Jared (River Pack Wolves 3) - New Adult Paranormal Romance by Alisa Woods

arousal cut across the air and grew stronger as they plunged into the darkened trees.
    His gut twisted with guilt even as his mouth watered to taste her blueberries-and-cream scent himself. How could he lust after a girl whose father he might have to kill? How could any part of him think about holding her body against his, all soft skin and heated breaths, when his mission was to convince her to betray her father? He had done a lot of bad things in his life, but sleeping with a girl and then killing her father was not going to be numbered among them.
    No. He was here to do exactly what he said—teach her what it meant to be a wolf. So she would understand what she truly was and what was truly at risk. He pulled her to a stop as they reached the clearing where they had first met.
    “What are you going to teach me first?” she asked, breathless, standing too close and looking up into his eyes too much flirtation. She wanted to be with him, that much was obvious, although it perplexed him. She was beautiful—she could have any man she wanted—and for all he knew, she had a boyfriend already. She was unmarried and obviously unmated, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t someone in her life. So, why the attraction? Maybe it was simply the allure of a strange man, a shifter. Something exotic that her human side had yet to try.
    He took a step back and set his face to seriousness. He could see the disappointment draw down her body.
    “I saw you shift before,” he said. “Your wolf is unique.”
    Her eyebrows lifted. “Unique how?” She seemed genuinely to have no idea, but she was open and curious about it. That was a good start.
    “I’ve never seen a white wolf before,” he explained.
    “Really?” She scrunched up her face, and it brought out that innocence again. “Your wolf was black, right? Or dark brown? It was hard to tell in the moonlight.”
    “Something like that. Most wolves are somewhere on the spectrum of brown to black to gray. Occasionally red. I’ve heard of white wolves, but they’re rare.”
    She spread her arms wide with a wicked grin on her face. “My wolf must be extra magical and special.” There was a laugh in her voice.
    “I didn’t say that.” But it almost wrenched a smile out of him. It was painful, so he stopped. “Go ahead and shift. We’ll run together.”
    “Where will we run? I mean, I’m not going to be able to talk to you once I shift, so… what’s the plan?”
    He couldn’t help the tiny grin that snuck onto his face. “Just shift, and you’ll see.”
    She scowled at him, but it was playful, then she stepped back, dropped her arms, and shifted into the brilliant white wolf he had seen the night before. Her clothes lay in a heap next to her. He shifted, leaving his clothes behind as well, and padded toward her. She was small and delicate-boned even as a wolf. Her paws were so tiny, he could cover two of hers with one of his. He trotted until he was nose to nose with her, and for a moment, he was captured by her brilliant blue eyes. The shadows of the trees drew into the meadow like black daggers, but her eyes sparkled in the waning sunlight.
    He dropped his muzzle down to hers, and lightly touched the tip, giving her a gentle wolfish kiss. A tremor traveled the length of her body, bristling out her white fur. A spike in her arousal cut through the crisp, cooling smell of the forest.
    He jerked back. What was he doing?
    He shook his head to clear it. Then he linked a thought to her. In wolf form, we don’t need to speak out loud.
    She jumped back and violently shook all over, as if she could fling the thoughts right out. He sat down in the grass, holding still again and waiting for her to regain her composure.
    What in the—how can you—what was that? Her thoughts were a whirl.
    I can only link a thought to you across a certain distance, he thought. Run to the far side of the meadow. See if you can hear me from there.
    She stood stiffly and stared at him, blinking