Promised at the Moon by Rebekah R. Ganiere

point. At first, we all thought the packs could coexist in the same city. Time proved that theory false. When Daniel arrived, he was so scrawny, my packmates picked on him. I felt bad, so I stood up for him—even broke a male’s arm once for bugging Daniel. By the time we were ten, we were inseparable. The friendship grew into something else and by fifteen I thought I loved him. He bloomed late, but when he did, he bloomed. It was like overnight he went from skinny kid to Alpha-in-waiting.”
    She dropped her gaze and sucked in a ragged breath.
    “He asked me to be his mate when I was fifteen. I was stupid and young and I agreed. My father also agreed because we needed to merge the packs. Merging would end the squabbling. Or so he thought.” She stared out at the ominous ocean. “Then Daniel changed. He began picking on those who’d picked on him. All of his past anger had built up, and he wouldn’t let it go. He became mean, savage even. When I went away to college, I thought he’d move on. He didn’t. I came home for break this summer and broke things off with him. But he approached my father and told him that he intended to hold me to my word. He stopped me in the grocery store six weeks ago and said I had until my twentieth birthday to come to him and if I didn’t, he’d come for me.”
    Liam’s anger surged and his wolf gnashed his teeth, pacing at the thought of a male trying to force himself on a female. A ripple of anger skittered over his skin, stretching and swelling until he had to shake his head to clear his thoughts.
    A tear rolled down Asha’s cheek, and her eyes met his.
    “He came for me on the day before my birthday. My mother woke me up and grabbed my emergency bag. Daniel and a bunch of his packmates were yelling at my father in the family room as my mother rushed me down the backstairs to the basement. She shoved a set of keys at me and got me out a window. Tate told me to run for the access road… Then I heard gunshots.” Tears streamed from her eyes.
    Liam leaned in, scooped her into his arms and held her against him. Her arms wrapped around him in a fierce grip. Sobs racked her body as he stroked her hair and shoosh ed her. The horror of what had been done to her was almost enough to send him charging to Virginia to find this Daniel for himself and beat him to a bloody mess. But the soft press of her body against his soothed him against the building rage.
    When her cries lessened, he pushed her from his chest and lifted her head. He wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumb.
    “Natasha. I won’t let him hurt you ever again.”
    She sniffled and swiped at her face. Even with her puffy eyes and red nose, she was beautiful. He cupped her face tenderly. Her gaze drifted to his mouth and she licked her bottom lip. He shouldn’t do this. She deserved more, better. He had nothing to give her. Nothing but himself.
    Liam leaned in and captured her warm, sweet breath in his mouth. His lips brushed hers and a moan escaped her.
    All thoughts fled his mind, and his resolve snapped easier than a toothpick. He pressed his lips to hers hard, and she wrapped her fingers in his hair and guided him to her. Her tongue plunged into his mouth, hot with need. Goose bumps blanketed his skin as his wolf howled in triumph. There was no way to deny it anymore. He wanted her.
    Laying her on the sand, he covered her body with his and ran his hand over his leather jacket and down the length of her body. Her flesh molded into his palm. Her hands outlined his arms, sending chills up his spine. The need to have her overwhelmed every sense of reason as he dipped down and ran his tongue over the beautiful U of her collarbone and then kissed his way across the dip of her neck.
    Her body quaked at his touch on her silky calves. He pushed her dress above her knee, letting his palm rest on her slender thigh.
    He pushed his leather coat off her and kissed down to her exposed shoulder. He licked at her scars, making her