The Wolf Who Played With Fire: New Adult Paranormal Romance (Cry Wolf) Read Free Page A

relieved or worried? This could be the end of our lifelong friendship.
    The door to his bedroom shut and I walked to the hallway, checking to see if the coast was clear. It was.
    I stalked down the hallway then slipped into the bathroom, but I came up short as I saw the open window. What the hell?
    The blinds bumped against the windowsill as a breeze cooled my skin. Did Nolan open the window? He’d never done so before.
    Mia? She could seriously hurt herself. Sucking in a deep breath, I noticed her scent was fainter than it should’ve been. My feet carried me toward the window. Mia half-jogged, half-limped away barefooted. Damn. Her shoes were still in my bedroom. I needed to hide them in case Nolan snuck into my space while I was gone later.
    The muscles in my jaw tightened, but I forced myself to keep my cool. Part of me wanted to run after her and make sure she was okay. I couldn’t. We both had things to do.
    The last thing we needed was more tension in our lives. She was helping her friend, even though her parents weren’t happy their daughter was caught up in ‘magical mischief.’ I was coping with the aftermath of the werewolf attack, not to mention the stuff I’d been through overseas while deployed. Some nights I tossed and turned, but when Mia was beside me, I slept so much better.
    I walked to the shower, then pulled back the curtain. The towel she’d been wrapped in hung on a towel rack. Her lingering scent spread heat through my groin. Desire to rub the soft terry cloth against my cheek and bask in her scent dredged up uneasiness in me. Already my urge to protect her was a wild and fierce thing growing not by days, but by hours and minutes.
    My humanity slowly faded. Would I still be the man Mia fell in love with? Time would tell.
    Nolan paused in the doorway of the bathroom. He glanced between the open window and me staring into the shower. Thankfully, I’d released the towel in time. “Dude, I thought you already took a shower. Might not be a good idea to have the window open if you’re taking another one. It’s January. You’ll catch a cold.”
    Somehow catching a cold didn’t seem to be the worst of my problems these days. I chuckled. “No, I’m not taking a shower. I’m airing out the room while I clean. The ventilation isn’t as good as it could be.”
    He shrugged. “Take it easy. Tonight’s poker with the guys, remember?”
    “Yep, I’ll be here. Don’t forget the beer.” I had forgotten, but with Mia looking after her friend, I’d be available. I hated the nights we had to sleep in separate beds, but it was just how things would be until something changed.
    Grinning, Nolan released a held breath. “Will do.” He waved then darted out of sight, his footsteps retreating downstairs.
    Frustration grated in me. I snatched up the towel Mia had used. Before I knew what I was doing, I ripped it in half. The fabric limply dangled in my hands and I tossed scraps to the floor. I’d always prided myself on loyalty, trust, and honor. Yet what I was doing with Mia betrayed all of that.
    My friendship with Nolan hung in the balance, waiting for me to make a decision that would either repair our bond or forever destroy it. I leaned against the window, but Mia was long gone now.
    No matter what I did, I could lose them both.

CHAPTER THREE
     
    Mia
     
    While Jessa was in the hospital, I helped at Eternally Magick. She didn’t have a lot left over to pay me with after shop expenses, especially now that she had medical bills. What she could give me helped with gas and groceries. My work here made me hesitant to ask my parents for any help.
    Their hopes about the ‘Wiccan stuff’ being a fad grew more distant. But I knew the truth. I came from several generations of witches, but my parents had no clue. My grandmother had known my mother didn’t have magical power, so she’d never shared that part of herself with her daughter. When I was old enough to understand, she’d begun teaching me