Embracing the Wolf (Ritter Werewolves #2)(6)
Author: Catherine Bybee

He poured the cereal into bowls and filled each

with milk before setting hers in her lap. Taking a seat across from her, Richard lifted his spoon in salute. “Enjoy.”

Kate took a few bites before she spoke.

“Why are you doing all this?”

He stopped mid bite and smiled. “You won’t believe me.”

“Try me,” Kate pressed.

He shrugged his shoulders. “Well it’s all those fairytales. I’m a sucker for a damsel in distress.” His cheek twitched, lighting up his eyes.

What could she say to that? “I’m not sure of the damsel part, but I don’t remember being more distressed.”

“You’ve handled it like a pro.”

“And what would you know about that?” Richard sat back and put his feet on her coffee table, mimicking her motions. “Most people don’t put in security systems until after they’re robbed. In my line of work, I’ve seen a lot of people after they were assaulted or worse.”

“Oh.”

“My guess is that if the bullet missed you completely, you would have ended your shift and come home like nothing happened.” He swirled his spoon around the bowl, avoiding the blue moons.

“You learn to take life’s little punches being a single parent.”

“I’d say last night was more than a little punch.” She noticed the blue speckled milk in his bowl.

“True.”

He smiled up at her. Her heartbeat skipped and her body grew warm. The cleft in his chin was even sexier than earlier.

“Are you saving the blue moons for last?” He glanced at the evidence of his behavior and laughed. “Old habit.”

Kate concentrated on her bowl. Even his laugh was sexy. She focused on putting her spoon to her

mouth and did her best to ignore her body’s response to the man.

How long had it been since her body reacted to a man’s smile? Joey’s father, she reminded herself. He could charm the pants off a nun, and most likely earn a trip to hell in the process.

With a deep sigh, she put the empty bowl on the coffee table and leaned her dizzy head on the back of the sofa.

“Meds kicking in?” Richard asked.

“I think so.”

“Good, you could use some rest.” Richard took both their bowls to the sink, grabbed an old faded afghan from the back of the couch, and proceeded to spread it over her.

Murmuring thanks behind falling eyelids, Kate let her body relax, and her mind rest. Before she fell asleep, she saw Richard pick up her paper and open it. She should try to stay awake, she thought. But dark bliss beckoned like a warm summer night.

Chapter Three

Soft, even breathing from the sofa told him she had fallen asleep. He lowered the paper and watched her rest. The steady rise and fall of her chest had a way of tightening his.

God, she was beautiful. Sometime during the ride to her kid’s school and back, she let her hair free of the rubber band. It fell in a long sheet to the middle of her back. He stared at her, feeling an uncanny desire to run his finger through it. Would it feel like silk? And those plump sexy lips…

Shifting in his seat, Richard ignored the heat between his legs and reminded himself that she needed his protection.

His brother Max told him her car held the scent of the wolf. Even if last night’s werewolf hadn’t bit her, he would return.

Tonight or next month, he would be back.

A light knock on the door signaled his brother’s arrival. Kate stirred, but didn’t awaken.

Through the peephole, Richard saw Max in the hall with his hands in his pockets. Richard opened the door as quietly as he could and let him in.

“Hey,” he whispered in greeting. His finger went to his lips before pointing to the sleeping woman on the couch.

Max nodded and followed him into the hall between the two bedrooms.

“Did you find anything?” Richard asked in hushed tones.

“Only that her car was definitely marked. The witnesses couldn’t confirm if she was bitten.”

“And Janet wasn’t sure.”

“It wouldn’t make sense for the wolf to tag her car if she was already turned.”

Rubbing his eyes, Richard asked, “Why?”

“We can smell our kind. If she is going to turn next month, the wolf would find her like you find a good barbeque joint.”

“Damn. So you think he’ll be back?”

“Probably.” Max peaked around the corner, his brow rose in appreciation. “I can see why.”

“Your wife is pregnant,” Richard reminded him.

“And I love her to pieces, but I still have eyes.” Richard smiled. Max’s devotion to his wife and married life wasn’t something he questioned. Janet loved his brother in spite of the fact that he turned furry three nights a month.

“You need to track him tonight so he can’t get to her.”

“I need more than one night, and you know it. It will take the better part of the month to find this one. We’ll be lucky if I can. From what I can tell he doesn’t run with a pack, which makes him even more difficult and dangerous.”

“Then we’ll get more of the family involved.” Max glared down at him, his mouth a thin line.

“Mom and Dad are in the Bahamas along with Uncle Bruce and his family, or have you forgotten?”

“What about Jesse?”

“Utah, in the motorhome.”

“Shit.” Richard started to pace. “What can we do?” “We’ve had this discussion before, Richard.” He turned to his brother, his jaw twitched with indecision. Yeah, they had it before all right. Max had suggested more than a dozen times that Richard should turn to ease the burden of the hunt. Only this time Richard’s immediate refusal didn’t spew from his lips.

Every other time he refused.

Every other time they had more options, he

reminded himself.

His gaze went to Kate who emitted a soft snore.

The tough single mom couldn’t be more vulnerable despite her strength. She had no idea what was coming after her.

Richard thought about Joey. If the werewolf from the restaurant turned Kate with a bite, then her nights of the full moon would be destined to reek of violence and evil.

Every full moon, Max and the other werewolves in the family would search out and protect innocent people from the werewolves who preyed on them.

The Ritter family’s ancestry had werewolves in their blood for hundreds of years. With every generation, several members of the family chose to turn and took on the form of a wolf.