Berch Read Online Free PDF Page B

have a different reason for wanting me to shift. Oh, wait.” He winks at me. “No I’m not.”
    Berch leaves his pants open and removes his shirt. I take a slow, deep breath when he reveals a well-defined chest. I change my position on the couch, and the leather creaks as a flush of desire rises in me.
    When Berch returns to his pants a blush covers his face, too. He shrugs and lowers them to reveal his erection. “I have an active imagination.” As soon as he steps out of his jeans, an odd cracking noise sounds as his body changes shape, and he drops to the ground. Fur grows at warp speed as I watch in amazement.
    The wolf jumps up on the couch next to me as if he’s a pet, and I squeal. I gaze into eyes the same color as Berch’s. I reach out, and he tilts his head toward my hand. “Oh my God.” His fur is pale gray, with darker coloring around his snout and eyes. I stroke him, and the hair is silky in my fingers. “You’re incredible.”
    The wolf—Berch nuzzles my neck, and I giggle when his wet nose tickles me. He jumps off the sofa and shifts back. This time I get a good look at his firm butt as he bends down to step into his pants. The zipper grinds as he turns to me. “So what do you think?”
    “You’re beautiful.” As a man and as a wolf. I gaze at Berch’s face and know he’s asking more, but I’m not ready to answer.

CHAPTER SEVEN
    S unday mornings with my mom usually mean fresh-baked donuts, and I wake to the aroma of fried goodness and coffee. After some serious kissing last night, Berch brought me home around midnight, and my mother was already in bed. I’m sure she’s dying for the juicy details and knows baked goods are the perfect bribe.
    I stumble to the bathroom before making my way downstairs. Sugar covers my lips when I sink my teeth into a homemade donut. The sweetness makes me moan. “Oh, Mom. These are heavenly.”
    My mother deposits more pastries on the cooling rack and slaps my hand as I reach for another to keep me from burning myself. She says, “And so is that boy you were with. Tell me all about it.”
    The barstool is cool under my thighs as I slide onto it to sit at the counter. “Coffee?” I ask in a sheepish voice, knowing my mom will comply.
    “Not until you answer a question. Did you kiss him?”
    A huge grin covers my face. “Um-hmm.”
    A steaming mug clunks down before me as she asks, “Was it all you ever dreamed it would be?”
    I lift the hot liquid toward my mouth and blow before I answer, “Better.”
    Mom leans on her forearms, “Really?”
    “Really.” I’m trying to be coy, but I fail miserably. “So much better. Berch finally wants me.”
    “Oh honey, I think he’s always wanted you.”
    I frown. “Then why am I the last to know?”
    My mother stands up and turns her back to me. “Because you weren’t ready to know.”
    “Mother.” I get the sense she’s hiding something, and I bet it’s the fact the Lindholms are werewolves. A hint of betrayal makes me prickle. “What aren’t you telling me?”
    She turns back and gazes at me for a moment. “Did Berch share anything important last night?”
    “You know.” I bolt up off the stool. “How could you have known all these years and never told me?”
    My mom holds up her hand so her palm faces me. “Hang on a second. The secret is carefully guarded, and very few humans who aren’t part of the pack know it.”
    I put my hands on my hips. “And you know it because?”
    “Because Gloria Lindholm wants you to be with her son as much as I do. She didn’t want you to worry about what I would think, so she told me.” My mother shakes her head as she rolls her eyes. “But it wasn’t news to me. Your father never kept things from me.”
    My dad was the town pediatrician, and it occurs to me that he may have been privy to the truth due to his profession. I take a sip of hot coffee while I process the discovery. I ask, “So you’re okay with me dating a werewolf?”
    My mom chuckles