Page 20 of Rejected Moons (Rejected Moons 3)

I roll my eyes and hand it over. I was just trying tohelp, for fuck’s sake. But whatever, let her carry it if it means that much to her.

She shrugs it on, then surprises me—yet again—by starting off in the direction I indicated.

She hasn’t waited for an explanation of where we’re going, or ofwhywe’re going. She’s just willing to listen, and to do something because I think it’s best.

I’ve never experienced cooperation like this before. Not from anybody.

And I’m starting to feel like I could get used to it.

Of course, I shouldn’t let that happen. I shouldn’t let myself get too comfortable with her. Because we’re not going to be together long term. Eventually, we’re going to have to split up.

Still, I might as well enjoy having someone so easy to work with by my side as long as she’s here.

We stay human, neither of us wanting to give the wolves any extra scents to track, and I lead the way back toward the shell of the city.

Chapter Fourteen: EMLYN

“Here,”hesays,pullingme into a tiny little space.

I look around. “What is this?”

“I don’t know. An apartment building of some kind. This is just the stairwell. But the smell here is strong. They won’t track us down.”

I give it an experimental sniff. He’s right. There’s definitely a smell in here, and not a bad one. Cedar wood, maybe. It’ll cover our scents just fine.

“You can go back to sleep if you want to,” Nate says. “It’s still my watch.”

I shake my head. “I’m up,” I say. Adrenaline is coursing through me, and I have no interest in trying to sleep any more.

“Did you smell them?” he asks.

“Wolves,” I say.

They were probably from my pack.I don’t say that. I don’t want him to know that my history is what’s putting us in danger.

There’s a hollow under the stairs, and I go behind it, not wanting to be visible from the street. Nate joins me, sliding down to sit beside me.

We’re crammed so tightly together back here. It’s the closest we’ve ever been.

And suddenly I’m keenly aware of his body. The flex and curve of his muscles. The dark, sun-browned color of his skin. His incredible height—what would it feel like to have the weight of him on top of me? What would it feel like to have that thick, dark hair hanging around my face like a curtain?

He feels tense beside me.

I think I’ve been aroused since the moment I left my pack. It’s been buried beneath the surface, overwritten by more pressing concerns like survival. But now I can feel the heat coming off of Nate’s body, and it feels like the next fifteen minutes are already decided. I’ve already watched them play out. Now all that remains is to go through the motions.

And I guess he’s thinking the same thing because he reaches for me at the same moment as I reach for him, and it’s on.

The hunger I feel for him swells in me, and I know instantly and instinctively that it’s not something that can wait. I’ve been aching to be filled for days, ever since my mating ceremony that went so horribly wrong. I have my alpha’s command on me, compelling me to try to conceive. And I know I’m supposed to be doing this with Victor, not with Nate, but Victor has refused me, and Nate is so big and strong and hot andhere—

I roll onto my back, lifting my hips just enough to allow him to shimmy my pants off. There’s no time to remove my shirt—we’re too desperate. He tosses my pants aside and I spread my legs, hitching one up over his hip and wrapping it around his back to pull him in close.

He presses against me for a moment, and I can actually feel his pulse in his cock. It’s insane.

“You’d better be going to fuck me,” I growl, somewhat shocked at the intensity of my own voice.

I can’t forget the fact that I got this close with Victor and he never actually gave me what I needed.

He covers my mouth with his hand again. I really shouldn’t like that as much as I do.

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