Wild Game (Wilding Pack Wolves 1) - New Adult Paranormal Romance Read Online Free Page B

stick to coding? Or game development? That she understood. This, the business part… she grew up with it, but the details were all still new to her.
    She dropped her head into her hands. How was she ever going to pull this off? It had been a month since her father was murdered, the deadline for the release was looming, and she had never felt more lost.
    That’s what kissing Owen really was about‌—‌forgetting all of it for a moment. Now she was back to reality, and somehow, she had to make reality work. She was trying to sort through and figure out the spreadsheets on her screen when a tap came at the door.
    It opened, and Brad strode in, not waiting for permission. Owen was stationed out outside her door, like normal, and the icy glower he had for Brad surprised her a little. Normally, Owen’s face was army-stoic, except for that fire in his eyes when she had pushed him away…
    Brad closed the door behind him, cutting off her view of Owen’s dark look.
    “Hey, hot stuff.” Brad moved swiftly around her desk and took her by the hand, pulling her out of her chair. He had her in his arms before she thought to push back. He peered at her and frowned. “Are you okay? You looked pretty shook up for that two and half seconds you spent in the office yesterday after the attack. I called your cell a bunch of times, but you never picked up.”
    Nova just shook her head and stepped back, well out of reach. “Just needed some time to… sort things out.”
    He looked pained. “God, Nova… I told you that was a bad idea going to the VA.”
    She squeezed her eyes shut‌—‌that was the last thing she needed to hear right now. She opened her eyes to glare at him. “You think I don’t feel bad about what happened? My driver died, Brad. I could’ve died.” She opened her mouth to say more, but she couldn’t force the words out to describe all the jumbled feelings inside her.
    He came closer, his large hands reaching for her shoulders. “I know,” he said softly. “It’s been killing me, thinking about it all night.”
    She wanted to pull away, but his dark magnetism drew her in. He held her tight, and it was times like these that she wondered why she worked so hard at pushing him away. Of all the wolves in her father’s pack, he was the natural pick. He was good-looking, but that wasn’t it. He had a strength about him that enveloped her. He was such an alpha’s alpha‌—‌sometimes she felt lost in his presence. And she hated that feeling. It smothered her, and if she was his mate… the magic would make that feeling overwhelming. And permanent.
    “You don’t need to worry about me,” she said, even though it felt reassuring that he did.
    “All I do is worry about you.” He moved his hand up from her shoulder to run a finger along her cheek. “You know how I feel about you.”
    He’d made no secret that he wanted her for a mate and would fight anyone in the pack for her. Which was completely barbaric and ridiculous… and also pretty damn hot.
    “I told you, I’m not ready for that.” She leaned away from him, but he didn’t let her go.
    “It’s been a month, Nova.” His strong hands eased her close again, and he slipped his hand into her hair, around the back of her head. “I know you’re still mourning… but I also know you need what I have to offer.” Then he leaned in, and before she could protest, his lips were on hers, firm and demanding. He had kissed her before, during times of weakness when his attention broke her down, and her body always betrayed her, responding to his… as if her wolf couldn’t resist his overwhelming alphaness. His tongue swept across her lips, then pressed inside, demanding that she let him into all the dark corners of herself. Her wolf had been begging her to take Brad to bed forever‌—‌to let him run those rough, strong hands all over her naked body‌—‌but now she was just whimpering off to the side, waiting it out, suddenly cold to the charms