“Winter”

Rise of the Pride, Book 2

Here is your first look (unedited) at the second book in the Rise of the Pride series!  Enjoy!

“Can you ask Dane to take me home?” she asked, glancing up into his beautiful eyes that had turned from ice blue to glowing amber.

“Dane is not taking you home,” he snarled, leaning forward. Nova leaned back when his eyes narrowed, his panther taking over. She gasped when Winter opened his mouth to speak and his canines had lengthened. “I trust no one but myself to keep you safe, Nova.”

“Are you just going to yell at me every time I do something stupid?” she whispered. “Because, Winter…I don’t think I can handle that.”

His gasp and predatory snarl froze Nova in her spot for a moment. His head tilted to the side and he leaned forward. She felt the heat rolling off of his body…even smelled the scent she’d come to associate with Winter Blue. It was the same scent she remembered from her dreams. The wildness to his scent drove her insane with lust for this man…this animal. Her breasts tingled and a heaviness settled inside her stomach.

Winter’s glowing eyes locked onto her lips, the tick in his jaw relaxed as he let out a tortured breath, then inhaling again long and slow. Nova braced for the kiss that she knew was coming. She wanted it…she wanted him. A thrill raced through her veins as she realized he was going to finally make contact.

Nova was frozen in the spot there on the bed, not moving…not even breathing. Winter’s face showed the war that was raging in his mind. She knew he had to touch her to know if they were mates, but she wanted so badly to just close the distance between them…to take that decision away from him.

But she wouldn’t do that. He had to come to her, because she already knew her feelings toward the Guardian.

His, however, didn’t align with hers.

“I would never yell at you,” he said, his voice nothing but a deadly whisper. His warm breath caused bumps to raise on her neck. She felt her body relax, although her sex clenched with need. Nova’s breath hitched as he stared deep into her eyes. She wanted to close her own but didn’t. She needed to see the moment they touched for the first time.

“Nova?” Liberty said, walking into the room. Winter jumped up from the bed like he’d been struck, shaking his head to clear whatever was on his mind. “I’m so sorry.”

“I was leaving,” he muttered, walking toward the door. Liberty had to step to the side to allow him to pass, but didn’t say anything about what she’d walked in on.

“I want to go home,” Nova said, her voice cracking as her heart beat fast in her chest. “Liberty, I just want to go home.”

“Okay,” Liberty sighed, looking toward the door. “Okay, I’ll take you home.”

Copyright 2016 Theresa Hissong