Dark Forest (Secret Blood, Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

town?”
    He set the jerky bag on the counter. “It’s part of what I am. The town’s folk don’t know, and I’d like to keep it that way.”
    “But they think—”
    He leaned down, his stubble close enough to brush against her cheek. “I don’t care what they think. I know who and what I am. They’d treat me far worse if they knew.”
    Rose leaned up closer. Their mouths nearly touching. She whispered, “Why?”
    He was going to hell. “You.” Then he lowered his head, taking her mouth the way he’d always imagined. Hard, and fierce, and with all of the hunger that had clawed at his gut for so long.
    She didn’t shy back from the power in him. Instead, she stood on her toes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and laced her fingers through his hair. He plunged his tongue into her mouth, tasting a hint of cherry, and reveled in her sweet textures. Their lips and tongues battled until she pulled back.
    She panted, and then shook her head as she giggled. “Slow. I think slower is…” Her nose scrunched up. “To hell with it.” She stretched up and fused her lips to his.
    Aiden hitched her up and spun her around, setting her on the counter and letting himself feast on her, on the delights of the mouth he’d denied himself. He dragged his hands down her sides, fully intent on finding soft flesh under the fabric of her shirt, but his phone beeped.
    He jerked back, then stepped in close before she could slip off the countertop. He held her steady with one hand while he checked his phone.
    “Aiden?”
    “Hang on.” He flipped through his apps to find the one he needed. He found it, and touched the icon. Live footage of his front door flashed onto the screen. He growled. “Goddamn it!” He helped Rose down. “Stay here.”
    “What’s going on?”
    “Julian. I’ll be back. On second thought, come with me, but stay behind me.”
    Aiden didn’t look to see if she’d followed his instructions. Rose wasn’t an idiot. He yanked open the door. “What the hell do you want?”
    A slick smile curved Julian’s mouth. “We were marking trees to take from the Asher farm. We stumbled on the property line, and found some real nice wood on your property.”
    “No,” Aiden said while suppressing a growl. He’d like nothing more than to tear into Julian, but he had to follow shifter laws, and since Julian wasn’t technically invading his territory under the guise of working for a logging company, it wasn’t right to slaughter him on the spot. “I am giving no one my permission to cut any trees on my property.”
    “You don’t own everything on this plot of land.” In the next second, Julian flashed into something not quite human.
    Rose screamed, and that was all it took to catapult Aiden into a semi-shift where he boasted fangs and claws and sharper senses. But he was still human, still used a man’s reasoning. “Get off my property.”
    “You expose us. What do you think the Wolf Council will do to you?” Julian taunted, but didn’t try to enter the house.
    “Nothing,” Aiden said before he could stop himself.
    Julian’s eyes glowed with malicious delight. “Are you taking a human to mate?”
    “None of your damn business.” Aiden stepped out on the porch. His land. His right. The Council be damned. “Leave before I make you.”
    Julian shook his head. “The Council is very strict about which humans know about us.”
    “Leave.” Aiden didn’t wait for Julian to defy him again. He slammed his fist into Julian’s face, sending the other wolf sprawling backward. He stumbled down the few steps, and landed on his ass on the flagstone path.
    Julian dragged himself off the ground, laughing. “You’re messing with the wrong wolf. She’s my mate. I will be back for her.”
    “Leave,” Aiden commanded again. He watched Julian until his truck hit county pavement.
    “Aiden.”
    He didn’t dare turn around. “Give me a moment.”
    Her hand slipped into his. Aiden went completely still. He knew