Full Moon Rachel Hawthorne (top 10 novels .TXT) 📖

wasn’t the first time I’d gone swimming here. The water was cold as usual, but it felt good.

I washed my hair and my body. Getting rid of two days of grit was exhilarating—until I climbed out of the pool and chill bumps erupted over my skin. Grabbing a towel, I briskly dried off and got dressed. I towel-dried my hair as much as possible before combing it out. I considered braiding it as usual, but Rafe had asked me not to, and I had this insane urge to make him smile and to feel his fingers running through my loose hair.

I glanced toward the passageway, wondering exactly what was waiting for me on the other side. Surely we would sleep in each other’s arms again. Tingles of anticipation cascaded through me. I wanted to be with him—almost desperately. I had never experienced that level of feeling with Connor: pure desire. Until I’d met Kayla, Connor had been my best friend, the one I did everything with. He was comfortable, but Rafe was…exciting.

I gathered everything together and strolled as calmly as I could through the passage. As I neared the entrance I heard voices.

Apparently we were no longer alone.

I immediately recognized one of the voices, and I realized with regret that I wouldn’t be sleeping with Rafe tonight. As a matter of fact, he might never hold me in his arms again.

Halting at the entrance to the main cavern, I saw Lucas and Connor practically cornering Rafe. Kayla was standing a short distance away, appearing very uncomfortable. I knew she’d witnessed a confrontation between Lucas and his brother—the one who’d betrayed us. Like me, she was well aware that the guys could be very intimidating when their testosterone levels peaked.

“What were you thinking bringing Lindsey with you?” Connor demanded of Rafe, and my heart slammed against my ribs with the fury I heard in his voice.

“I wanted to come,” I answered before Rafe could.

Connor jerked around, his eyes resting on me. I knew him well enough to see that he wasn’t surprised by my presence, so Kayla had told him as I’d asked. In some ways, it made things easier, and in others so much harder. I could see in his eyes that he wanted to ask me questions, that he was remembering the fight we never finished. I saw regret…and sorrow. At that particular moment I was feeling the same thing. But I was also angry; Rafe was being blamed for my actions.

“What were you thinking?” Connor asked fiercely.

“Don’t talk to her like that,” Rafe said. His voice was deeper than usual and carried the hint of a threat.

“It’s okay, Rafe,” I said, trying to calm the situation. “Everyone’s emotions are high right now.”

Since they’d caught up with us so quickly, I assumed they’d traveled in wolf form. We had plenty of extra clothes here for emergencies like this, and they were all dressed now, Kayla wearing loose pants similar to the ones I was wearing.

“I thought I could help,” I told Connor.

“How? If you get hurt—”

“I didn’t get hurt.”

“You didn’t get permission either,” Lucas said, and it irritated me that he was siding with Connor.

“Uh, you’re not the boss of me.” I knew that sounded juvenile, but I didn’t appreciate the accusation.

“Actually I am. ‘Pack leader’ is another name for ‘boss.’”

“If you’re going to get mad at someone, get mad at me,” Rafe insisted. “I knew better and I brought her anyway.”

“And why exactly did you bring her?” Connor asked.

“You know why,” Rafe said, and I realized he was as angry as Connor.

Connor lunged for him. I heard the sickening thud of a fist hitting flesh and bone as they both went down. I screamed, “Stop it! Both of you stop it!”

Only they didn’t. They just kept pounding into each other. It wasn’t the way we fought. I looked at Lucas, who was standing with his arms crossed over his chest as though he was waiting for a bus to arrive. “Do something!” I shouted at him.

He shifted his hard gaze over to me. “What do you suggest?”

I released a harsh curse and jumped into the fray, trying to get their attention. “Guys! Conn—”

Pain ricocheted along my cheek and into my eye. I shrieked and stumbled backward.

“Shit! You hit her!” Rafe said, suddenly kneeling beside me. His face was a bruised and bloody mess, and I thought about all the beatings he’d taken from his father. I reached up to touch his darkening cheek.

“I didn’t hit her. You did,” Connor said, crouching on the other side of me, touching my cheek with a tenderness that was in direct contrast to what he’d been doing just a few seconds ago.

I looked at him. He’d taken the brunt of the punches. One of his eyes was almost swollen shut. I touched the mottled flesh. He winced, and I couldn’t help myself. I started to cry.

He took me into the circle of his arms and held me close, which just made me cry harder. “I don’t know, Connor. I just don’t know.”

He rocked me side to side. “It’s okay. I know.”

I heard scraping along the ground as Rafe got up.

“I’m going outside to heal,” he said, his voice flat, devoid of emotion. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

I didn’t want him to leave—but at the same time, was it fair to ask him to stay? I worked my way out of Connor’s embrace and swiped at my tears. “You should go heal, too.” I felt so stupid for losing it in front of everyone. I was so confused. How could I love two guys at once?

He placed a light kiss on my bruise. “Be here when I get back.”

I didn’t know where exactly he thought I was going to go, and then I realized he was asking me to be there for him. Out of habit, I nodded.

He stood, but instead of going outside like Rafe had, he went into the passageway where the pool was.

Kayla knelt beside me. “I think