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  And Ainsley had to forget the moon after each month’s torture.

  “I don’t have to change,” she said carefully.

  “Does it hurt?” Grace asked.

  “You have no idea,” Ainsley said simply.

  Grace got up from the picnic table. At first, Ainsley thought she meant to leave, but then Grace walked to her side of the table and wrapped Ainsley in a tight embrace.

  Neither of them said a word.

  Ainsley felt like someone had removed a truck that had been parked on her chest for ten years.

  Finally, Graced pulled back and looked her friend in the eye.

  “You didn’t kill anyone, Ainsley.”

  “You can’t know that.”

  “Of course I can.” Grace waived a dismissive hand in a gesture Ainsley recognized at once. Her abuela had been right about passing things on to Grace. “Why do you think he wanted to talk to you last night?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  “I think he came back to do just want he did – to tell you it wasn’t your fault. Doesn’t mean it was a bear, but it could have been. Or something else.”

  “Another wolf?”

  “Maybe. I’ll pull the file. Maybe there is something in there that will shed some light on things.” Grace said. “In the meantime, the portal will close on its own before too long, but he may come to you again. If he does, don’t be shy – ask him what happened that night.”

  Ainsley grasped her friend’s hand.

  “Thank you, Grace. You’ll never know how good it feels to be able to talk about this.”

  “I wish you had talked to me sooner.”

  Ainsley smiled. The air was warm and fragrant, the birds were singing, and she was having lemonade with her best friend. Someone who shared all her secrets again.

  “Look, the reason I was able to stop by on shift, is that I need to talk to you about the break-ins. And I know you have a lot on your mind, but have you given any thought to who might be responsible?”

  “I was thinking about that this morning. My first thought was Julian, of course.”

  “That doesn’t feel right,” Grace said. “He would’t need to trash the place to find what he was looking for. Besides, it doesn’t really seem like his style, does it?”

  Ainsley was struck again by how good Grace was at being a cop. But why wouldn’t she be? Grace had always been the best at just about anything she set he mind to.

  “Still,” Grace said. “I’d like to ask him a few questions. I wasn’t able to find him at Thayer House this morning. I’m going to make some inquiries. You let me know if he tries to contact you.”

  Ainsley nodded.

  “Thank you, Grace. I wish I knew what he’d been looking for, besides me.”

  “We’ll get to the bottom of it, Ainsley. I’ve got to run, but let’s get together tonight after my shift.”

  “That sounds- ” Ainsley stopped herself, remembering her plan for tonight.

  Christ.

  Maybe she wasn’t quite ready to tell Grace everything.

  “Do you have plans already?”

  “Um, yeah. Maybe we can get together tomorrow?”

  “Sounds good. Text me.”

  Grace was gone.

  Ainsley sat on the porch for a long time, looking at the hummingbirds in the trumpet flowers and trying not to cry.

  Chapter 3

  Ainsley roused herself and cleaned up the breakfast things.

  If there was one thing this town was good for, it was distracting her from her purpose. She pulled her list out of her pocket and checked off #4. She had found out what was up with the visit from Brian. Of course it had only brought up a whole host of other questions, but she was going to ignore all of them, at least for now.

  Was it really possible that she hadn’t killed Brian?

  If she hadn’t killed him, who had?

  It was too much to think about, so she forced herself to look down at the list again. The first item was cleaning out the house.

  She surveyed the dining room.

  It was overwhelming.

  There were so many memories here. There were the dinners they’d eaten at the family table, which had belonged to her grandparents. There was the hutch that had been in her mother’s family since the Civil War. And in the corner there was the little antique desk they’d bought on vacation in Cape May when Ainsley was ten.

  And that was just one room.

  Thoughts of saving it all for her kids troubled Ainsley. As well as a whisper in the back of her mind that some of these pieces could be worth something.

  She realized she was in danger of getting bogged down in the mentality of every client she had ever moved out of a family home. Sentiment slowed down listings, left houses too bloated with excess items to stage, and ultimately cost sellers money – all at the expense of stuff they had to get rid of in the end anyway.

