Read By the Light of the Scottish Moon - Unrated (My Kilted Wolf, #1) for Free Online

desperate to get to her car in one piece.
    Once safely inside the vehicle, she slammed the door shut and locked it, silently thanking herself for leaving the keys in the ignition. The tires threw up a cloud of dust as she raced away, determined to put as much distance from the beast as she could.
    Freya’s only thought was to get back to the cottage, but it wasn’t long before her body forced her to pull to the side of the road. She opened the car door and promptly threw up. A gut-wrenching spasm coursed through her, leaving her breathless and drained.
    She heard the far off howl of the beast and panic set in. She wiped her mouth against her sleeve before starting the car and taking off again. Her driving instinct was to get back to the cottage. She felt just like a wild animal, needing to find a quiet place to curl up and die—safe, warm and alone.
    Freya staggered out of the car when she finally reached her destination, collapsing just inside the entrance of the cottage unable to move any further. It didn’t matter, this was the end…she knew it on a heart level.
    She was going to die tonight, right here on the cold stone floor.
    Freya stifled a frightened cry when the huge gray wolf entered her open door. She crawled away from him in terror, not wanting it to end this way. Yet, to her surprise, he did not pursue her.
    When she glanced back, she saw that he had transformed back into human form—in all his naked glory.
    “Ye do not need to fear me, Freya McKenna.”

Old Wounds

    F reya sat up and curled into a protective ball, wrapping her arms around her knees. “Why have you come, Bryn?”
    “Ye should not die alone.”
    Her bottom lip trembled. “But I don’t want to die.”
    A look of anguish washed over him. Bryn shook it off, growling under his breath before walking over and picking her up. Despite her vocal protests, he carried her up the stairs and placed her gently on the soft bed.
    It wasn’t until he lay down beside her that she noted how completely and utterly naked he was, but he didn’t seem to notice. He enfolded her in his protective arms and breathed into her ear, “Yer safe now.”
    His voice filled her with profound peace and she repeated the word “safe”, no longer concerned about his lack of clothes.
    “Try to think of death as a gift.”
    “I can’t,” she whispered, shaking her head as fresh tears ran down her cheeks.
    “Try,” he encouraged.
    They lay there in silence as Freya tried to calm the panic building inside her, convincing herself that the end rushing towards her was wanted.
    She couldn’t.
    Freya cried out in fear when the next wave of pain hit. Bryn stroked her hair whispering soothingly, “Shhh… shhh… It’s almost over, ye have almost won the battle.”
    After the pain had passed, she looked up at him gratefully. “Thank you for protecting me from the others… and for being here with me now.”
    “I’ve seen enough brutal deaths in ma life. I dinnae want to add ye to the list.”
    Another spasm wracked her body and she groaned in agony.
    His voice was gentle when he told her, “Do not fight it.”
    Freya shook her head violently. “You don’t understand. It’s in my nature to fight.”
    “Aye, but I do,” he snorted, with an admiring grin. “I’m the same. I must keep fighting, even when I kin all is lost.”
    She gazed into his eyes, losing herself in their fiery depths. “Is that the reason for those scars on your back?”
    Anguish darkened his amber eyes as Bryn shifted, propping his back against the headboard and choosing not to answer her.
    “Is it the reason you were at the tree tonight?” she prodded.
    He continued to remain silent.
    While Freya was contemplating how to get him to open up, a searing fire clawed through her middle. She looked up at him in pain and fear, not ready for what was coming.
    “Please talk, Bryn. Your voice soothes me.”
    He nodded in empathy and began, his tone lulling and kind even though what he shared was