Reluctant Storm Read Online Free

around school,” she says as I pull myself back to the present. She doesn’t appear to realize I wasn’t paying any attention to a word she was saying.
    Holding out my hand in front of me with what I hope is an award winning smile, I say, “Well let’s do this the old fashioned way then. I’m Jason, nice to meet you, again.”
    Giggling, she holds out her hand. “Claire. Nice to bump into you again.”
    As I sit next to her, I peer over her shoulder at the book she’s been reading, and when my eyes zero in on it I’m slightly alarmed. It’s the Maji. I gaze at it in awe. It’s something I’ve only heard about but never seen, and here she’s reading it out in broad daylight where anyone could take it, like me for instance. The Maji is a vampire history and spell book. It’s only given to those of great power and here Claire, who has no idea that she is part vampire and part human, is holding it in public. Trying to be nonchalant, I point to the Maji. “What are you reading?”
    She tilts her head and holds up the brown leather bound book. “My grandmother gave this to me one day,” she says rubbing her hands almost reverently over the pages. “She said no one else was to touch it but me. She didn’t tell me what it was about only that it’s very special.”
    “So I guess that means you won’t let me borrow it, huh?” I say with a shrug, pretending not to care.
    Shaking her head, she looks over at me, “No… I’m not sure why, but I feel such a connection with it that I wouldn’t want anyone to ever borrow it.”
    That means her grandmother, The Great Queen, who was supposedly killed by the Western Clan, may not be as dead as everyone thinks, and by giving this to her of her own free will she just acknowledged Claire as her granddaughter, thus ensuring her a place among royalty. I wonder if Antony knows about this. I look over at her and wonder what would happen if I just grabbed the book and ran. I soon find myself bored as I continue listening to her talk. It seems when she gets started on something she talks a lot. It’s really annoying how girls go on and on about things sometimes. The Maji is so friggin’ close to me, yet so far away, the irony isn’t lost on me here.
    Would a kiss shut her up? Leaning forward towards her, inhaling her sweet human smell, I find myself looking straight at her lips and watch as her pupils grow darker. I lean in to touch her lips, and just as I’m about to place mine on hers, I remember the rules. Stopping myself a few inches away, I let a rush of air leave my lips. Suddenly I don’t care about the rules.
    “Screw the rules,” I mutter under my breath before I pull her face towards mine and press my mouth down onto her moist and waiting lips. Once our lips touch it’s nice but not like the fire, the utter and complete magic I had pictured in my head. I know we aren’t meant to be bond mates, and I can’t help but feel a bit relieved, just because of who she is. I’m still a guy, so when a pretty girl kisses me the sensations swirl around me making me hard, causing my fangs come out. This gives me motivation I need to pull away, since she has no idea I’m a vampire, or that she is part vampire, and this is not the way she needs to find out.
    Scanning my watch, I pretend to check the time and stand. “It’s getting kind of late. Can I walk you to the dorm?” I ask holding my hand out, which she promptly takes and a flash of something runs through my arm as I wrap my hand around hers. I help her to her feet and together we fold the blanket. I watch as she protectively puts the book in her purse without letting me look at it again. She smiles sweetly and hands me her blanket to carry. Gaining her trust is going to be easier than I thought.

Chapter 4
Griffin Dumont, Ruler of the Western Clan

    I step quietly out of the black Navigator and swipe at any wrinkles that may have made their way onto my sharp black suit. I’m followed by a younger