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PROTECTED BY THE WEREWOLF 27
Well, maybe life was too short for me to give up on Josh. I was lucky to love Ben, but he's gone now. And Josh… he's definitely not gone. He made my body feel like no one else did, and he made me want to be daring and excited and adventurous. I haven't felt like this in a long time.All of this was so complicated. I wish someone could tell me what to do . But that was the old Pietra talking, the one who accommodated everyone else's needs at the expense of herself. The one who didn't go to Cambridge and leave her country school in a Sicilian village for the wet and miserable forest of Crookshollow. I wasn't sure it was that girl anymore.I got out of the shower, wrapped myself in a towel, and walked down the hall to my room to find clean clothes. I was digging through my underwear drawer when I felt a strong finger slide down the side of my neck.“I love a girl who's wet for me,” a husky voice whispered in my ear.I leapt a mile into the air, my heart pounding against my chest. My towe
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Also, my skin burned from his touch. I didn't want him to stop. In truth no.- I understood. Josh gripped my shoulder, his face suddenly serious. “I didn't mean to flirt. It's hard to resist when you're naked, wet and beautiful. I really came over to talk and make sure you were okay. I was worried about you. I didn't like the way we left things, especially when there are at least two dangerous wolves out there."So you thought about breaking into my house and scaring me?" How did you get in anyway?“You left the front door unlocked. I needed to check that you were safe."I'm fine Josh. Just a little irritated. I don't like being talked about as if I were some kind of commodity to be traded.“I understand, and I'm sorry. It's the wolf in me. He comes to the surface sometimes, especially right after a full moon. All that adrenaline and instinct still hasn't left my veins. We are very possessive, especially about our mates. It might seem a little primal if you're not used to it, but no o
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A few minutes later, we found ourselves outside Astarte . I couldn't believe I was back in this store for the second time in a week. The skeptical scientist in me silently rebelled against the crystals and dreamcatchers hanging in the window, though I had to smile at the sign by the door that read, “Tried Yoga Once, Thought It Was A Little Overdone.”I remembered Clara's unique sense of humor and brightened. She was certainly amazing. Also, where was the skeptical scientist when you were having wild sex with a werewolf against your shower wall? My cheeks burned at the memory. I hoped Clara wouldn't be able to read that thought in my letters.Josh smiled when he saw me hesitating.— Do you come to this store often?I shook my head, then pointed to the Porções Encantadas bakery across the street.“That place is much more my style. There were a lot of hipsters and hippies in my early years of taking archeology classes, writing essays postulating the location of Atlantis and having lectur
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I pushed open the store door. It must have been a poor day for the crystals and the Crookshollow ghost tour brochures, because the shop was completely deserted. From somewhere behind, a small bell rang. The place looked exactly as I remembered it—small tables and dark mahogany bookshelves lined the dimly lit space, filled with candles, crystal, and odd books. I coughed as a wave of sweet-smelling incense hit my nostrils.Clara slipped in from the back of the shop, carrying a stack of books that was almost as tall as she was. Her kind face broke into a smile when she saw us.- May I help? she asked, cocking her head to the side. Josh hurried over and helped her place the books on a small round table under the window.“Hello,” I said, suddenly feeling a little silly. "I don't know if you remember me...- Clear. Clara smiled, showing a row of crooked teeth. She dropped her books on the counter and hurried over to us. She took my hand and rubbed it in hers, her wrinkled fingers cool to th
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"Is someone trying to poison me?" I sighed.“Unlikely. This is part of a love spell. It was designed to "poison" you against the ones you love.I looked at Josh. His face glowed red with anger."So what do we do?" Josh demanded.Clara slammed the book down.- Anything. At the time.“Well, you've been a great help. Josh picked up the book from the table.“Josh. “I pulled on your shoulder. "What about Caleb?""Of course," Josh growled. “That scheming bastard. It must be him. He hid his true scent from me. He convinced me that he was my cousin, that we were family. And all this time he's been here to wreck everything and get you for his own.- No! "I grabbed his arm. - That was not what I meant. I don't think Caleb is this big bad wolf. My point is, he's alone in the caves and he has no idea how powerful this other wolf is.Josh's face darkened.“Anyway, we need to get back to the caves.We hurried out of the store without saying goodbye to Clara. Josh tossed the book into the backseat o
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“The victim was a reporter for the Daily Post. Her name was…' He consulted the clipboard. “Misty Sharpe. It looks like she was leaving the archaeological site to conduct more research. She stopped here, parked the car and walked a few meters before someone attacked her and ripped her throat out.My head spun. Was Misty dead? I spoke to her yesterday. Your ridiculous article was on the Internet this morning. How could she be dead? And who would have done such a thing? Rip out her throat, like a wild animal...The cop gave me a pointed look.“She was coming here to talk to you, Miss Sinclair. Apparently, there was an article about you published this morning, and Misty was hoping for a follow-up. Sounds like you're…” He consulted his notes. I could see he had a printout of Misty's article. — Warm and unapologetic about her part in her boyfriend's mysterious death.My face burned. Death followed me everywhere, it seems. My mind spun with memories of the police at my house, asking for info
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PietraI woke up from a dream about death to find Josh still lying beside me, his eyes wide open."Did you fall asleep?" - I asked.- No. But you're fine, and that's what matters. There are no black wolves in sight."Where's Caleb?"Why didn't Josh sleep? Caleb didn't relieve him of his duty?"Outside," Josh growled. "But I needed to watch him too.""You don't suspect him yet, do you?" You're being paranoid. Caleb is your cousin, and barring the time he attacked me, he's been the perfect gentleman.“I have to be suspicious. He's a wolf in my territory and he's close enough to do you real harm. Just let me be protective alpha, will you?- I think so. Does that mean you're going with me todayCrookshollow? That would mean leaving the site unprotected.- You have to go?I looked at my phone.- Yes. I need to talk to Clara about some charms to protect us, and I need to talk to my friend Derek before he comes to the woods.- What? Why?“Remember how I said my friend, the mythology freak, w
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PietraI love you.My hands gripped the Mini's steering wheel so hard my knuckles turned white. The words repeated over and over in my head, the echo of memories mixing with Josh's husky voice. Ben shyly saying those words for the first time over dinner at the Tir Na Nog pub , his nervous face watching me over the top of his pie. My dad whispering them in my ear as he tucked me into bed at night. My own lips trembled as I fought back tears to say the words at his funeral.The freezing night had left a layer of ice on the Mini's windshield. I tried wiping it off with my gloved hand, but it wasn't doing the trick. I didn't want to go back to camp to thaw the water and risk running into Josh, so I rolled down the window and cruised slowly down the trail, leaning over the car door like the main character in a bad spy movie.Josh loved me. He loved me. My chest ached with the weight of that revelation. After everything he's been through, that must have been an amazing thing for him to say.
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