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"You're safe,” he whispered. “Always. No one will hurt you. But you have to understand that when a wolf chooses a partner, it's for life."
She swallowed hard, but didn't say a word.
Garrett continued. “It goes against every natural instinct I have, every fiber that makes up my being, but ... If you choose to walk away, I'll let you. But you'll have to leave Silver. You'll have to leave Wyoming. Otherwise, the other packs will come after you."
"Why?"
"There were others who wanted you,” he told her. “As much as I did. They'll want you still, unless you're mine. Or far enough away from them that they turn their sights to someone else."
"I don't understand...” Her voice was soft and breathy. It tugged at Garrett's heart.
"Nights of the full moon have become a ... dating ... ritual. The electrical storm is brought on by those who command the elements and the moon. The lightning you saw tonight, it was more than just a normal spear of lightning."
"I kept thinking it was the same one, over and over again."
He nodded. “It was. And it had a purpose."
"A purpose?” Her eyes searched his. Then some sort of realization dawned on her. She let out a soft gasp. “Oh! You're right. When it hit my truck, I felt singed to the core. And then I felt..."
"Aroused?” He crooked a brow at her.
She nodded. “Intensely."
"It's sort of like foreplay for the virgins. It starts them down the path of desire and makes them more ... amenable ... to the mating game."
Serena sat up. She shook her head for a moment, then pierced him with a look. “It wasn't like that with me. I mean, yes, when the lightning struck close enough to me, it did have an erotic effect on me. But then the dog ... wolf ... you,” she said in partial exasperation, “jumped out in front of my truck. And it went away."
"That's what I was hoping for. If I hadn't stopped you, you would have fallen right into their trap."
"Who?” she demanded. “Whose trap?"
Garrett rubbed the back of his neck where a knot of tension began to build. “There are several packs that live in and around Silver. We've been here a very, very long time. Some of the packs are content on living in the forest, staying mainly in animal form. But a couple of the packs have taken to city life, so to speak. We own businesses and, for the most part, conform to and follow the rules of modern society. Some of us are on the straight and narrow more than others...” He frowned when he
thought of the most ruthless of the packs, led by what Garrett would classify as his archrival.
"Do they hurt people?” she asked in a quiet voice.
Garrett nodded. “Sometimes. Some of them haven't evolved, in mentality, beyond their wolf form. They can be vicious predators when they want to be."
She sucked in a breath. Pink crept up her throat and stained her cheeks.
"Look,” he said quickly as he sat up. “They're—we're—not all like that. And those of us who don't prey on others try to protect whomever we can."
"Who are you protecting me from?"
Garrett let out a long sigh. He didn't want to frighten her, but he knew that the more she knew, the better off she'd be. The safer she'd be. Though in truth, he'd do everything in his power to ensure she was never in harm's way. He would keep the others at bay, no matter what. If it meant launching himself in front of a moving vehicle or taking on an entire pack, he wouldn't let anyone hurt her. Ever.
"Garrett?” She prompted in a soft voice.
He cleared his throat. “His name is Braedan. He's a grey wolf and a descendant of a particularly vicious pack that has slaughtered more innocent hunters, campers and fishermen than even I can keep track of. In fact, his brother is the leader of another pack that has created a lot of strife in Montana over the years. Braedan is...” He shook his head. No point in sugar-coating it for her. She needed to know the truth. “Evil."
Serena shivered. Her eyes clouded. Garrett reached for her and pulled her to him. “But he won't hurt you."
She drew in a long breath, let it out slowly. “What makes you so sure?"
"Because there are laws amongst the packs. We abide by them.” Okay, so that wasn't entirely true. Braedan and his pack didn't necessarily stick to the rules. They played dirty—and they played for keeps. But at the moment, Braedan was under scrutiny by the Council that governed them all, and he was too smart to bring more attention his way.
"Look,” Garrett said as he pulled away from Serena. He cupped her heart-shaped face in his hands and said, “I told you the choice is yours. I can't make you stay with me. If this isn't what you want, then I'll continue to protect you, but like I said, you'll have to leave Wyoming."
