Treacherous (The Wolf Pack Series) Read Online Free PDF

they lingered behind, wanting to prolong the experience. As they sat there cuddling underneath the trees, the silvery Spanish moss swayed in the gentle breeze, adding to the otherworldly romantic atmosphere.
    Celeste sighed, a sound of utter contentment. Resting her head on Sterling’s shoulder, she murmured, “This is so nice.”
    “Isn’t it?” Sterling agreed, rubbing his cheek against her soft, fragrant hair.
    “I’m glad we decided to come here instead of going to the movies.”
    “Me, too.”
    “Why don’t we do things like this more often?”
    Sterling felt a pang of guilt. “We should,” he admitted. “I guess we need to make more of an effort.”
    “We really do.” Celeste paused. “I meant what I said earlier.”
    “About?”
    “About us staying here, not going home.”
    Sterling went still.
    After several moments of silence, Celeste lifted her head to look at him.
    “Well?”

    He shook his head at her. “I didn’t think you were serious.”
    “Why not?”
    “Why not?” Sterling echoed incredulously. “Because we both have jobs waiting for us. And the boys have their schools, their extracurricular activities, their friends.”
    “All of which they could find right here in Savannah,” Celeste pointed out.
    “Just think about it, Sterl. We could move in with Mama Wolf until we find a place of our own. God knows she’s got plenty of room, and I know she’d love having us there with her.”
    Taking Celeste’s chin between his thumb and forefinger, Sterling searched her face. “What are you running from?”
    “Nothing,” she said quickly. Too quickly.
    Sterling frowned, a strange unease stirring in his gut. “What’s going on, honey?”
    “Nothing.” She swallowed visibly, dropping her gaze. “It’s just that…well, I’ve been thinking that maybe we need a change of scenery. You know, like Stan and Prissy did.”
    “They moved because Prissy got a good job,” Sterling reminded her. “And Stan and the boys hate Denver.”
    “That’s because they haven’t given it a chance.”
    “It’s been two years, and they still want to come back home.”
    “Well, that’s their problem,” Celeste snapped.
    A heavy silence fell between them. The relaxed, romantic mood they’d enjoyed all night was suddenly gone, and Sterling wasn’t sure why.
    “What’s happening between us?” he asked quietly.
    Celeste averted her gaze, staring off into the distance. Tears glistened in her eyes, heightening Sterling’s alarm.
    “Talk to me, honey,” he prodded gently.
    She hesitated another moment, then confided, “I always hoped that I’d be able to leave Atlanta someday. Wendell and I talked about it all the time. We planned to move away after we’d both graduated from college. We were going to start over someplace new. But after he died…” She trailed off, unable to finish.
    But she didn’t have to. Sterling knew what she’d been about to say. Even after all these years, the specter of Wendell Portman’s ghost hung between them.
    Celeste and Wendell had been high school sweethearts, the most admired couple among their peers. Celeste was a beautiful, popular cheerleader. The preacher’s daughter every boy wanted to seduce. But she’d only had eyes for Wendell, the smart, ambitious class president who’d already secured an academic scholarship to Morehouse, while Celeste was bound for Spelman. Everyone had expected the couple to get married and live happily ever after. But just days after their high school graduation ceremony, tragedy struck. On his way home from visiting Celeste one night, Wendell’s car was broadsided by a speeding drunk driver. He was killed on impact.
    Shattered and grief-stricken, Celeste had sought solace from Sterling, whom she’d been friends with for many years. She’d showed up at his apartment while his grandmother and Stanton were attending bible study at church, a weekly ritual Sterling had avoided that evening by pretending to be sick. In