Avenging Autumn Read Online Free PDF Page B

him a smile. “I think so. I’m looking forward to it, in a weird sort of way.”
    “It’ll hurt,” he warned her “It’ll hurt to the point where you think you’re going to die—hell, you’ll probably pray to die—but the moment you get to that point, know it’s almost over.”
    She nodded. “I remember how the pain was.”
    “That was different. You weren’t ever in a full shift, just stuck in the middle of one. When Lakota brought you over, your body had already been dealing with the pain for hours, and the endorphins in your body were present to deal with that pain. A full shift is fast, and there isn’t enough time for your body to completely fill itself with any natural pain relief. By the time it does, the shift is over.”
    Mia pressed her lips together. “You’re not making me feel any better.”
    “Sorry. I just want you to be prepared. I don’t want you to be frightened or feel that something is going wrong, because it won’t. Just open yourself up to your spirit guide and it’ll be over before you know it.”
    Mia stood on tiptoes and kissed him. “I love you.”
    “I love you, too.”
    She watched as Autumn said goodbye to Blake, kissing him, their foreheads placed together, eyes shut. Her heart contracted. How would she feel if it was Peter in that chair instead of Blake? It easily could have been. She couldn’t imagine how hard it must be for both of them—for Blake watching Autumn go to a woman who wanted her dead, and not being able to do anything to help her, and for Autumn, leaving Blake behind once more. She watched as Blake spoke something into Autumn’s ear. Her friend nodded and kissed him again, before forcing herself to leave. Their hands touched, fingers trailing with contact until the last possible moment.
    Others had already left the house. Some of the men who had been shifters from birth had no sense of shame about their bodies. They were used to stripping in front of people, and walking about naked once they’d shifted back, but Mia didn’t have the confidence to do the same.
    “It’s okay,” said Peter, sensing her discomfort. “We’ll walk farther into the trees.”
    She sagged in relief. “Thank you.”
    Her stomach roiled with nerves and her whole body trembled. She felt as she might on a first date, only multiplied a thousand times. She prayed she wouldn’t do something to embarrass herself—throw up, or pass out. She knew Peter would take care of her, but she wanted him to be proud of her, too.
    They stepped through the trees, the temperature dropping as they did so, though the chill didn’t affect her as it once had. In the back of her mind, she sensed her spirit guide come to a standstill, poised with one paw lifted, its nose to the air. She felt sure the animal understood she was about to call it to her for the first time. They would become one being.
    She and Peter reached a spot out of sight from the others. They drew to a stop, facing each other. Mia’s trembling grew worse, and Peter pulled her into a hug. She closed her eyes as her cheek met with his broad chest, and her fingers clung tightly to the muscles running down his back.
    “Don’t be frightened. I’m right here.”
    She nodded. “I know. I’m just nervous, that’s all.”
    “Would you like me to go first? Or would you like to go first?”
    She shook her head. “No, I want us to do this together.”
    “Okay, then.”
    He stepped away and reached down to the bottom of his t-shirt, pulling it over his head. Mia had a moment where his eyes were covered by the material, allowing her to enjoy the sight of his naked torso without him realizing she was doing so. She loved his body—strong and muscular, without being overly cut like a wannabe body builder. She loved the dark hairs on his chest, the line leading down to his navel, and the nubs of his nipples.
    Peter threw the shirt to the ground. “Now you.”
    Her heart pounding, feeling like they were giving each other a private