Read Online August: Mating Fever (Bears of Kodiak Book 2) by Selene Charles - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Selene Charles
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lose her forever. He knew it.
Panic seized him. Now that he had committed to the idea of them, she was doing this? Hell no! He wasn’t going to let that happen. He wasn’t—
When her eyes opened, they sparkled with pain and sadness. “I know you said you won’t go through the ritual, but August, you have to. I’m not a selfish person. I mean, I am. Dammit, I want you like hell. I want you to choose me above anything and everyone, but not at the expense of who you are. You have to go through the ritual. You and I both know that if you don’t, you’ll never really feel whole. Somewhere out there is the right woman for you—”
“I could give a rat’s ass about her. I don’t even fucking know her! Why do you think she even matters?” Yes, he was still naked. No, he didn’t care. He couldn’t let her leave. If she walked out that door, he knew he would never see her again. “I’m telling you that I love you, Jack. I want you. You! I’ve chosen you.”
“And it’s selfish!” She stomped her foot, jerking her shirt over her head angrily. “To you and to her, whoever she fucking is! Think about that. All her life, she’s been waiting for you. How can we do that to her? How can I? And let’s not fail to consider that your instinct is biologically billions of years old. You might be able to escape it this year, but what about next year, or the year after that, or the year after that? At some point, you’ll have to give in, and I just—”
Rushing to her side, he gripped her by the shoulders and dragged her violently into his chest, hugging her tightly as she clung to him and sobbed.
Damn her, but she was right.
Instinct was intrinsic to the Breed. He loved Jack, and he knew that. But even love was no match for the biological clock that ticked down his doom inside of him. At some point, he would become a slave to it. He would be forced into doing it.
She would seal her heart to his, and he would leave her, just like Braden had no doubt done to her.
“I can’t do this again.” She heaved out the words as though she were broken.
He kissed her brow, her face, and her temple. He rubbed his palm along the back of her head in soothing up-and-down motions until she stopped crying.
After several minutes, she finally wiped at her nose with her wrist and nodded. “I’m okay, Auggie.”
No, she wasn’t. And neither was he. But that didn’t matter because she was right.
Framing her face in his hands, he kissed her lips softly, shoving as much of his love and desire into the kiss as he possibly could.
When he broke away, her fingers dug into his chest, and a look of resigned panic had set into her gorgeous blue eyes. “Good-bye, August,” she whispered.
“Good-bye, siren,” he whispered back.
Then, without a backward glance, she stepped out of his embrace and walked away from him forever.
Chapter 7
August
A month later, the self-imposed hibernation was nearly done. Thank God. If August had to stay another minute cramped up in a tiny cabin with just his brothers for company, he was pretty sure he would be facing murder charges by the end of the day.
Chance, who was always talking about stupid shit, said something else that August could hardly follow, something about some stupid bird that had run into the door. Phoenix was talking too, and the noises were blending into a cacophony of noise that set his teeth on edge.
Chance rolled his eyes. “Who wants mates anyway? We can drive into town and find some willing—”
August’s head was pounding with the third migraine that week. His temper was frayed, and he was in a foul fucking mood. Finally, he snapped. “Shut the hell up,” he growled, eyeing his stockier, younger brother with rage as he rubbed his nose furiously. “If I don’t get a say in this, you don’t get a say in this. Now just sit down, shut up, and deal.”
“What the hell’s happened to you, August? You’re acting like a whiny bitch baby.”
What’s the matter with
Panic seized him. Now that he had committed to the idea of them, she was doing this? Hell no! He wasn’t going to let that happen. He wasn’t—
When her eyes opened, they sparkled with pain and sadness. “I know you said you won’t go through the ritual, but August, you have to. I’m not a selfish person. I mean, I am. Dammit, I want you like hell. I want you to choose me above anything and everyone, but not at the expense of who you are. You have to go through the ritual. You and I both know that if you don’t, you’ll never really feel whole. Somewhere out there is the right woman for you—”
“I could give a rat’s ass about her. I don’t even fucking know her! Why do you think she even matters?” Yes, he was still naked. No, he didn’t care. He couldn’t let her leave. If she walked out that door, he knew he would never see her again. “I’m telling you that I love you, Jack. I want you. You! I’ve chosen you.”
“And it’s selfish!” She stomped her foot, jerking her shirt over her head angrily. “To you and to her, whoever she fucking is! Think about that. All her life, she’s been waiting for you. How can we do that to her? How can I? And let’s not fail to consider that your instinct is biologically billions of years old. You might be able to escape it this year, but what about next year, or the year after that, or the year after that? At some point, you’ll have to give in, and I just—”
Rushing to her side, he gripped her by the shoulders and dragged her violently into his chest, hugging her tightly as she clung to him and sobbed.
Damn her, but she was right.
Instinct was intrinsic to the Breed. He loved Jack, and he knew that. But even love was no match for the biological clock that ticked down his doom inside of him. At some point, he would become a slave to it. He would be forced into doing it.
She would seal her heart to his, and he would leave her, just like Braden had no doubt done to her.
“I can’t do this again.” She heaved out the words as though she were broken.
He kissed her brow, her face, and her temple. He rubbed his palm along the back of her head in soothing up-and-down motions until she stopped crying.
After several minutes, she finally wiped at her nose with her wrist and nodded. “I’m okay, Auggie.”
No, she wasn’t. And neither was he. But that didn’t matter because she was right.
Framing her face in his hands, he kissed her lips softly, shoving as much of his love and desire into the kiss as he possibly could.
When he broke away, her fingers dug into his chest, and a look of resigned panic had set into her gorgeous blue eyes. “Good-bye, August,” she whispered.
“Good-bye, siren,” he whispered back.
Then, without a backward glance, she stepped out of his embrace and walked away from him forever.
Chapter 7
August
A month later, the self-imposed hibernation was nearly done. Thank God. If August had to stay another minute cramped up in a tiny cabin with just his brothers for company, he was pretty sure he would be facing murder charges by the end of the day.
Chance, who was always talking about stupid shit, said something else that August could hardly follow, something about some stupid bird that had run into the door. Phoenix was talking too, and the noises were blending into a cacophony of noise that set his teeth on edge.
Chance rolled his eyes. “Who wants mates anyway? We can drive into town and find some willing—”
August’s head was pounding with the third migraine that week. His temper was frayed, and he was in a foul fucking mood. Finally, he snapped. “Shut the hell up,” he growled, eyeing his stockier, younger brother with rage as he rubbed his nose furiously. “If I don’t get a say in this, you don’t get a say in this. Now just sit down, shut up, and deal.”
“What the hell’s happened to you, August? You’re acting like a whiny bitch baby.”
What’s the matter with
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