Full Moon Read online

  An odd expression crossed his face—and I remembered that his dad had died. “I’m sorry. That was thoughtless—”

  “No big deal. It’s not like it was any great loss to the clan.”

  “But it was to you.”

  “Not really. So is this the dullest summer solstice celebration we’ve ever had, or have I just outgrown them?”

  It was obvious that he wanted to change the subject. His dad had died in a car crash that he’d caused after getting behind the wheel drunk. I accepted the new topic with grace. “Oh, it’s definitely the dullest.”

  “You want to sneak away for a while? I’ve got my bike.”

  I felt a spark of pleasure that he’d asked, and abruptly realized how inappropriate my reaction was. “Thanks, but I can’t.”

  Because I couldn’t get that dream out of my mind, or the way he’d watched me during the meeting. And if we were alone, out in the woods…

  The truth was that I didn’t trust myself. Would I give into temptation? Rafe called to some part of me, something inside me that I didn’t understand. He made me think about getting up close and personal with him—and Connor had already claimed that privilege with me.

  I looked back toward the game, watched as Connor raced out and caught the pass thrown by Lucas. Only a few people cheered. It was as though everyone wanted to make sure that no one in the forest heard us—as though we’d reverted back to being ultrasecret. The way we were acting, we might as well have been afraid of our own shadows.

  “You know they’ll play for a couple more hours,” Rafe said. “We’re legendary for our stamina. Even the old guys are like Energizer bunnies: They just keep on going and going.”

  “I know, but—”

  “Come on, Lindsey. I’m just talking about a ride on my bike. It’s way more fun than leaning against a tree.”

  And here I’d always thought he was a guy of few words.

  But he was right. I was bored out of my mind. Rafe and I were friends. I could go with him and not do anything to betray Connor. Couldn’t I? Sure I could. I never wanted to hurt Connor. It was one of the reasons that I was keeping buried so many of my doubts about us. “Connor and I—”

  “I know,” he said with a hint of wistfulness. “You’re destined for each other. He’s got your name inked on his shoulder and everything.”

  I narrowed my eyes at him. “You have a tattoo. Whose name is it?”

  Usually a guy declared his mate before he had a symbol representing her name etched on his skin, but Rafe wasn’t about following rules. Only recently had we learned that he had a tattoo.

  “Come with me,” he dared. “Maybe I’ll tell you.”

  “I’m not going to do anything Connor wouldn’t like.”

  “I won’t ask you to.”

  His voice held a resignation that I didn’t quite understand. It made me wonder again if he felt the same pull toward me that I did toward him. Besides, I couldn’t deny that I was curious about his ink.

  “I can’t stay away long,” I said quietly. When the game ended, Connor would be looking for me. I didn’t want to give him any reason to question my loyalty. And the more time I spent with Rafe, the greater the chance of me doing something I shouldn’t. Like finding out if his kisses in reality were as amazing as the one in my dream.

  “Just a quick ride. No one will even miss us,” he promised.

  I glanced back at him and nodded. It was easier to do things I wasn’t supposed to if I didn’t actually give voice to them.

  THREE

  As the wind whipped my white-blond hair, which flowed like silk behind me, I felt carefree, unburdened by the future. I tightened my arms around Rafe and pressed my cheek against his strong, broad back. His headlights remained off. I knew it was probably crazy, but I trusted him not to get us killed as he sped through the dark forest on his motorbike. Even for a Shifter, he has excellent night vision.

  I laughed just for the hell of it, simply because I could do so with no one but Rafe to hear me, and the sound reverberated between the trees, echoing off the thick canopy of leaves overhead. Rafe’s booming laugh drowned out mine. It was so wonderful to hear joyous laughter again. I hated that Bio-Chrome had taken it away from us, had turned our celebration into a wake.

  Rafe and I had grown up in Tarrant, a small town near the entrance to the national forest. Although he’s two years older than me, we’d gone to the same schools. We’d even been in a couple of the same classes. I was an academic whiz; he wasn’t particularly. What was advanced for me was normal for him. I’m into using my brain, while he’s all about using his hands.

  A shiver coursed through me as I remembered the dream—the way his large hands had caressed my back and held me close.

  Among the guys, Rafe is known for what he can do with mechanics, with a motor. Evidence of his skill was purring beneath me now as we raced over ground where there was no actual trail. It was a prototype he was working on: a two-wheeler all-terrain vehicle that could cut a neat swath through the forest without struggling over rugged ground. He’s a mechanical genius.

  He cut a curve around a tree, and we leaned into it. I squeezed him tighter, refusing to scream, but my heart was galloping. It was a real rush. He laughed again, and I knew it was because he lives for danger. He isn’t afraid of anything.

  He swung the bike around and skidded to a stop at the edge of a cliff that would have scared the hell out of me if I’d seen it coming—but with my face pressed to his back, all I’d seen were the tall trees rushing by.

  He turned off the engine and everything went quiet. I needed to pop my ears, so I slid off the back of the bike, not expecting my legs to feel like jelly after the ride. I stumbled back and almost fell but came to an abrupt halt when Rafe grabbed my arm. I hadn’t seen him move. That, too, was a result of the initial change: a swiftness that was beyond human. Bringing his arms around me, he tucked me in against his chest, supporting me. I knew I should have pushed him back, should have welcomed falling to the ground. I knew standing so near to him was wrong, but he felt so good, so strong. Why did this feel so different from when Connor held me? Connor was a Dark Guardian. He wasn’t someone to be messed with. But I felt so safe with Rafe holding me, as though nothing could ever hurt me.

  “Just give your legs a minute to adjust,” Rafe said quietly, and I heard him inhaling my scent. Smell is one of a Shifter’s most powerful senses. We aren’t into perfumes or artificial fragrances. Pheromones, the very essence of a person, appeal to us.

  “Why aren’t your legs unsteady?” I asked, wondering why I sounded breathless when I hadn’t been running. Being near him made it difficult to breathe, no doubt adding to my sudden embarrassing inability to stay upright.

  “Because I’m used to riding.”

  I could smell his earthy scent. It was richer, more powerful than anything that could be bought in a store. He was wearing a T-shirt that clung to him like a second skin, and I could feel the comforting warmth of his body seeping through it. Even though today the sun had warmed Earth longer than on any other day of the year, here in the forest near the Canadian border, the night was cool.

  I wanted to stay nestled against him all night, but there were too many reasons why I shouldn’t. Or maybe there was just one powerful reason: Connor. I could never cheat on him, and I fought to convince myself that being here with Rafe now wasn’t a betrayal. I hadn’t done anything to be ashamed of. Where was the harm in simply riding a bike, even if it was with a hot guy who had visited my dream last night? I couldn’t control my dreams, could I?

  “I’m okay now,” I said, pushing against him just a little.

  I felt his reluctance to let me go as his arms slowly eased away from me. Suddenly I feared that I was on far more dangerous ground than I’d realized. Maybe to Rafe I wasn’t just a convenient solution to a boring night.

  Skirting around him, I walked carefully and slowly to the edge of the cliff, testing the ground with my toe to make sure it was firm before I gave it