Read Rescue in the Smokies (Durham Wolves) for Free Online

caused by a stiffening cock, he resumed stepping over fallen branches and piles of leaves to get his woman to safety.
    What was he thinking? She was completely safe now. She just didn’t know it yet.
    He would have liked to draw out the morning. He cringed to think he’d have no choice but to hand her over to her friends and the authorities when they got to the road. How was he going to arrange to see her again?
    Hell, he couldn’t possibly let her go, not even for a moment, now that he thought about it. What if Serg left her with her friends and the vampire hunted her down? Nope, couldn’t let that happen.
    So, he needed a plan, and fast.
    He’d never been much of a talker. Just because his brothers felt the need to fill every imaginable void with banter didn’t mean he had to.
    Now he needed to buck up and dispel that myth in an effort to win the trust of this woman next to him before the end of a two-mile hike.
    “Where are you from?”
    “North Carolina, originally, but I live about an hour from here. Knoxville. I just finished my Masters in Anthropology.”
    “Anthropology? That’s great.” It intrigued him how so many people could study the evolution of man without ever stumbling upon the existence of shapeshifters. “Where did you live in North Carolina?”
    “Charlotte. Left six years ago to go to college and haven’t regretted it. I love it out here so close to the Appalachians. Hiking is my ultimate passion. If I could make a living hiking I would.” She chuckled, a sweet sound that vibrated through her and into Sergius where their hands still connected.
    “Careful, that’s poison ivy.” He pulled her against him and steered her around the patch of familiar pointed leaves of three, grateful for its presence for the first time in his life. After all, its placement assured him proximity to his sexy woman, at least for a minute.
    “Ah, you’re right. I should’ve seen it. I’m usually very careful.”
    “I was distracting you.” He looked down into her eyes and smiled.
    “True. You were. Your turn. Where are you from?”
    Shit. He had wanted to learn everything about her. Not talk about himself.
    It doesn’t work that way, dude. If you want her in your bed, you’re going to have to provide a little give and take here .
    “Virginia, outside of Roanoke.”
    “Your parents still there?”
    “No. They were killed…in an accident, when I was young. Got a lot of relatives in the area still, but my brothers and I came down here and started breeding horses about ten years ago.”
    Juliana sucked in a sharp breath he couldn’t miss. She squeezed his fingers and then let go of his hand to balance against a tree as they stepped over a small stream.
    When Serg turned to look at her, he found her staring at him. “Sorry about your mom and dad. My parents died when I was young also.”
    Sergius swallowed. They had something very personal in common. “Sorry to hear that,” he whispered.
    A moment of silence ensued. He hadn’t wanted the subject to turn sad. It just happened.
    Juliana stepped forward and changed the subject. “What kind of horses do you breed?” And just like that the melancholy moment passed.
    “Thoroughbreds. Race horses.”
    “Awesome. They’re so majestic. How many do you have?”
    “In the spring, the foals are born. We usually have about six most years and sell them the following spring.”
    “Sounds like a lot of work.”
    “We love it. We live outside Pigeon Forge. Caring for the mares and their foals is a full-time job.”
    “And you hike?” Her voice hung with anticipation.
    “Not as much as I’d like. But it’s a beautiful countryside out here. I love it when I have the opportunity.” Never mind he usually wasn’t in human form.
    Time to change the subject back to her. “What are your plans now that you’ve graduated?”
    He held his breath and prayed the battle to convince her to stay with him wouldn’t be completely uphill.
    Without looking up, she