Rise to Embrace [Rise of the Changelings, Book 3] (Siren Publishing Epic Romance, ManLove) by Lynn Hagen Page A

of the strong and powerful male standing before her.
    “Thank you, Willow.” He drew her name out like a sweet seduction. Her body was betraying her, the same way it had betrayed her when Brooke had her sheltered in the corner. His eyes traced her lips, and her entire body became taut with the caress. At least, that was what it felt like to her.
    Brooke’s warning of Garrett killing innocent men wouldn’t stop bugging her. Willow had been seconds away from telling Brooke to run, to get out of here before Garrett betrayed them. She didn’t know what the alpha was up to, but she had heard him talking with his beta, Orlando, and knew they were up to no good. She wanted to tell Brooke that something was going on, but she didn’t know any of the men here. If she warned them and they betrayed her trust, she was as good as dead.
    “It smells delicious,” Brooke said as he reached onto her tray and took the last bowl, his body so close to hers she could feel the heat coming off of him and soaking into her. All of a sudden it was too hot in here. The room didn’t have enough air. She made the mistake of licking her dry lips. It was a mistake because both men watched the act intently, both of their eyes heating with desire. She could scent it. And because they were standing so close to her, she was drowning in the spicy masculine aroma of both males.
    She couldn’t move.
    Willow couldn’t break the spell these two men had woven around her.
    “Thank you, Trisha.”
    Her attention was no longer on the two men in front of her when she heard the juvenile’s name spoken. Willow cleared her throat and turned, even though the act itself was the most difficult thing she ever had to do. She couldn’t allow Trisha to see how these men were affecting her.
    Trisha was only fourteen. Thank goodness she wasn’t aware of what arousal smelled like yet or Willow would be in danger. That didn’t mean the young girl couldn’t scent it. There was no way all three of their desires weren’t overpowering. It just meant Trisha hadn’t learned what the scent was just yet.
    But she would. She was blossoming into a beautiful young woman, and before long, the juvenile would know exactly what the scent was when all the young changelings began to take interest in her.
    The thought made Willow want to growl. Okay, so she was a little overprotective of the young girl. Trisha had been coming around Willow since she was five. Just as Harmony, Trisha was being raised by her aunt. It was a precarious situation. Trisha’s aunt was left with the burden—as Sarah constantly reminded everyone. She no more wanted to be a guardian than Trisha wanted her to be her caretaker. Sarah was never around, always chasing down one male werecoyote or another, leaving the rest of the pack to raise the young girl.
    Willow had tried her best to be there for Trisha. She guided the young girl and helped her when she needed it. But Trisha was still young and thought Garrett’s hands were clean. As hard as Willow tried to keep Trisha sheltered, she wished she could just tell her how the man truly was.
    But even if she decided to lay bare what the man was like, Willow knew there were some secrets she could never whisper, some truths she could never tell. Her womb clenched at the thought, and she quickly buried it before it brought her to her knees.
    Trisha hadn’t asked what Willow and Brooke had talked about, but she could tell the young werecoyote was dying to ask. As much as Willow loved Trisha, the juvenile saw Garrett as a strong leader who could do no harm. Trisha didn’t know about deception and deceit, lies and betrayals. She was too young to know the lines adults crossed for purely selfish reasons. No, Willow had to watch what was said and done around the teenager who still wore rose-colored glasses that were fixed firmly to her eyes.
    Willow walked quickly back over to the kitchen, trying to rein in her out-of-control desires.
    “Alpha Garrett asked me to