Free Promised at the Moon by Rebekah R. Ganiere Page A

should have called me.” His tone made her bristle.
    She crossed her arms over her chest. “Why?”
    He grabbed his hair and pulled on it by the roots, letting out an exasperated sigh. “Because that’s what I’m here for. To help if you need things.”
    Natasha’s eyes narrowed. “Well maybe that’s why I came. I didn’t want you to feel obligated to help me anymore.” She sat on the railing and took off her sandals to wipe the sand from her feet.
    Liam stopped pacing and watched her. What a crappy night this had turned out to be. She would’ve been better staying home and watching a movie with Cara. Her skin itched and her muscles wound as tight as a spring-loaded toy. Her gaze flickered to the sky. She suppressed a whine. The moon had only a week left before it was full, and her wolf wanted out.
    She slipped her sandals on and headed for her car. Liam stepped in her path, blocking her.
    “It’s the full moon, isn’t it?”
    Natasha took a deep breath. “Yes. I haven’t shifted in months.”
    “How’s that even possible?”
    “Wolfsbane.”
    His mouth fell open. “I thought that was a myth.”
    She shook her head. “It’s rare.”
    He stared at her as if contemplating something. “Come with me.” He reached out a hand. “I have something that’ll help.”
    She slipped her hand in his, and he led her along the asphalt parking lot to where his bike waited.
    “Put it on.” He handed her a helmet.
    She wondered if it was the same helmet that Deena used when she and Liam went on dates.
    Natasha slipped the helmet over her head and pushed her hair out of her face. Her skull felt like a giant bowling ball. Liam strapped his helmet on and got on the bike. She slung her purse over her shoulder, bundled her dress in her hand up to her knees and got on behind him.
    For a moment she didn’t know what to hang on to, but he took her arms and wrapped them around his waist. A tingle shot through her and landed in her core. At that moment, her wolf woke up and paid attention. She pressed her body in closer to him and breathed in the scent of his leather coat. The bike roared to life, making her smile. She laid her cheek on his jacket, and he pulled out of the parking lot.
    On the highway, the bike picked up speed, and she gripped him tighter. The wind whipped her hair, bringing with it the salty smell of the sea. She leaned into Liam’s ear.
    “Faster.”
    He twisted the gears and hit the gas. She was thrown back, but she squeezed Liam’s rear and legs with her thighs, molding her body into his like a cotton glove. He let go of a handlebar long enough to pat her arm.
    The ride down the highway was like nothing Natasha had ever experienced. The speed, the powerful engine, roaring down the road, the wind in her face. It was like running and flying all at once. Everything drifted away, and she let her head fall back, taking in the Earth as they moved. The smell of the beach. The taste of the asphalt and salt. The sounds of the waves crashing in.
    After thirty minutes, Liam slowed the bike into an outlook and stopped. The swollen moon stared at them above the waves of the ocean. Being so close to it tugged at her gut. Liam stepped off the bike and helped her down as well. He removed her helmet and then removed his own.
    “Come on.” He ran his fingers through his curls.
    Her head still buzzed from the ride as they made their way down to the sand just above where the waves crashed in. The night air was cooler down by the water, and she shivered. Liam shrugged off his coat and draped it over her shoulders, then sat.
    The hot leather weighed her down and smelled like him. He wore a short-sleeved rock band T-shirt. It was the first time she’d seen his arms. They were covered in tattoos, and both wrists sported leather cuff bracelets and chains. Including the one she’d given him.
    His gaze met hers and he patted the sand next to him.
    Liam hadn’t been to this spot in over a year. He stared out at the open