Free Diamond (Rare Gems Series) by Kathi S. Barton

Diamond tried her best to calm her, but she wasn’t having it. She wanted to hurt the man in front of them.
    “ You should leave.” Thad shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest, looking for all the world like he was ready to do battle with her. “You are pissing off my wolf, and she wants to hurt you.”
    “ You think I care? I don’t. I’m not afraid of you. Other than you making me sick to my stomach. Did you really think that sitting up here in this room was going to endear you to anyone? All you’ve done is make people feel sorry for you. Big bad Diamond Erickson is so messed up from some guy that she’s willing to let herself die over him.” He snorted. “I guess you’re not half the woman they think you are. At least I will know the truth.”
    Her wolf snarled at her and took her. Pain radiated from her entire body as fur replaced skin; bones took another shape and size under her skin and made her drop to her hands. Claws sprouted from her fingers so that she looked as if she had a monster growing from her. When she felt her wolf tear at her face, elongating her chin until she had a muzzle, teeth grew along her newly formed jaw until she knew that when she bit at something she’d tear and mash, bringing blood down her throat to drink from. Diamond blinked several times, waiting for her eyes to adjust before she looked at Thad.
    “ You should know that I didn’t mean anything I said to you. Before or now. I was a fool. But Blair told me that you needed to shift and this was the only way.” She moved closer to him and he didn’t run like her wolf wanted him to but stood very still. “I was more than a fool, Diamond, I was…I should have been…I’m not sure what I could have said or done that would have made things better between us.”
    You don ’t want me. He looked shocked at her, and she knew that he’d heard her. You made me feel like I was worthless, less than human. You made me feel worse than Jeffery ever did. She wants to kill you right now.
    “ I don’t know who that is but I’m assuming he’s the guy that hurt you into not wanting to shift at pack meetings.” Thad sat down on the chair and she could smell his weakness. “I know that you’ll never forgive me, and I can understand that. I was a bastard and a—”
    What ’s wrong with you? Diamond moved closer to him but not close enough that she could touch him. You smell like…you’re sick. What’s happened to you?
    “ I’m fine.” She snarled at him, and he leaned away from her when she got closer. “I was sick for a few days. I’m better now.”
    You ’re not. You smell like you’re still very sick and should be in a hospital. He didn’t move, but she did until she could put her nose on his bare arm. You come in here acting like you can take on the world and…what if I had attacked you? How the hell would you have defended yourself against me?
    Then it occurred to her that he didn ’t care if she killed him or not. When she whimpered at him, he put his hand on her head and rubbed against her fur. Leaning into him, she let him continue touching her; the wolf in her was happy with him all of a sudden.
    “ I’m going to have to go soon. I’m flying out tonight.” Thad started to stand but fell back in the chair. “I’m glad that you’re going to be well from now on. I’m not sure why Blair let me in the house, but I guess he figured that having me dead and you alive was a better tradeoff for all of you. And I’m not going to fight the…did you know Jane was a vampire?”
    He was burning up , and she could feel his heat. Diamond had to shift back to help him, but was afraid to leave him. She reached for Blair. He would help her.
    Come to my room quickly. Thad is sick and I’m worried about him. Diamond heard him running to her and when the door burst open, he was standing there . He’s ill. He came in here to piss me off and you let him, knowing he was this sick.
    Blair picked him up and put him on