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Back Claws and Crochet Save as PDF
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

I shake my head, a thick lump in my throat hindering my ability to speak.

“And you’ll never have to. Wherever you go, they’ll find you. We’ll all find you.” Her face splits into a wide, teasing grin. “Our smothering is international. You think a couple hours’ drive will stop them?”

Suddenly, I have to blink rapidly.

My mother leans forward in her chair, holding all of my attention. “If you love that man and you’re leaving him because you’re worried about losing us, don’t. You could be in the middle of Denver, living in the house next door to mine, and still be oceans away. The thought of you breaking your own heart … that’s what scares me. I’ve seen what a broken heart does to women in our family. I think if you came back to Denver, we might lose you more than we would if you were far away.”

And now that she says it, I can see that too. The idea of returning to my tiny apartment in Denver without the hope of seeing Warner again sets off more of those horrible cracks in my chest.

Never feeling his warm body against mine.

Never watching him smile while I ask my questions.

Never hearing his laugh again. Or his growl.

He’s my wolf. Mine.

This pain, a deep ache in my chest, this is drowning.

I turned down everything he’d offered, for fear of becoming my grandmother. But I already am her.

She turned away from love, just like I’m doing.

The image of Warner’s devastated face blares in my mind, threatening to crush me with panicked regret.

Have I destroyed my chance at happiness, just like she did?

“I told him to find someone else.” The admission comes out on a whisper.

My mother covers my fisted hands with her own. “Sweetheart, compared to you, there is no one else.”

49

WARNER

As I pace around my apartment, I avoid looking in any mirrors. I don’t want to see how black my eyes are.

Funny, I never thought falling in love with a person would bring out so many dark feelings. Love is supposed to be great. Lift you up. Make you feel like you’re invincible. At least, that’s what people tell you.

But I’m finding that love feels a whole lot like misery.

She’s leaving.

The thought makes me want to howl. My wolf thrashes under my skin, demanding release. The urge to transform tempts me. To run through the woods until I forget what it’s like to be human. Forget what it means to hurt.

But something keeps me here, in this stifling room.

I wrench open a window, just so I can breathe under the suffocating weight of losing her.