Read Moon Tortured (Sky Brooks Series Book 1) for Free Online Page A

the torn fabric. “Chase is an ass,” he stated angrily, with a troubled grimace marking his unassuming appearance. I glanced at the young man with the olive green eyes and deep dimples. He held a look of innocence that would dare anyone to think that he was capable of the level of violence I witnessed. Short copper-colored wavy hair and flushed cheeks added to the cute, youthful facade. Standing well over six feet with a slim build, it was hard to think of him as anything more than the cute boy next door whose hair you wanted to ruffle. But the intimidating scowl on his face dared anyone to do anything of the sort without a death wish.
    “May I?” Dr. Baker asked. I nodded. He removed enough of the shirt to examine the area and keep me covered. He looked at it for a long time, palpating along it lightly. “It’s just a puncture wound, you’ll heal just fine,” he stated reassuringly.
    Maybe it would heal without any problems, but it hurt like hell. Minimally focused on my painful shoulder, I eyed Ethan as he paced heatedly in front. With each step, he seemed to become more infuriated. When he finally wore a sufficient hole in the floor, he turned to face me. His cobalt eyes had shifted to an intense gray, a warning sign that the wolf was in the driver’s seat. If I thought I could have made it to the door, I would have tried to leave the room.
    Stone-faced, he leaned into me. “What the hell was that? Weren’t you supposed to stay in the damn house?” he snapped, uncomfortably close to my face. His rage wouldn’t be doused by any answer I could offer, so I remained silent, hoping he would just go away.
    He inched closer and the intense emotions that radiated off him made me uneasy. They physically affected me, making me feel queasy and anxious. I wanted him away from me. When he inched a smidge closer, I pushed him. He knocked my hand away.
    Joan called his name in an even and calm tone but he ignored her.
    “Why would you run when you knew the vampires were after you, especially at dusk? You cannot be this stupid.” He growled, barely holding on to whatever control he had left.
    “Ethan,” Joan repeated in a much firmer tone. He whipped toward her, his face pulled tight into a frown, his eyes narrowed into thin lines.
    “She chose to leave,” said Joan. “It is an option I feel she should have been given in the first place. She’s been through a great deal today. I don’t think yelling at her like an uncivilized brute is going to make her feel safe in a home in which we are asking her to be our guest.” Her face matched her voice, soft and kind, which just further enraged Ethan.
    Ethan took several steps back and waved his hand toward me, inviting Joan to take over. He plowed out of the room.
    “Skylar, I would like to ask that you trust us, but that would be useless. I don’t know what I can do to earn that trust. I assure you that we are here to help. But another stunt like today and the ending may not be as favorable,” she stated, guiding me back upstairs to the room I had run away from.
    “I shouldn’t have left,” I admitted, shamed by my behavior. I had done the typical stupid B-movie girl mistake, running away from assistance and getting myself into worse trouble. I didn’t want to be that woman.
    “No, you should not have run. Let’s try this again. Skylar, I am extending an invitation for you to stay here as the Midwest Pack’s guest and allow us to help you. Will you accept?” she asked gently. She was being very patient with me, but I could tell it was quite the task. The muscles around her lips tightened into a moue as she dealt with her own frustration.
    I agreed without hesitation. Joan walked into the room in silence.
    “Why is it so important to you that I am safe?” I asked before she could leave the room. I wished I could believe they were just good Samaritans but they didn’t strike me as the charitable type.
    She sighed heavily, leaning against the wall. A pleasant