Lover's Instinct: A Moon Shifter Novella Read Free Page B

wanted to know what he’d been doing the last forty years, how long he’d been part of Connor Armstrong’s pack and why he wasn’t mated yet. The pretty shifter made it clear she’d be interested in some fun while he was in town, but all his focus was on one woman.
    At the moment, that woman was hugging another male. A shifter this time. From deep inside a growl started, but he shoved it back. The mere sight was making Nikan’s predatory nature claw at the surface. He wanted some alone time with Esperanze, and fast. His body was edgy and restless as hell. This was one of the reasons he hated cities. Nowhere to shift and run free when he needed it. Right now his beast was demanding to be unleashed, to let off steam, but he knew even that wouldn’t help his real problem.
    Nothing could do that but finally marking Esperanze as his.

Chapter 3
    Esperanze slid onto the barstool of one of the small side bars in the three-story place called The Blue Moon as Nikan ordered their drinks. Electric blue lights illuminated the three bars on the first floor and other bright colors splashed the dance floor from the overhead lighting.
    A steady beat of music pumped through the speakers but it wasn’t too loud. Most supernatural beings had extrasensory abilities, so overamplified music would have killed their ears. Her old professor had been right. This place definitely catered to paranormal beings. If the softer music wasn’t her first clue, it would be the blood donors walking around, offering themselves up to hungry vampires. It was obvious they were there of their own free will and Esperanze had a feeling they were paid incredibly well. And some of them probably got off on it.
    She glanced up at Nikan, a smile playing on her face. “This place is interesting.”
    “Not my style,” he murmured, his dark gaze catching hers.
    Instantly her belly tightened and she didn’t know what to do about it. She’d been trying to deny her feelings for Nikan for weeks. She’d seen the impact being married to an alpha had had on her now deceased beta mother. But her parents had never been friends, not like the way she and Nikan were. That reminder increased her guilt about what she’d said to him before the lectures. “I’m sorry I said we wouldn’t be friends anymore.”
    To her surprise, an easy grin lit his face as he fully turned to face her. Tugging her stool closer, he stopped only when their knees touched. “I don’t blame you. I was kind of a jackass.”
    Returning his smile, she shrugged. “I won’t argue with you there.”
    “Hey, now.” He tweaked her nose and she felt herself flush.
    “So were you completely bored?”
    He shook his head, his face serious. “Your former professor was interesting. The other two lecturers . . .” A shrug.
    She loved that he wouldn’t say anything bad about the other speakers. “You’re too nice. The other two were
awful
. The context was interesting, but their voices were so monotone I thought I was going to fall asleep.”
    “So why aren’t you speaking?”
    “Other than having a deathly fear of speaking in public, this convention is focused on the sciences. I just came because I thought it would be interesting. And, yes, I know that makes me a total geek.” She didn’t feel embarrassed though.
    “I like geeks.” There was a note in his voice that made her pause.
    The bartender placed their drinks in front of them. The tension in her chest loosened as she turned to take her chocolate martini. And no surprise, Nikan had settled on a beer. For the past few weeks he’d been stopping by her house almost every night that he wasn’t on patrol, and she’d quickly learned his favorite brand of beer. She hadn’t even been conscious of it at first, but she’d eventually realized she’d changed her shopping patterns to buy stuff she knew he’d like.
    And to give him credit, he’d never stopped by the house she lived in with her sisters at the ranch empty-handed. Whether it