Page 113 of Feral

“It was Lowell’s fault,” he said, taking a savage bite of his roast.

Lowell opened his mouth to retort and Angus interrupted.

“Enough!”

After that, dinner was rather subdued, with everyone finishing their plates in record time before leaving the house as if their tails were on fire.

“Is it always like this during the full moon?” I asked Gran as we washed the dishes.

“Aye. Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.”

I gave her a wobbly smile and started her dishwasher. I wouldn’t mind learning to get used to it honestly. Getting the chance to? That’s another story.

“Oh, has Fraser told ya what to expect tonight?” she asked.

“Um…no?”

She shook her head and muttered under her breath.

“For newly mated Were males, full moon time is a little more difficult. While most Were males could take or leave the chase as part of their ruttin’, durin’ the full moon it’s one sure way to help them get some of the wildness out of their systems.”

My heart beat out a harsh rhythm in my chest and my palms became sweaty. The thought of running through the night, Fraser behind me, catching me and then…

Rutting me under the moon…with his primal side unleashed…

It was everything I’d been secretly longing for since college. Everything that I’d tucked away, too afraid to let anyone see. No one would have understood, my partner and friends at the time made that perfectly clear. But now here I was, about to experience something I’d only ever hoped for in the dark of my room by myself.

Fraser, my Werewolf, my monster, is really the only one I could ever be so vulnerable with, the only one that would see this side of me and not be disgusted.

I licked my lips, hoping that my sudden arousal was not noticeable.

“Is there…I mean, any place in particular I should…. run?” I asked, my voice breathy.

“Well, most of his brothers will be in the hills and trees around the property, or at the sparrin’ area. The walled in garden and the land around there should be mostly empty,” Gran said with a knowing grin.

“Oh. Thank you.”

She patted my shoulder.

“I left two jars in yer bathroom. One is a special lubricant for ruttin’ that will help your walls to stretch a bit more easily, even Were females need that help sometimes. And the other is a salve for after.”

I would’ve been mortified except I was too grateful to care. This was exactly what I needed, both the information and what was in the jars.

“Thank you, Gran,” I said, giving her a quick hug.

“Ah, to be young again. Now, go on and get yerself ready. When the sun goes down, that’s when he’ll need ya.”

After pacing the room, waiting impatiently for the sun to set, I applied a generous amount of the lube and tried to calm my racing pulse. I wasn’t afraid, not really. It was more excitement and nerves at the unknown. What exactly could I expect from this? Would Fraser want me out there? After all, he’d told me more than once that he was scared to experience the full moon with me.

Or would this be the thing that at last proved that I was in this for the long haul? That he could trust himself with me?

I ran my hands over my loose hair, hoping the waves were smooth and not frizzy. The nightgown I’d chosen for this was a knee length white one that was just the teensiest bit see through. The only thing I regretted wearing were the white sneakers on my feet, but there really wasn’t an option if I didn’t want my feet getting cut up on the gravel outside the house.

I took a deep breath and stepped outside. In spite of it being June, the night was cool, making my nipples pebble. The hair on my arms stood up when I heard a distant howl and I wondered if Fraser would know I was out here, or would I be wandering around for hours without luck?

Still, I wanted to try. I walked over the gravel and toward the walled-in garden. My feet had just touched the grass when he appeared from around the far wall. The moon shone in a cloudless sky, illuminating him from behind. Like this, he looked so much bigger than usual, a hulking, massive figure with gleaming claws and my heart kicked up a notch.

Fraser always moved with a hint of something wild about him. But this time, he moved toward me as if he were stalking me. Slow, purposeful.

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