PROTECTED BY THE WEREWOLF

PIETRA“Professor Doyle is in the cave. I pointed to the cave entrance. “She doesn't leave until evening, and it's pretty tight in there anyway. If you want to talk to her, you'll have to wait until...— I have a job to do, and that job includes spot inspections of the work area. He gave me a challenging look, then walked to the cave entrance. I wanted to just walk away and let him work things out, but I was curious to see how the date with Frances would go. He would definitely make her put on a helmet.So I followed him back to the cave entrance, rubbing my arms through my shirt in an attempt to expel the strange heat tingling them. The guard knelt in front of the small hole, sticking one leg in first, then the other. I expected him to bump his huge, chiseled, cocky shoulders, but he managed to glide easily, the rain barely touching him. Sighing, I crouched down and slid in after him.By the time I reached the entrance, he was already treading water toward the farm, his face set in a

04JOSHAn hour later, I was lying on my inflatable mattress, my stomach growling and a pile of field notes on my chest that I should have been studying. But instead I was looking at the ceiling and thinking about Pietra.I was rude to her in the trailer when she offered me tea. I was even more rude trying to get information from her about the site. I even flirted with her a bit, just to see how she would react. Surely, she must feel the same energy between us, the same deadly attraction.Well, Pietra could be my partner, but she certainly didn't know that. She was a shy little thing, always biting her lip instead of saying what was on her mind. Normally, I would never be interested in a girl like that, so eager to please, so desperate to be loved that she never disagreed with anyone. I could tell she wanted to tell me to fuck myself with my attitude, or fuck her with my cock. But instead, she apologized.And then, when I cornered her about her bracelet, she burst into tears and ran a

06PIETRAJosh spun around, the light from his flashlight temporarily blinding me.— Pietra, you scared me.“I can say the same thing,” I said, suddenly nervous. Not twenty minutes ago, I was snuggled in bed, trying to forget the way Josh smiled at me when I told him how much I love Heinlein's books. I was asleep, imagining what it would be like to kiss his soft lips… but then I realized I didn't have my book with me. Did I leave it in the trailer when I ran away from Josh, or did I leave it somewhere outside on the way to my tent?Damn it. That was the only book I brought to read. Without it, I would have to resort to talking to people. And, between Ruth's gross and disgusting thinking, Frances' inattentiveness, and Max's general weirdness, I wasn't too keen on that idea.I sighed and sat down to pull on my socks and boots. I was wide awake now, and the thought of the book soaking in a puddle outside was more than I could bear. It was just like I'd told Josh: my books were precious,

JoshAfter my date with Pietra, I couldn't sleep. I tossed and turned, my body screaming with desire for her.The connection between us called me to her, and I did everything I could to stop myself from opening my tent flap and running naked across the field to find her.It probably wouldn't be the best view if Frances and Ruth caught me.I expected the kiss to dissipate some of the sexual tension between us, but instead, it all escalated. But as soon as her body stiffened, I realized we had to stop. I knew it was a bad idea. For her, who had to swallow Professor Doyle to get her grades, and because there was clearly something in her past that made her wary around me, and for me, who needed to be on high alert for the presence of other wolves, and so I could find and destroy the paintings. Which would be difficult as long as Pietra was keeping an eye on me.But maybe now she would pull away. It took everything in me to pull away from her, and I could see the disappointment and embarra

JoshANDI rolled over in the morning, my arm falling over Pietra's sleeping body. She was lying on her side, facing me. Her delicate features looked relaxed and serene. A lock of hair fell over her eyes, and a thin trail of drool stretched from her mouth to the pillow.I smiled. She looked so adorable. Heat radiated from his body, and the strength of our bond connected us. I moved closer, pressing my body against hers as heat sizzled on our skin. The itch under my skin burned into hers. The full moon was starting today, and I needed to be well away from camp. I couldn't predict how I would behave now that Pietra was my mate.My partner.The thought sent a new chill through my body. I noticed a dark spot on Pietra's shoulder from where I'd bitten her, marking her as mine.She was mine. The thought sent a thrill of joy through my body. I reached out and ran my fingers across her soft cheek. I could stay like this all day...… all day…For the first time, it occurred to me how much ligh