Free Werewulf Journals 4: Sated Pleasures by Camille Anthony

beautiful expression of love, not to be hidden away as if it is shameful.”
    Her chagrined expression accompanied by the flush of hot color bathing her cheeks and neck, had him trying to smother his helpless guffaws. “The Alpha’s scent is all over you. It is obvious what…”
    She covered her hot face. “Please…spare me knowing everyone is aware of whenever my boyfriend nails me!”
    Karel didn’t look like the thought made him too happy, either, though he quickly schooled his features to blandness when he caught her looking back at him. “Well enough, let’s return to how happy we are to see each other again, but for the unfortunate circumstances,” he said, obediently changing the subject in response to her wishes. “I’m thankful the rogue did not target you for his murder victim. When we heard about what had happened, I couldn’t sleep for worrying about you.”
    Kaila was thankful for his attempt to minimize her awkward moment, though his new choice of topic wasn’t any better, to her way of thinking. The last thing she wanted to talk about was the recent tragedy and how it was still playing out. “You shouldn’t have worried.
    The killer wouldn’t be interested in killing me, would he?” She asked the question rhetorically, not really expecting him to respond.
    “Whoever he is, he’s not sane. There’s no telling what he might do.”
    Kaila thought about it, shook her head no. “I just can’t see it, Karel. I’ve heard the talk.
    I’m a breed, so sure, he would rape me if he got the chance, but this creep is all into the hunt and kill. He needs humans for that. Eating me would make him a cannibal.”
    The big wulf gazed up at the sky as if asking for help and then back down at her, the expression in his light brown eyes intent. “I see holes in your logic. The first major hole is expecting this killer to be able to reason along logical lines. The rogue could choose to kill you simply to punish the Alpha, hurt him for getting in the way. He knows the value Pavel places on you.
    “Second, while you are indeed a breed, you are still human. This rogue might see you as such and act accordingly. He is most likely a member of the anarchist sect among us. This group believes our race is superior to humans. Their members deem it a wulf’s Goddess-given right to hunt and eat humans at will.”

    44 Camille Anthony
    Karel’s words, delivered in that damnably calm, reasonable voice of his, shocked Kaila.
    From out of nowhere, anger boiled up and over and she stopped walking, turned to confront him, hands crossed over her chest. “How can you make it sound so textbook psychology reasonable, when you know it’s anything but? It’s not reasonable. This entire situation is insanely horrible and ugly and disgusting and brutal!”
    She ran out of breath before she ran out of words. Chest heaving, she stared up at him, aghast at her unusually emotional outburst but unable to control the sheer rage seething within.
    Karel, his facial expression remaining stoic, listened to her without interrupting. Her anger seemed to flow over him, as ineffectual as river water flowing over an ancient moss-covered rock. Mute, he gazed down at her, all the softness of his warm feelings for her evident in his patient face. “Yes, my Prima, unsanctioned killing is all of that and more. And it is especially hard when the ugliness strikes close to us.”
    “Unsanctioned killing…?”
    Bingo! Her anger found an out, and she wasted no time jumping through it. Eyes narrowed, she turned on him. “As in…there are times when it’s all right for you wulves to eat us?”
    “See how you use the words ‘us’ and ‘you’ in order to separate us by species. How can you expect me to answer when anything I say, you will use against me? Any response I give will only inflame you further.” He sighed, shaking his head slowly, his sorrowful gaze almost making her ashamed. “No, Prima, I will not be your target to rail