Dire Desires: A Novel of the Eternal Wolf Clan Read Online Free PDF Page A

you can walk out.”
    “And leave you here?”
    “I help,” Lynn said.
    “You don’t want peace?”
    “I’d rather give it to them.” It reached out and ran a hand over Gillian’s hair and the wolf murmured something, smiled. “I’ll pull the alarm. You go.”
    Jinx owed Lynn more, but he couldn’t force her to cross over. He waited for the alarm to blare and the mass confusion that followed.
    Gillian was crumpled in his arms and she remained that way until they reached the Dire mansion.

Chapter 4
    A fter Vice left, Rogue couldn’t bring himself to do much of anything. He paced the floor, realizing he might never want to lie down again ever, and especially not on that damned bed.
    First order of business—burn the bed. Well, once the rest of the Dires knew he was up and functioning because they’d definitely notice a bonfire in the middle of the backyard.
    Still, he turned it on its side, because he could. It felt so damned good to actually move, to stretch, to have total fucking control of himself again.
    He glanced down at the healing wounds on his arms and chest, cursed the mare and rolled the stiffness from his neck. His Brother Wolf was slowing waking as well. When that wolf wanted out, Rogue wouldn’t be able to control him. It was almost like being a newly shifted wolf—he would have to relearn the controls, until Brother Wolf was satiated and well run.
    He stripped, began to pad toward the shower when he stopped cold.
    Jinx was coming—he was close—and he was bringing trouble with him. Rogue’s twin sense was coming back strong, which meant Jinx was feeling him as well. He was also pretty sure that Vice would tell Jinx that he’d woken up, but he couldn’t blame the Dire for that.
    Vice would’ve done the same for him if the roles were reversed. And it made things easier, because what was Rogue supposed to do, ring Jinx up and say, “Hey brother, I’m back and you’ve really fucked up big-time.”
    So yeah, Rogue was awake and already keeping more secrets than one wolf should ever have to. There would be a price to pay for all of this, including not going to Rifter straightaway, but for the moment, Rogue reveled in simply moving forward, in the feeling of the shower prickling his skin—he’d taken three—and watching the deep scratches from the mare slowly heal up.
    What wouldn’t go away were the markings on the left side of his face. Those had come out because of Seb’s spell and they would be a party favor that would keep on giving, linking him to hell. He had no idea what those ramifications were, but wasn’t anxious to find out. He’d sprinkled salt around his windowsills already as a precautionary measure.
    After half an hour, he knew Jinx was closer to the house and he stepped out, dripping on the floor. He used his hand to squeegee the water out of his hair. No one had cut it while he was sleeping and he needed a haircut, never liked wearing it this long.
    He grabbed a pair of scissors and began to chop. Maybe he should wait until he could get a professional to do so, or maybe he should just start fresh. Completely, totally new.
    He hacked until his hair was an inch from his scalp, and then he grabbed the buzzers and went to work. After he’d cueballed himself, he noted that the markings were all along his skull as well. “Might as well not try to hide it.”
    It fit with the biker mode they had going on. Made his eyes darker.
    If anything, maybe the spirits would stay away from him when they saw he’d been marked by hell.
    •   •   •
    The deadhead drove as Jinx kept checking Gillian’s breathing, her pulse—which was racing—until Jez asked, “Are we just storming the mansion or are you calling ahead, wolf?”
    Shit. He pulled his phone from his pocket, keeping one hand on Gillian and dialed Gwen. The new queen had been most kind to him, calling to check on him. He was sure she wasn’t doing it behind Rifter’s back, but Gwen definitely had a mind of her