Read To the Edge and Back [The Royal Wolves] (Siren Publishing Allure) for Free Online

was that god-awful noise? Oh…right, his alarm, crap! Tuning it out for the moment even though he knew he couldn’t do it for long, Janos stroked her back lightly. “Get some more rest, honey, and have a good day. I’ll be thinking of you,” he promised, quietly pressing his lips to her cheek for a fleeting kiss.
     
    * * * *
     
    The light kiss made her smile and she slipped even deeper into sleep. It was nice, to be in a dream of hers where he was the star, and do something, anything, other than dream of the mind-blowing sex she was sure he could deliver. No, it was nice to dream about being held as if she mattered more than just a lump of flesh.
    She felt it when he left the bed and curled closer to the pillow he had vacated and tugged it closer to her, breathing him in as she did so and allowing herself to sleep deeper than she normally would have.

Chapter 7
     
    When Mina finally woke she felt better than she had in, well…forever. For once she’d actually slept. She didn’t feel as if someone was going to bust into her house at any moment and rob her, again. It was nice, to just sleep, feeling safe.
    Once up and showered, she tugged the too-curly red locks behind her head with a ribbon and gathered her clothes to be cleaned. A smile on her face and humming softly in her throat, she moved her hamper and hangers to the hall, locked the door, and moved up the stairs and to her landlady’s apartment.
    Seeing the two baskets already there, she sighed and, taking a deep breath, nodded. It was what it always was, no changing it.
    Placing her small hamper on top of the two larger ones, she hefted one of each of the hampers up and under her arms, balanced on her hips. Of course there was hopefully enough money to wash the landlady’s clothes, this time. If not, well Mina would just wash hers by hand at home and deal with it.
    Wouldn’t have been the first time and most certainly would not be the last.
    Using the stair railings on one side of her for the double hamper, her clothes and the landlady’s, she quickly went down the five flights of stairs and through the door that thankfully opened out without having to use a door handle.
    The kids were there playing, as usual, five girls and five boys, not all belonging to the landlady, but hey, who knew who each of them belonged to. Calling them each by name as she walked past and said her hellos and good-byes in one breath, she went to the bus stop.
    As she was waiting, and just as the bus pulled up, she heard one of them say, “She’s gone, let’s go see if she has anything at all this time.” Mina was torn, chase after the little thieves who wanted to rob her, or do her laundry.
    Considering she had nothing worth stealing and had her purse with what little cash she had with her, she chose the Laundromat.
    Once she was on the bus and settled into the torn and duct-taped seat with her laundry by the window, she leaned back and closed her eyes. The thoughts of being held in his arms once more were…Her thoughts were interrupted by a young man. Well, he looked young, but his eyes told of his true age.
    Dressed in leather and gang colors, no, pack colors, he leaned in close to her and breathed in at her neck before pulling back, hissing. “What the fuck?” he nearly yelled. Well, she wanted to yell, too. Why was he sniffing her? He looked up at the two men that were closing around her as well, and she watched as the kid shook his head. “No, the boss needs to know that the youngest dickling prince has found a mate.” Tugging on the pull string, the bus quickly stopped and Mina watched them piling off and onto the sidewalk, their eyes watching her as the bus started back up again.
    A shiver of dread walked over her spine, but she didn’t have time to try to pinpoint why. Three blocks later and at the Laundromat, she thanked Teddy, the normal driver, and was off and into the Laundromat before the sun began the slow descent to Earth for the night.
    Finally, as she