Free Lure of the Blood by Doris O'Connor

flop-eared rabbit at the edge of the forest back underground. If only
Ion’s own needs could be as easily solved as Leah’s. The infant’s wails of
indignation had ceased the instant she found her mum’s nipple. The expression
on Marnie’s face before she hastily looked away had him grinding his jaw
together to stop his wolf from leaping on her there and then. The sudden
downpour left her dress completely see-through and clinging to every one of her
curves. The racy underwear made his cock harden in his jeans instantly, the
wolf’s low, excited yips ringing in his ear.
    Ion somehow reined his beast in, when he really
looked at her. She was trying to rub the goose bumps off her arms, her face
having lost what little colour she regained and she put up no resistance when
he pulled her into the warmth of his body. Instead, Marnie snuggled in closer
with a small sigh, and he picked her up and carried her back to his bedroom.
She’d been half asleep by the time he got her upstairs, her eyes fluttering
open in moaned protest, when he proceeded to peel her out of her sodden dress
with, ”Ssh, little one, this needs to come off. You’re freezing. Let me take
care of you.”
    Their eyes locked when he slid the fabric off
her shoulders revealing her silky skin. Her vivid blush stained the soft flesh
the sliding fabric revealed, and he had to force himself to keep his movements
gentle, as her scent hit him in the gut with the realisation that she was
mid-cycle, her body responding to him instinctively. He froze in place until
her unsure, “Ion?” and the way she pulled her legs up raised his wolf’s
protective instincts. For once in agreement with his beast, he finished
undressing her in record time and tucked her inside the downy duvet.
    “Go to sleep, little one, you’re safe. I won’t
let anything happen to you.”
    “Pr…promise?” Her teeth were chattering, and he
pulled her into his warmth with a muttered curse of surrender, his heart
rejoicing at the trusting way she leant into him. He listened to her even
breathing until exhaustion finally claimed him too.
    When he woke up, she was gone. Even now, out
here in the pouring rain, he still knew exactly where she was and it made him
swear again.
     How the fuck he could have missed her getting
up and leaving earlier was beyond him. He couldn’t remember the last time he
had slept that soundly. He never let his guard down, damn it––he couldn’t
afford to––and yet, holding Marnie, he had done just that. He was losing the
plot, tied up in knots about a human, who he would only end up hurting and
despite his promises would not be able to protect. His wolf growled at the
thought and Ion almost missed the soft voice behind him, before the scent of
vampire hit him in the chest. He whirled around, ready to shred Lucas to
pieces.
    “Easy, wolf. I’m not here to cause trouble, but
we need to decide what to do about Marnie. So put your claws away and stop
thinking with your dick for a minute. Have you told her yet?”
    ****
    Marnie sat, only half-listening to the
incessant chatter of Leah’s mum. The woman, still gushing with gratitude, had
insisted that Marnie sit at their table for dinner. Even though they had long
since finished eating, she was still holding Marnie hostage. Leah’s ––husband?
Mate? What exactly did one call them?––had left them half an hour ago, and more
and more of the males and about half of the females followed. You didn’t have
to be a shifter to realise how agitated they all were. The heavy moon visible
through the windows didn’t seem quite so pretty to Marnie anymore. Not when she
had a familiar ache low on one side of her abdomen and it seemed every unmated
male in the room hadn’t been able to restrain himself from sniffing her on
their way out.  It was unnerving enough when Ion did that, let alone perfect
strangers, no matter how buff they may be. Especially when she was expecting
them to change into wolves and start