  The best thing to do was to rip off the bandage.

  She tried not to make eye contact with the portrait of her great-grandmother as she shoved the list back in her pocket and headed into the living room to put the whole house on Neighborly.com.

  Everything must go. Some antiques, some sturdy old furniture, rugs, artwork, etc. All free. Stop by today – 2-4pm only.

  She hovered over the post button.

  This was the right thing to do.

  The instant she clicked post, the front door swung open.

  Ainsley gasped and turned. Cressida stood silhouetted in the doorway. Her leggy figure reclined against the doorframe for a second before she strode across the room.

  “Connor,” she barked.

  “Cressida, what a pleasant surprise.” Polite breeding was so overrated. Ainsley couldn’t decide whether to slap Cressida or call the police.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Cressida asked?

  “I don’t see how it’s any of your business,” Ainsley said, tucking her hair behind her ears and wondering why Cressida would be so interested in how she chose to dispose of her family’s furniture.

  “Like hell, it’s none of my business. This is my pack. This is my town. And we’re gonna disappear if you don’t get your shit together.”

  So, not about the furniture. Ainsley sighed.

  “And what did you do to me the other night?” Cressida demanded. “What was that?”

  Ainsley had been wondering about that as well.

  “Look, Cressida, I’m really not sure how it works.”

  “Do it again.”

  Her boldness left Ainsley struggling for a reply.

  “Wh-what?”

  “You heard what I said. Do it again.”

  “I don’t think I can, Cressida.”

  “Of course you can, you’re just too lazy or too scared or too stupid. Do it.”

  “No. And I’d like for you to leave,” Ainsley stood her ground. But her legs were trembling.

  “I was with Erik last night.”

  “What?”

  “I. Was. With. Erik. Last. Night.”

  “Oh.”

  Why did that hurt? Why did she care who Erik was with? She’d made her decision. Clive was the quickest way out of this town.

  Cressida stepped forward and pinned Ainsley to the wall in one motion.

  Ainsley could feel Cressida’s pert breasts through her thin camisole. She wasn’t even wearing a bra.

  “He wanted to fuck me so bad his cock was the size of my arm before I even touched him,” she whispered in Ainsley’s ear.

  Ainsley’s breath caught. She could smell Erik on Cressida. His lush, masculine scent was practically oozing out of her pores.

  “That’s great, Cressida,” she said as evenly as she could.

  “Can you imagine what we were like together?” Cressida whispered again.

  Sadly, Ainsley could. The image of slender Cressida wrapped around Erik’s muscular frame was exciting and ripped her with jealousy at the same time.

  Cressida chose that moment to pull back an
d gaze into Ainsley’s eyes. She knew exactly what she was doing.

  Ainsley’s heart thundered. She tried to break their contact, but Cressida’s eyes were beautiful – so limpid and brown.

  Suddenly, the playfulness disappeared from her gaze, and Ainsley heard Cressida’s heart crash in her chest. Her lips parted. A throbbing folded glow began to surround Cressida. She looked like a goddess.

  Something surged in Ainsley and she grasped Cressida’s shoulders and spun her to pin her against the wall, reversing their positions.

  Cressida gasped and pressed her hands to the wall behind herself without fighting back.

  Ainsley felt a pang of joy at this show of submission. She stroked Cressida’s glowing hair approvingly.

  Cressida closed her eyes and leaned into Ainsley’s hand.

  The whole room shone with amber light now, Cressida’s body radiated waves of heat and tiny twinkles of golden light sparked at their touch.

  Cressida turned her head and kissed Ainsley’s hand. When Ainsley didn’t move to stop her, she continued, mouthing Ainsley’s wrist and arm, and moaning in excitement.

  A sense of power overwhelmed Ainsley. She felt like she was no longer in control of herself.

  “Get on the floor,” she heard herself say.

  Cressida was on her knees before the words were out of her mouth. She looked up at Ainsley imploringly.

