Page 9 of Wolves of the Rising Moon

She pauses, twisting the bunch of herbs in between her fingers and ignoring my rebuttal entirely. “It’s time to ovary-up, Willa.”

Mother-henning aside, it’s a fair assessment.

Jonah stands and wraps his arms around me. I breathe deep and relish his warm woodsy scent. “We’ll get through this,” he offers and I cling tight, not just to his body but to his words and the comfort they bring. When I don’t let go, he slides a slow, smooth stroke down my head and back. “Hey, we will figure this out, OK?”

I nod against his chest, but don’t let go. I’m content to bury myself in his chest and scent. But that doesn’t keep me from feeling it when he lifts his head to look at Mari.

I can only imagine the glance he gave her. Adid-you-have-to-be-so-harshglare.

And the answer is, yes. She did. I needed to hear it.

After a few beats, he gives me a big squeeze. “I think I know something that will take your mind off this.”

I couldn’t think of a single thing that could be a big enough distraction from the killer wolf waiting for me.

“Rafe’s gonna kill me, but we’ve been working on a surprise for you.”

“A surprise?” I love surprises! I love them so much I don’t understand anyone who doesn’t. Like Mari. She’s definitely broken.

I pull away, searching Jonah’s gorgeous velvety eyes for a hint of what it could be.

Jonah nods, a wide, toothy smile just for me. “Do not tell Rafe—”

“Do not tell Rafe what?” Rafe asks as he comes out of the bathroom, steam billowing behind him.

Jonah expertly deflects the question. “Aw, you didn’t use all the hot water, did you?”

Rafe shrugs, towel slipping deliciously low on his hips as he dries his hair. “Don’t tell me what?”

“Oh, just that—” Jonah starts, but he’s cut off by a loud knock at the door.

I stiffen in his arms.

I know who it is. I justknowit.

“It’s him,” I whisper, fisting my hands in his shirt as my hands begin to quake.

Without words, everyone reshuffles. Mari moves to my side of the island, putting herself in front of me while Jonah and Rafe make a wall of wolf muscle between Mari, me, and the front door.

“Who is it?” Rafe says in his biggest, growliest alpha voice.

“My name is Jaxson. I’m visiting from my pack in Laurel Cove. I was told I could make a formal introduction to the Pack Alpha here.”

Chapter5

New New Guy

Immediately my bodyrelaxes and the tension in the cottage drops as the stranger’s voice confirms that Drago has not come to drag me off to his mountain.

But we all breathe a relieved sigh as Rafe opens the door to a bald black man with killer winged eyeliner.

Clearly not a Kootenay wolf.

He meets Rafe’s gaze fully and extends a hand to him. Rafe grasps the visiting wolf’s forearm and gives it a squeeze as the visitor does the same in a customary greeting.

“Apologies if I’ve caught you at a bad time,” the visiting wolf says, taking in Rafe’s towel and wet hair.

“I’m always happy to meet an East Coast wolf.”

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