Read Online Howl (Winter Pass Wolves Book 1) by Vivian Wood, Amelie Hunt - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Vivian Wood, Amelie Hunt
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regret that. I don’t know… I don’t think I can ever make that up to you.”
Penny set her teacup aside, brushing two fingertips over the bite mark on her neck.
“This is pretty serious, huh?” she mused.
Harlan blew out a breath and nodded.
“I think so, yeah. I mean, I don’t know that much about this part, but I think the mark is binding in some way. Like… I won’t be able to… I won’t find another woman, ever.”
Harlan dropped his head, rubbing his face. This wasn’t going very well.
“I let my wolf take control. I didn’t think about… I would never want to take you away from your own life, I swear. I didn’t mean to trap you here, Penny.” He looked up at her, nearly pleading, though he didn’t deserve her forgiveness. “I swear I’ll build a better cabin. Your own cabin, if you want that—”
“Harlan,” Penny said, raising a hand to stop him. “I consented to this. You know that, right?”
Harlan’s mouth opened, but nothing came out. A note of disbelief sounded in his brain, then an avalanche of relief. She’d known what was happening… It didn’t absolve him, but it made the knot in his stomach loosen a fraction.
“If anything,” Penny continued, her amusement souring a little, “I took advantage of you. You clearly weren’t in control of yourself last night, and I… encouraged you. I wanted you.”
She blushed hard after that, which roused his wolf’s interest. Harlan almost rolled his eyes at his wolf’s one-track mind. Then again, Penny was looking and smelling pretty amazing just now…
Down, boy .
“Penny, you couldn’t make me do anything I didn’t want to do,” Harlan said, giving her a stern look to cover his raging libido.
“Yeah, well. You’re stuck with a jobless art teacher with no romance skills,” Penny lamented. “I think you got the short end of the stick here.”
Harlan scoffed.
“You think the damaged ex-soldier turned werewolf is the winner in this equation? You’re crazy. I ruined your life, Penny. You can’t ever go back to the city, back to teaching and living normally.”
“Harlan, I don’t have anything to go back to!” Penny insisted, narrowing her gaze.
Harlan paused.
“Are we really arguing about who’s stuck with who?” he asked, then chuckled.
“Well… I guess not.” Penny heaved a sigh. “I guess if you were going to bite some random girl, it might as well be someone without a life, huh?”
Harlan’s smile vanished.
“You know that you’re not random, right? Wolves find their mates through fate, nothing less,” he informed her.
Penny grunted, looking skeptical.
“I don’t believe that for a second,” she said. “Otherwise, why pair the two of us?”
Harlan shot her a disbelieving look. He folded up the towel draped over his feet then rose, walking over and holding out a hand to her. Penny took it, hesitant, and let Harlan pull her up.
“Gee, I don’t know, Penny. Maybe because you’re beautiful and smart and kind?” Harlan said, wrapping an arm around her waist and gazing down at her. When she snorted, he gave her a squeeze. “I’m serious. Just because some other guy was too much of a tool to see how great you are doesn’t make it untrue.”
Penny’s expression shifted, a little hope flaring there.
“You mean it?” she asked softly.
“Hell yes I mean it,” Harlan said.
He kissed her, long and hard and demanding, not letting go until she was breathless. Her arms twined around his neck, her body pressed so sweetly against his. Harlan couldn’t help but lose himself for a minute, his brain filling with ideas of how nicely they could finish this embrace… in his bedroom. When Penny broke the kiss, staring up at him with wide eyes, her lips swollen, Harlan’s heart gave a funny flutter in his chest.
“I’m not sure what all this mate stuff means, but I’m glad you’re the one to help me figure it out,” Harlan told her.
Tears glistened in Penny’s eyes. She laid her head
Penny set her teacup aside, brushing two fingertips over the bite mark on her neck.
“This is pretty serious, huh?” she mused.
Harlan blew out a breath and nodded.
“I think so, yeah. I mean, I don’t know that much about this part, but I think the mark is binding in some way. Like… I won’t be able to… I won’t find another woman, ever.”
Harlan dropped his head, rubbing his face. This wasn’t going very well.
“I let my wolf take control. I didn’t think about… I would never want to take you away from your own life, I swear. I didn’t mean to trap you here, Penny.” He looked up at her, nearly pleading, though he didn’t deserve her forgiveness. “I swear I’ll build a better cabin. Your own cabin, if you want that—”
“Harlan,” Penny said, raising a hand to stop him. “I consented to this. You know that, right?”
Harlan’s mouth opened, but nothing came out. A note of disbelief sounded in his brain, then an avalanche of relief. She’d known what was happening… It didn’t absolve him, but it made the knot in his stomach loosen a fraction.
“If anything,” Penny continued, her amusement souring a little, “I took advantage of you. You clearly weren’t in control of yourself last night, and I… encouraged you. I wanted you.”
She blushed hard after that, which roused his wolf’s interest. Harlan almost rolled his eyes at his wolf’s one-track mind. Then again, Penny was looking and smelling pretty amazing just now…
Down, boy .
“Penny, you couldn’t make me do anything I didn’t want to do,” Harlan said, giving her a stern look to cover his raging libido.
“Yeah, well. You’re stuck with a jobless art teacher with no romance skills,” Penny lamented. “I think you got the short end of the stick here.”
Harlan scoffed.
“You think the damaged ex-soldier turned werewolf is the winner in this equation? You’re crazy. I ruined your life, Penny. You can’t ever go back to the city, back to teaching and living normally.”
“Harlan, I don’t have anything to go back to!” Penny insisted, narrowing her gaze.
Harlan paused.
“Are we really arguing about who’s stuck with who?” he asked, then chuckled.
“Well… I guess not.” Penny heaved a sigh. “I guess if you were going to bite some random girl, it might as well be someone without a life, huh?”
Harlan’s smile vanished.
“You know that you’re not random, right? Wolves find their mates through fate, nothing less,” he informed her.
Penny grunted, looking skeptical.
“I don’t believe that for a second,” she said. “Otherwise, why pair the two of us?”
Harlan shot her a disbelieving look. He folded up the towel draped over his feet then rose, walking over and holding out a hand to her. Penny took it, hesitant, and let Harlan pull her up.
“Gee, I don’t know, Penny. Maybe because you’re beautiful and smart and kind?” Harlan said, wrapping an arm around her waist and gazing down at her. When she snorted, he gave her a squeeze. “I’m serious. Just because some other guy was too much of a tool to see how great you are doesn’t make it untrue.”
Penny’s expression shifted, a little hope flaring there.
“You mean it?” she asked softly.
“Hell yes I mean it,” Harlan said.
He kissed her, long and hard and demanding, not letting go until she was breathless. Her arms twined around his neck, her body pressed so sweetly against his. Harlan couldn’t help but lose himself for a minute, his brain filling with ideas of how nicely they could finish this embrace… in his bedroom. When Penny broke the kiss, staring up at him with wide eyes, her lips swollen, Harlan’s heart gave a funny flutter in his chest.
“I’m not sure what all this mate stuff means, but I’m glad you’re the one to help me figure it out,” Harlan told her.
Tears glistened in Penny’s eyes. She laid her head
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