Winter Wolf (A New Dawn Novel Book 1) by Rachel M Raithby Page A

stand the sight of him, Bass. He gave me away as if I was an object he owned. He brought me here and he just expects me to fall in line and do as he says, when he has no right. He lost the right to have an opinion the night he left me on a doorstep.”
    They sat in silence for a while, looking out at the dark night, watching the moon travel across the sky. Content, Kat could have fallen to sleep, tucked against him, warm and safe in his hold. With him the hollowness wasn’t as bad.
    “Bass?” she whispered.
    “Mmm?”
    “Why are you here?”
    She felt his laugh rumble against her side. “I already said, you intrigue me.”
    “That’s not a real answer, Bass. Why haven’t you gone home? Why would you risk being here? If they find you, they’ll kill you.”
    “No one finds me unless I want them to, and I haven’t gone home yet because I’m drawn to you.”
    His finger touched her chin, turning her head so that she faced him. They were just centimeters apart, she could feel his warm breath against her skin. Katalina’s heart galloped in her chest.
    He’s going to kiss me. The thought both terrified and excited her.
    Looking into his jet-black eyes with flecks of silver, she thought it was like gazing at the night’s sky, vast and beautiful. The corner of his mouth lifted in a slight smile. “I do quite like you, Katalina Winter. You are very intriguing and oh, so beautiful.”
    Her breath caught. His hand tangled into her hair and he pulled her toward him, his smile turning wicked. He was so close, an electric force zapped between them and then his lips were on hers, and she exploded; a thousand butterflies took flight inside her. The world dropped away until she saw nothing but him, felt nothing but him.
    He pulled away, looking at her with an intense hunger. “You do things to me. Make me feel things I shouldn’t. I’d like to savage every member of my pack for ever thinking of hurting you. You are a dangerous temptation, Katalina Winter.” His thumb rubbed over her lip, sending delicious shivers up her spine. “But then, I’ve always liked to play with danger.”
    His head shot up, a growl rumbling from his chest. “Someone is coming.” He ran his lips gently over hers before leaping from the porch steps. He ran across the snow toward the trees. The second he hit their shadows, it was as if he disappeared, as if he was a shadow himself.
    Katalina was still staring breathlessly at the spot where he’d vanished, wondering if he was there watching, when Cage walked outside.
    “Kat? What are you doing out here? What are you looking at?”
    She dragged her eyes away to look at Cage. He narrowed his eyes at the tree line but said nothing.
    “I was just coming in.” She stood, feeling weak at the knees.
    Cage stepped forward, steadying her. “Hey, are you okay? Your heart’s racing, Kat.”
    “You can hear my heart?”
    “Yes, did you see something in the trees?”
    “What? No, why would you think that?”
    “Well, you were staring at something and now your heart sounds like you’ve been running a marathon.”
    She pulled her arm from his. “I’m fine, honestly, but thanks for asking. I’m going to go back to bed now. Night.”
    He frowned at her. “Okay, night, Kat.”
    When she closed the front door, she turned to look back outside. Cage looked as if he was smelling the air, and then he dropped his jeans, turning into a wolf, following the same path Bass had taken.
    Damn it, he’ll know there was someone not from this pack there.
     

Chapter 7
     
    Over the next few days, Cage avoided Katalina. Toby kept her company but there was an awkward tension between them, which made Katalina regret the words she’d said to him the other day.
    “Hey, Toby?”
    “Yeah?” he answered, dragging his eyes from the TV.
    “We’re okay, aren’t we? I’m sorry about the other day.”
    “Of course, Kat, tensions are a little high around here right now, but don’t worry about it.” He gave her a