by Bella Jacobs
I nod, chewing faster. I want to stop chewing—Rourke is probably grossed out enough by my gray skin and beady eyes without getting a close-up view of my rhino cud—but I can’t. I come into this body ravenous. Unless I’m trying to extricate myself from the windshield stuck around my neck or running from bad guys, all I can do is eat.
About those bad guys…
I cast a nervous glance up and down the street, another honk-groan escaping without permission. Weirdly, Leo seems to understand what I’m worried about.
“She’s right. We have to find cover. She isn’t safe out in the open.” He walks to the edge of the sidewalk, eyes narrowing at the entrance to the park on the other side of the street. “Those trees should do for now, but if we see another Kin Born patrol, we have to be prepared to move fast. Even if they can’t see us, they’ll be able to catch our scent. And we’ll absolutely be outnumbered.”
“Or she could shift back, and we could just take her home,” Rourke says, catching my eye as I grab another bite of skinny elm. Or oak. Or whatever it is. My human self doesn’t know much about tree species, and my rhino self isn’t picky about what she puts in her mouth.
“Leerie said she can’t control it,” Leo says. “That’s why we’re here.”
“No, we’re here because we care about Eliza,” Rourke counters, “and want to make sure she stays in one piece until we can find that twat of an ex-boyfriend of hers and turn him inside out through his left nostril.” Rourke winks at me. “We’re going to use the left one because I’ve heard that one hurts more.”
I squawk-bleat, and a chunk of half-chewed cud falls from my mouth with a juicy splat, ensuring I’m so mortified I will never laugh in rhino form again.
Rourke pats my neck, seeming not to notice my foulness. But this is the man who taught me how to be a card shark nearly as dangerous as he is himself. He’s got a poker face that won’t quit and is far too kind to bring attention to embarrassing behavior. But that doesn’t mean he’s ever going to forget that I almost buried his designer shoe in rhino spit.
“Eugene’s not going to get away with this,” Rourke continues. “Leo and I are going to make damn sure of it. So you can relax, Princess Pea. Just take a deep breath and let it out slow and easy.”
I snuffle and press closer to his hand.
Unlike “Piglet,” Rourke’s pet name for me makes me feel adorable. He started calling me Princess Pea after last year’s New Year’s Eve dinner. I was the only one who felt the tiny gift box he’d hidden beneath the cushions of our chairs as a surprise to be pulled out after the clock struck twelve. I’d ruined it by discovering my gift halfway through the salad course, but Rourke hadn’t cared. He’d only laughed and insisted I open my present first.
It was an antique bracelet with ballerina-themed charms dangling from a silver chain. I’d worn it all the time, but not since I turned rhino. I don’t want to risk breaking such a sweet gift, one of the only presents I’ve ever gotten from a man.
And yes, the man is supposed to be wooing my roommate, and he has no idea that his dimple and dreamy green eyes do things to me that are far from “just friendly,” but I don’t care. The gift is still special, almost as special as the present Leo slipped under my door before he left my birthday party last fall. It was a check for fifty-thousand dollars, along with a note saying he wanted to help make my dreams come true.
And even though I will never cash the check—it was too generous of him, and I’m determined to make it on my own—it meant so much that he believed in me.
I glance his way now, wondering if he still believes in me, but his arctic eyes are unreadable. The only hint that he might be anxious is the slight tick at the corner of his jaw and the chill in his fingers as he rests a hand on the other side of my neck.
Contrary to popular lore, vampires aren’t usually cold to the touch. Leo and Rourke both run hotter than most humans, a consequence of their faster metabolisms or magic or something that I missed due to the fact that Leo was touching me when he explained it. It was just my elbow, to make sure I didn’t take a spill down my front steps in my three-inch heels the last time Leerie, Rourke, Leo, and I went to the opening of one of the bars Leerie did interior design work for, but it was enough to befuddle my brain.
Even now, in a body that doesn’t feel like mine, with skin so thick a spear jammed into my shoulder felt about as nasty as a paper cut, the feel of Leo’s hands on me—both their hands on me, something that has never happened before, but that I’ve thought about far too often—makes me dizzy.
Disoriented.
Aware…
So aware that when Rourke leans in to whisper, “Just close your eyes, relax, and know it’s all going to be all right,” electricity zips across my skin, and my heart beats faster.
But for some reason, even though I’m definitely more worked up than Zenned out, my bones begin to buzz. I close my eyes, homing in on the sensation, one of the early signs that I might be able to go human again.
“That’s right.” Leo places his other hand on my neck beside the first. “Exhale to a count of five, four, three, two, one. Now inhale for four, three, two…”
He continues to count me up and down, in and out, and I breathe, following his lead. Amazingly, after only a minute, maybe two, the earthy flavor of an impending shift fills my mouth and—poof!—I turn back into a butterfly.
Or into a girl, rather.
A fuzzy haired, sweaty-palmed, naked girl, who instantly slaps an arm over her breasts and a hand down to cover her could-use-a-wax lady parts and turns firecracker red.
All the times I’ve secretly dreamed of ending up naked with Leo or Rourke, it’s never been like this.
Out now!
Grab your copy of
FANGS FOR SHARING
here.
About the Author
Bella Jacobs loves pulse-pounding action, fantasy, and supernaturally high stakes, mixed with swoon-worthy romance and unforgettable heroes. She's been a full time writer for over a decade and is deeply grateful for the chance to play pretend for a living.
She writes as Bella for her trips to the dark side and can't wait to take you on her next adventure.
Visit her at www.bellajacobsbooks.com
Also by Bella Jacobs
Wolves of New York Series
Wolf King
Wolf Pawn
Wolf Queen (Summer 2021)
Wolf Mate (Summer 2021)
The Dark Moon Shifter Series
Unleashed
Untamed
Unbroken
Supernatural in Seattle Standalone Romances
Fangs for Sharing