BooksBarbecue
Back Claws and Crochet
Chapters (69)
  1. Cover
  2. Untitled
  3. CLAWS & CROCHET
  4. NEWSLETTER SIGN UP
  5. CONTENT WARNING
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. 56
  62. 57
  63. 58. Epilogue
  64. EPILOGUE
  65. VISIT FOLK HAVEN
  66. SEDUCED BY A SELKIE
  67. NEWSLETTER SIGN UP
  68. ALSO BY LAUREN CONNOLLY
  69. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

This is my project. I wanted to go at my pace.

But that’s life with the Gunner boys.

Say goodbye to my control.

40

WARNER

There are no clouds in the night sky, allowing the light from the full moon to spill down and bathe us in her cool glow. My wolf stretches under my skin, as if waking up from a long nap, and waits eagerly for me to take my animal form.

I’m eager too.

Once I’m wolf, my thoughts will be less focused. Instinct will take over, and I’ll be able to melt into the rhythm of the pack.

Thoughts of Zoey will tuck into the back corner of my mind. Worry about leaving her will hopefully dim.

There’s nothing to be anxious over. She’ll be in Pine Falls, right where you left her, once this night is done.

A dark voice in the back of my mind brings out my doubt. Will she though?

Things between Zoey and me are good. But they’re good in the same way that skydiving is good. All glorious rush and heady feelings, with the hope that once the rip cord is pulled, a parachute will deploy and keep me from smashing into a pile of blood, bone, and entrails when I hit the ground.

We’re falling, and as long as I don’t touch the rip cord, I can convince myself there is a parachute.

I can tell myself that falling for Zoey won’t end in disaster.

“If you’re separated, we meet back here at dawn. Head count is required before we head back to town.” Roderick’s normally steady voice is broken with a growling quality tonight. The change is gripping him as tightly as the rest of us.

A third of the pack is already in their wolf forms.

We’ve gathered in the field behind an abandoned barn. The land is owned by the pack, allowing us to park an entire fleet of bikes and cars here. Not everyone in the pack is a member of The Dark Moon Riders. Roderick said once that he thinks the pack instinct calls to some more than others, and those are the members who join the club. The ones who need that group around them for more than one night a month.

Prime example of someone who doesn’t have any interest in joining: Courtney.

She sits on the bed of her truck, wearing only a T-shirt dress and probably nothing underneath it. I already have my shirt and pants off while a good deal of other people are stripping or completely naked. Modesty isn’t a big thing among the pack.

“How’s your lady doing?”