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

once, twice. Then she took off. His wolf wanted to charge after her, perhaps tackle her and pin her, playfully of course. Maybe not so playful after that.
    He stayed where he was.
    Can you hear me? she thought, pausing and throwing a look back. She was only halfway across.
    Keep going.
    She darted off again and reached the edge of the forest in no time. His heart lurched when it appeared she might plunge into the darkened trees without him…
    Grace! Don’t go into the trees. He sent the command her way, but she was out of range.
    She stopped anyway, then turned and looked back at him. The mere idea of her disappearing into the forest without him had him pounding hard across the meadow. At the same time, she turned to lope back toward him.
    So damn sexy, I wonder if— He heard the exact moment when she came back into range.
    So you think I’m sexy, huh? he replied, panting as he ran.
    She screeched to a halt and dipped her head, not meeting his gaze. Shit! This thought reading thing… how do I turn it off?
    His wolf barked a huffy kind of laugh—it felt strange and wheezy in his chest, like cobwebs were clearing out.
    She looked up, a pained expression on her face. It’s possible I’m going to die of embarrassment.
    He wheezed the barking laugh to a standstill, then trotted up to where she had stopped, stiff-legged in the middle of the meadow. Don’t worry. You’ll learn to control it. I don’t want to hear most of the things my brothers think, so I generally tune them out. But there are times that it’s important or necessary, like on a mission. And it can be… enjoyable, like when I’m with my mate… His own thoughts short-circuited with that idea. Those days with Avery—they were like a dream that happened and then died. She had been slender and beautiful, like Grace, only Avery was an alpha female. She knew who she was and what she wanted, and when they linked thoughts while they made love—
    No! He physically shook his head and stumbled back until he nearly fell. Thinking about Avery was a dark hole that would swallow him.
    Grace had recoiled from his shouted thought.
    He blinked at her, flummoxed about what thought to send next.
    He has a mate? Is that why… I should have known… Of course… Her thoughts were a jumble.
    My mate is dead. The thought seemed to freeze both of them in a timeless moment. It stretched until he couldn’t bear it any longer. He forced his body to unlock and turn away. He ran across the field toward his clothes.
    This was a bad idea. He couldn’t do this. The unsteady feeling had him nearly tripping on his way, desperate in his need to get back to his clothes, shift human, take her home, walk away, and… come back later tonight and simply end it. Kill the Senator. Go to jail. Stop all of it.
    Stop coming apart at the seams.
    He heard her paws in the grass, trying to keep up with him. He had worked up to a full sprint without realizing it. He didn’t slow down. When he reached his clothes, he shifted. He clenched his fists to work out the shakes, then struggled at getting his clothes on, keeping his head down as he did.
    Grace shifted human next to him, but he didn’t look. Couldn’t look at her anymore. Needed to get away. Get her home then…
    She touched his arm.
    He jerked back, one leg in his pants, one out, half stumbling.
    She pulled back and gathered her hair around her nakedness, caving her body in to cover the parts that spoke to his wolf.
    Her voice was a pained whisper. “I’m sorry, Jared. I didn’t know.”
    It was the soft concern on her face that undid him. The gentleness, the expression full of empathy, echoing feelings he couldn’t hold in his chest without being destroyed by them… she gathered them up and held them in her own, just by being near him. By spending a moment in his thoughts.
    He ducked his head. “Not your fault. It’s mine.” It was all his fault, even now. He finished pulling on his pants, roughly tugging them in place. He