Unhinged

by Chani Lynn Feener

  “That’s great!” She hugged him again.

  “This is what we’ve always wanted,” he told her, cupping her cheek. “We get to spend senior year together. Forgive me for missing homecoming?”

  She forced herself to laugh. “Well, technically you were there.”

  “Right.” He grew silent and licked his lips. “Spencer, I need to know that you forgive me for leaving the way I did. To go be with my dad, I mean. I really did believe that it was the only way to keep you safe, and I wanted to get to know him while I had the chance. But that never made me stop loving you. I never stopped wanting to come back to be with you. You know that, don’t you?”

  “Of course.” She pulled him close, so that he couldn’t see the slightly less than enthusiastic look on her face.

  She loved him, and she was glad that he was back, but something felt off now that hadn’t before. Something was getting in the way of her happiness, making it hard for her to focus on being grateful that the future they’d planned was back on track.

  She couldn’t put an exact feeling to it. But she could put a name.

  Hadrian Hale.

  ###

  About the author:

  Tempest C. Avery lives in Connecticut and is busy working on writing the next installments of her series. She’s always up for talking about her characters, and can be reached on her blog: http://www.tempestchani.blogspot.com. Here you can also find out about upcoming giveaways, release dates, and more! Please remember to leave a review!

  Currently she has a book on Swoonread.com titled, Within a Dream! Keep reading for an excerpt, then check it out for a free read!

  Within a Dream excerpt:

  “You can’t tell me what to do,” Lily said, drawing his attention back to her. Which she instantly regretted.

  His eyes were aflame, and his large frame hovered over hers like a stone soldier. Silver flashed, mixing in with the blue of his irises, a clear indicator he was about to lose control over to his wolf side.

  “Watch me,” he grated. Taking a single step closer, he cornered her against the side of the car.

  When Breck and the others went to move on him, Lily held out her hand, stopping them. She could make out the wolf in his gaze now, see the feral side of him fighting to break free. She didn’t remember enough about Faolan to know whether or not he could control it, or if he’d be a threat to them if he couldn’t.

  “The moment we step foot in Bevain,” he growled, lowering his head and his words, “I’m bound to your law. Until then, Lily, you’re bound to mine.”

  “Like hell.”

  “Hell has nothing to do with it. Rules do. You haven’t officially claimed this realm, or the crown, which means it’s fair game. Responsibility, and leadership, fall to me. So,” he gave her a once over, “wanna get on my bike, or want me to put you on it?”

  She was pretty sure he’d meant for his words to be taken as an innuendo, so when her friends gasped she was already steeling herself against giving him the satisfaction of knowing he’d affected her. Tilting up her chin, she glared at him.

  He growled, an animalistic sound that rumbled from the back of his throat.

  “Get on the bike, Lily.”

  It was the sight of his canines poking beneath his upper lip that had her conceding, not his threat. She wouldn’t risk him accidentally hurting her friends because she’d pushed him too far.

  With a sneer of her own, she strode over to where his bike was parked, less than two spots away. Taking up the helmet, she swung her leg over the back, sure to leave room on the front for him, and slammed the thing forcefully down on her head. Once she had it buckled, she waved pointedly at the empty seat, making sure to put all the anger and frustration in her expression as she did so.

  He took his sweet ass time joining her, leaning down right before he got on to whisper in her ear. “Good girl.”

  “I’m not the one who’s a dog here,” she snapped.

  He bristled, but didn’t respond.

  She understood why a second later when he’d settled himself. Before she could react, he reached behind him, taking one of her wrists in each of his hands, and tugged so that she was flush against his back. Caught off guard, a strangled sound slipped past her lips before she could help it.

  She heard him chuckle as he secured her arms around his waist, linking them and pressing against them as if she needed the note not to let go. The bike roared to life beneath them, leaving her no time to come up with another option.

  He’d chosen physical retaliation over verbal.

  And she’d walked right into it.