looking up, I inhaled sharply. Aaron was staring at me. His eyes were brighter than I’d ever seen them before. The moon’s silvery glow was catching the blue, giving it a ghostly twist. My throat was dry.
My body craved to be touched. The Wild Moon was always the hardest time of the month to be single. Hormones ran wild during it to help promote female fertility to keep the pack growing.
Right now, I was dealing with those effects while seated next to a man Iknewcould sate all my desires and more. It was obvious, from the way he walked to the curl of his lips. Aaron was an Alpha predator of his own, and a not-insignificant part of me welcomed him, wishing I could replace Johnathan with him.
Even now, as we locked eyes, neither speaking, my throat drier than the Sahara, I could picture how magical it would be to let him have me. Finally, a man who could sate my basest desires by railing me absolutely silly.
If this is what it’s like now, how the hell am I going to resist him tomorrow under the full moon?
There was only one answer to that, one solution I could think of that wouldn’t result in me giving away the entire existence of my species and perhaps killing some of the team in the process when I shifted and lost control.
I was going to have to be very far away from the camp. Which meant far from Aaron’s protection as well. If Johnathan were out here, following us into the wild, I would be exposed. Vulnerable.
“Dani,” Aaron said, tearing his gaze away. “We need to talk.”
Gulp. “About what?” I asked hoarsely.
Was this it? Was he going to finally acknowledge whatever it was I could feel between us? Perhaps he would lead me out into the forest and take me as his own there, surrounded by the wild. I burned warm between my legs, unable to contain my desires.
“Who is it?”
“Who is what?” I asked, not caring if my words didn’t make sense.
My brain was a steaming pile of mush thanks to those eyes, and I impatiently waited for him to get the hint and kiss me already. I no longer cared about his team, about what they might hear or think. I only had theneed.
