Broods Of Fenrir - By Coral Moore Page 0,55

bite. He pushed energy through the wound, setting his mark in her skin. She shivered against him. He drew more of her blood, repeating the knots of the links that bound them. When he finished, he extricated his teeth and sealed the wounds.

He pressed his cheek to hers. “Twice knotted, twice bound. Under the waning moon, I claim you.” She lifted her voice into a joyous howl.

He moved his hand to the lower portion of her belly, pulling her closer. Enjoying the sensation as she squirmed against him, he groped her breast. Eager to feel her skin, he tore open her shirt. He pulled the clothing from her, kissing down her neck and over her shoulder as he did.

He opened his mouth and scratched down her back with his canines, careful not to break the skin. She shuddered in his arms. He pushed his hips forward into her, pulling her back at the same time. His cock ground against her ass. A gasp escaped her lips.

Worry that he might hurt her made him hesitate. The beast roared inside of him, desperate for her.

She turned to look at him over her shoulder. “What"s wrong?”

He spoke softly, lips caressing her back. “I"m afraid the wolf will hurt you.”

Her sultry smile was immediate. “Neither of you would ever hurt me. I know it.”

He answered with a smile of his own, and a low growl rumbled between his teeth.

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Chapter 17

Brand lay awake in the shallow bowl of evergreen boughs with Dagny curled against him. He was exhausted, but he wouldn"t submit to unconsciousness while she slept unprotected. He was also a little afraid to close his eyes because he feared her coming back to him had been a dream, irrational though that was.

He"d picked the copse of trees because it smelled like her, the scents of pine and snow mixing in just the right balance. For two nights, he"d sat there, feeling the wolf writhe inside him in a desperate attempt at self-preservation.

The day before she"d come back, he started to feel the claws tearing at him. Still, he"d kept an iron grip on the wolf so it wouldn"t interfere in his plan. Not that his plan was overly complex. Sit there, not sleeping or eating, until Björn showed up to end his miserable life. When he"d smelled her, he"d been sure he was delusional and falling to madness.

He hugged her against his chest and touched his lips to her bare shoulder. Given every opportunity to leave, she"d come back on her own.

His hand slid over her belly, down to the burns that 155

scarred her soft skin. She"d endured hours of agony in their creation. He"d felt the smallest part of it through her memory when he first touched the marks, and that brief glimpse had been horrifying. He nuzzled her neck, wishing he could take the pain of that experience away from her.

She murmured as she came awake and turned in his arms. Her eyes blinked in a lazy rhythm. “How long have I been asleep?”

“A while, it"s just before noon.”

Her mouth turned down in an adorable frown. “That"s longer than a while. You should have woken me.”

“You were tired.” He lifted a hand to smooth a few errant tresses of her chestnut hair.

She made an annoyed noise. “Are you going to treat me like I"m fragile forever? Because that"s going to get old fast.”

“Not forever, only nine moons or so.” She inhaled sharply and dropped her eyes. “I did mention that, didn"t I?”

Much as he rejoiced in the idea, he wondered how she could be so sure. “Why would you think you carry my offspring?”

“Taking your blood near the full moon should have started my fertility cycle. It"s a trick Mother"s used before.”

“You"re telling me what happened in the cabin was part of your plan?” He tried to keep his voice level, but didn"t think he succeeded.

After a long hesitation, her gray eyes met his. “Not entirely. I was supposed to seduce you, but the wolf took over instead.”

He stared at her, counting the passing seconds, waiting for the anger to overtake him, but it didn"t come.

She avoided his gaze. “I"m so sorry, Brand. I"ll transform.”

He took her hand and kissed the spot where her thumb curved back into her wrist. “You"re forgiven. I don"t want to hear another apology about this, and you don"t need to 156

transform. We move forward, not dwell on what"s happened.” Her hand came up to stroke the few days" growth of beard along his jaw. She