  Ainsley dropped to the ground beside her and pushed her onto her back. Cressida fell back without resistance and again Ainsley’s heart leapt in delight.

  She let her hand slide down Cressida’s face and between her breasts. A line of stars reached up toward her hand in the path of her touch.

  Cressida arched into Ainsley’s hand, barely breathing.

  Suddenly, Ainsley felt a hunger to see Cressida’s skin. With a strength she didn’t know she had, she ripped Cressida’s flimsy camisole in half.

  Cressida trembled. Her tiny pink nipples were as hard as pebbles. A warm haze emanated from her whole body.

  Ainsley was mesmerized. She ran her palm just over Cressida’s body without touching her. The haze shimmered and danced for her.

  Cressida reached up and grazed Ainsley’s breast with her hand, as if begging Ainsley for that same contact.

  An electric current went through them both at the touch.

  Cressida slipped her hands under Ainsley’s dress and slid it over her head.

  The tiny voice that normally would have told Ainsley to be embarrassed of her body in front of the fashion model undressing her was out to lunch.

  Instead, Ainsley stretched and reveled in the curves of her powerful feminine body. The air felt good on her skin and Cressida smelled like sex and submission.

  Cressida’s glittering eyes fixed on Ainsley’s breasts. She looked up at Ainsley, pleading.

  Ainsley lowered her chin slightly in consent.

  Cressida fell on Ainsley’s breasts, kissing their tops and feeling and weighing them in her hands. She opened the front clasp of Ainsley’s bra and slid it off to get to them.

  Each touch was so intense it was almost painful. Ainsley tolerated as much as she could, stroking the girl’s hair encouragingly. But when Cressida allowed her teeth to graze Ainsley’s nipple Ainsley had finally had enough.

  She ripped Cressida off her chest.

  Cressida stared into Ainsley’s eyes again in wordless hunger.

  Ainsley’s heart drummed a harsh tattoo. She fell to her back.

  Cressida immediately straddled her body, facing away from Ainsley, and leaned down to peel Ainsley’s panties off.

  In this position, Ainsley was staring at Cressida’s firm and shapely bottom. Ainsley could smell Cressida’s extreme arousal through her lacy thong as well as the sharp but older scent of Erik.

  It was fascinating. Without a thought, she ripped the tiny lacy triangle into pieces.

  Cressida froze.

  Ainsley could see that Cressida’s sex was swollen and pouting, its impossibly pink lips beckoning her. She leaned up on an elbow to run a finger between them from top to bottom.

  Cressida cried out with pleasure and buried her face between Ainsley’s legs, moaning.

  For a moment Ainsley thought she would die. Cressida licked and sucked at her madly. Ainsley could feel each lash of Cressida’s tongue all over her body. The pleasure was so powerful it bordered on pain. She squeezed her eyes shut to try and bear it.

  Even in the dark, she couldn’t ignore the unbelievable smell right in front of her nose.

  She opened her eyes to see poor Cressida’s pussy, soaking wet and swollen. The engorged pink lips were parting as if to invite Ainsley inside. And the tip of her trembling clitoris peeked out, begging for attention.

  Captivated, Ainsley lay back and pulled Cressida’s hips down nearly to her face.

  Cressida obeyed immediately, without taking her mouth off Ainsley.

  Ainsley laid a hand on each side of Cressida’s swollen lips and pressed them together without touching them.

  Cressida bucked and moaned, then suckled harder on Ainsley.

  Ainsley arched her back with the unbearable pleasure.

  She ran her thumbs up to open Cressida wide. The smell of her frantic excitement was overwhelming. Her clitoris was stiff and swollen and it seemed to tremble.

  Just then Cressida slid a finger into Ainsley’s pussy and hooked the spot that would have made her cry with pleasure, even if she weren’t drunk on whatever this was.

  Ainsley stiffened and cried out. Her face pressed unintentionally into Cressida’s pussy.

