Free Midnight Dare (A Paranormal Romance) (Golden Pack Alphas) by Laurel Cremant Page A

some level she didn't blame them. No one wanted to have their deepest secrets exposed. And she more than anyone understood that. So she used her powers during the occasional difficult cases or when her father requested. She'd gotten used to suppressing that part of her, but during her heat cycle, her discipline often slipped.
    Last night was a prime example of that. She needed to keep Marcus away from her now more than ever.
    A small, growl, worked its way up her throat. She clenched her teeth against the sound. Her wolf was restless, and for once she welcomed the distraction.
    It allowed her to focus and channel her energy into containing the pacing beast inside of her.
    Closing her eyes, the vision of her wolf materialized in her mind. As she let her internal gaze roam over its dark thick coat, a small pang of remorse hit her heart at its forlorn expression.
    And that was part of the problem. Shifters weren't supposed to see their beasts, let alone interact with them. From a young age shifters were aware of the animal within them. They weren't separate entities. Their beasts were a part of them, another side of themselves, not an alternate personality. Shifting allowed that part of themselves temporary reign of the physical body, but never over the senses.
    Georgia didn't have the same experience.
    Her wolf had always been a companion within her, both a friend and adversary. When she shifted, she didn't just change forms, her wolf completely surfaced and Georgia became a spectator. Her wolf was fully sentient, a characteristic that had always worried Georgia. It was a clear reminder that she would always be different from the rest of her pack. For as long as she could remember her wolf had been a presence in her head, filling her consciousness with images of warmth and acceptance.
    She felt guilty for keeping her so confined, but she had little choice. Her wolf wasn't just different—she was strong. That strength coupled with Georgia's powers as a see-er would make others even wearier of her. That wasn't a risk she wanted to take. So she almost never shifted around others, she didn't participate in the full moon runs the pack held through the forests surrounding Golden Valley. And on the rare occasion that she did shift into wolf form it was never to her full strength or size. It was yet another secret she kept close.
    Mate.
    Her wolf's plea echoed through her head. Yes she had a treasure chest full of secrets. In essence she had around ninety-nine problems and Marcus was definitely number one.
    Reaching across the bond she shared with her wolf she tried to calm her, pulling it close in a mental embrace, hugging her tight.
    "He's not for us."
    Her beast growled louder at the whispered words.
    She spoke the truth. Marcus wasn't for them. He was too strong and too perceptive. If she allowed him to get close it would only be a matter of time before he saw what she'd been trying to hide her entire life. And as an enforcer, his loyalties lied with the Council. The possibility of losing her pack scared her, but the idea that the Council would find out, terrified her.
    She didn't worry that they would try to eliminate her. Her fear lie in the fact that they may try to use her instead. She'd been able to fly under their radar for years. Her truth seeing capabilities weren't uncommon amongst covens and many packs employed witches to act as advisors—it was how her parents first met. However, the Council was known for their willingness to recruit what others considered the oddballs and the misfits. They cultivated them and turned them into political tools, like Marcus — an enforcer. She'd never heard of anyone ever refusing a Council request, leading her to believe that those who did were eliminated.
    She didn't want that life. She wanted a home.
    "Remember our goal. Remember the pack—our family," she said, her voice more insistent.
    Her wolf understood the need for a pack, she craved it just as much as Georgia.
    A piercing