Moon Shifter 02 - Primal Possession

at that moment he seemed a lot older.
    She jumped into action. If she could get a weapon, shecould help him. As she ran through the barn doors, she turned and nearly fell over.
    Brandon was on the ground, stabbing the animal, but he was no match for it. Its jaws were open wide—
    “No!”
    “December?” She opened her eyes to find Liam staring down at her. One of his big hands lay across her bare stomach as he looked at her, concern in every line on his face. She glanced around the room in confusion, then remembered where they were. Sunlight still streamed in through the wooden blinds. They’d only dozed for a little while if it was still daytime.
    “Are you okay?”
    “I’m fine.” Reaching up, she wiped a bead of sweat off her forehead.
    Liam’s dark eyes seemed to see right through her. “You sure?”
    “I…had a nightmare.” She didn’t want to talk about it but knew she needed to. Liam needed to know about her past. She’d already jumped in feetfirst with this relationship or whatever was going on between them, so now it was time to come clean.
    “About what?”
    She didn’t want to tell him. Didn’t even like thinking about it. After her brother had been killed, Parker wouldn’t even say his name for the longest time. They’d moved to Fontana and it was almost like they’d swept the past and memories under the rug. Swallowing hard, she stared at a spot on Liam’s shoulder. “My brother.”
    “Parker?”
    She shook her head. “No. My younger brother, Brandon. He was…he died.” Liam’s grip tightened and she tensed against his hold. “He was killed by a shifter. He was trying to protect me. I was young but he was evenyounger. And so brave.” Her voice cracked on the last word. She didn’t know what to say after that.
    “Honey, I’m so sorry.” He slid his arm around her waist and pulled her so that she had no choice but to lean into him.
    After seeing him in his shifted form, she knew he looked nothing like the crazed animal that had killed her brother, but thinking about it still hurt. Even though her breasts were pressed against his chest and his erection pushed insistently against her abdomen, there was nothing sexual about his hold. He was simply comforting her.
    “Do you want to talk about it?”
    No. “Maybe. Not really, but I miss him so much sometimes. It’s been almost eleven years. I feel like I should be over it.”
    Liam snorted softly. “You should never have to get over losing family.”
    Stupid tears sprang up but she ignored them. And thankfully Liam didn’t lessen his grip on her to wipe them away.
    “I was friends with this girl Allison.
Best friends.
Shifters had come out to the world less than a decade before, but she’d only moved to town with her family—pack—a year before that. I didn’t know what she was at first, but I didn’t care. A lot of people at school treated her and her brothers differently, but we just clicked. I knew what it was like not to fit in, so maybe that’s why we became such fast friends.” She swallowed again, trying to push back the inevitable pain that came with talking about it.
    “To make a long story short, one of her brothers got really heavy into drugs. Heroin, I think, but I don’t know. Doesn’t matter anyway. I guess he turned…feral…. Is that the right word?”
    When he nodded, she continued. “I still don’t knowwhat happened, but he must have liked something about me or my scent, because he followed me home. We lived with my uncle at the time….” She trailed off as her thoughts took another turn. The man did not need to know her entire family history. She’d already opened up to him enough as it was. “Anyway, my brother died trying to save me from being attacked. It’s why Parker doesn’t like shifters.”
    Liam stroked his hand down her back in a soothing gesture. “I’m surprised you even talked to me when you realized what I was,” he murmured.
    She cupped the side of his face. It was only midafternoon and he already had stubble covering his jaw. “It was part of the reason I was freaked-out when we met, but I don’t want there to be any more secrets between us. I’m not ready to bond or mate or whatever it’s called, but I only want to be with you. I don’t want to date or see anyone else.” She figured if what they’d just shared didn’t make her intentions clear, telling him would.
    “Can I kiss you?” His voice was low and sensual, and increased the ache between her