  Cressida seemed to melt under the contact. She went silent and moved her hips softly against Ainsley’s face.

  Ainsley’s mouth and chin were slick with the evidence of Cressida’s longing. She ran her tongue over her lips, the taste was so perfect she growled with pleasure before attacking the girl’s pussy with her fingers and mouth - sucking her and teasing her with both hands.

  Cressida howled with lust and continued to pleasure Ainsley.

  As she felt herself climaxing, Ainsley took Cressida’s clit in her mouth and licked and nipped at it as she slid her fingers in and out of her rapidly.

  They came together, and explosively. Ainsley’s skin tingled with electricity.

  As soon as it was done she pushed Cressida off her.

  The high of the orgasm was still burning in her veins, but the glow was gone. Cressida lay on the floor beside her, panting.

  What the hell had just happened?

  Ainsley was speechless. She felt very much like Ainsley Connor again and not whatever she had just been.

  She could see her dress by Cressida’s hand. Maybe she could just surreptitiously swipe it back and put it on.

  Cressida laughed, eyes crinkled up and a look of wonder on her face.

  “Holy shit, Connor. You do not know how to eat pussy. But damned if I wouldn’t fuck you again anyway.”

  “I don’t know what that was, but I did not do that on purpose. So if you think it’s going to happen again, you’re out of your mind.”

  Ainsley scrambled up and grabbed her dress. She stepped on Cressida’s ripped panties, which stuck embarrassingly to the bottom of her foot.

  “I’m very sorry about your clothes. I’ll loan you something,” she added with as much dignity as she could muster. Although what she might have in the house that wouldn’t be 4 sizes too big on Cressida she couldn’t imagine.

  Cressida laughed again.

  “Don’t worry about the underpants, sister,” she leered.

  Ainsley purposefully ignored the flirtatious tone and hurried off to her bedroom to find the smallest shirt she could.

  Cressida trotted along behind her.

  “Was this your room in high school?” she asked from the doorway.

  “Yes, it was.”

  “It’s pretty neat that your parents kept it for you.”

  Ainsley spun to look at Cressida. Her expression was innocent enough. Ainsley relaxed.

  �
��Yeah, they were always wanting me to visit.”

  “But you didn’t.”

  “Nope, I didn’t.”

  Ainsley pulled one of her high school softball t-shirts out of a drawer. It was a medium – it would have to do.

  “Cressida, do you know what just happened?” Ainsley asked earnestly.

  A look crossed Cressida’s face and she seemed to make a decision.

  “Look, Ainsley, I like fucking with you, but honestly I really don’t know what happened. I’m kind of embarrassed about it, to tell you the truth. When I asked you to do that again I sort of thought…”

  Ainsley waited.

  “…I sort of thought that maybe you could turn me into the alpha. I know that’s stupid, I could never be the alpha – for so many reasons. But when you made me glow the other night… I just couldn’t help but think.”

  Ainsley smiled sympathetically.

  “It felt good to me too. I’m sorry neither of us knew where it was going,” Ainsley said. “You would make a really interesting alpha, Cressida. If I could hand it to you and walk away, I would.”

  Cressida looked at her skeptically, then dissolved into laughter again.

  “I think you really would, wouldn’t you?”

  Ainsley smiled back at her.

  “I gotta’ go, Connor, but don’t get sentimental on me. We’ll do this again some other time.”

  In a heartbeat, the beautiful young woman was gone, replaced by the giant, silver wolf. She gave Ainsley one final smile, not altogether different from her human grin, and bolted down the stairs.

  Cressida was out the back door before Ainsley could react. She glanced out her bedroom window just in time to see the sleek silver form disappear into the woods.

  Ainsley stood there, staring out the window, softball t-shirt forgotten in her hand, for a full five minutes, lost in her thoughts.

  What had just happened with Cressida?

  What was going to happen tonight with Clive?

  Was this town turning her into some kind of magical were-slut?

  Ainsley was feeling out of control. It was an unfamiliar feeling and not one that she liked.

  Chapter 4