Broken Moon: Part 1 Read Online Free Page B

personality.
Harper's instinct was the desire to prove himself, to one-up
whatever he'd done before, to conquer new goals. In their childhood
years he'd always wanted to climb higher and higher up the
mountain, take the more perilous paths, race to get home just a
little bit quicker than the last time. When one of their adventures
together had left him with a broken leg, Ingrid had sat them down
and explained patiently that his developing instinct was going to
be a part of him for the rest of his life, and that he would need
to learn to rein it in if he didn't want to end up with any more
broken bones in the years to come.
    These days it was why
he was so eager for their mating, so ready for children even though
they were still young. He wanted to take the next step in his life,
to prove to himself that he would make a good mate and father, and
to satisfy the niggling urge of his instinct.
    "And what about you?"
Cyan said. "Or is your instinct just to be friendly?"
    April flushed, caught a
little off balance by the directness of his question. Instincts
were a very intimate thing to ask someone about up front.
    "If you don't want to
tell me that's fine," Cyan added. "I understand it's personal."
    "No, it's not that."
April shook her head. "It's just..." She looked his way, biting her
lip. "Mine's not very fun."
    "Not
very fun ? I've
never heard that one before."
    She
sighed. "I mean, it isn't very interesting. Everyone's instinct is
always — I don't know, it feels like
it's them , while
mine is a whole bunch of... bleh."
    Cyan waited for her to
carry on, and she gave him a sheepish look before continuing.
    "I just like to nest.
You know, make a home. Get cosy. Have everything be just right. It
agitates me when things don't fit into my world view the way
they're supposed to."
    "That's a good
instinct. I'd be much happier if that was all my wolf ever
wanted."
    "Yeah, that's what
everyone here says too." April sighed. "But I'm still interested in
other things. I'd love to visit the other packs some day, even go
down into the city with all the regular people, but it's like my
wolf just wants to be a good little stay-at-home girl for the pack.
Every time I get the urge to try something new I end up reminding
myself that it's best to just settle down and keep things the way
they are. I don't know, maybe it's better that way. At least I
don't end up getting into trouble as much as I did before my
instinct was there to hold me back."
    "You're probably
right," Cyan said. "It sounds like you've got a good life here. Was
that your mate I saw you with earlier?"
    "No,"
April responded quickly. " Well— yes. I
mean, he will be. We're not mated yet."
    "Everything a young
werewolf could want."
    "Yeah..." April tucked
in her boots against the bench, giving herself a reprimanding huff.
"Sorry, I probably sound silly going on about it to you. I guess my
human side still has some growing up to do. I've spent half this
time talking about myself."
    "Not at all, I like to
listen," Cyan said. "And it's nice to have someone to welcome me to
the community. I can't recommend leaving all this behind to go and
visit the forest packs and the city, but I've got plenty of stories
to share about them if you want."
    April smiled. "I'd like
that. It'll be fun to have some new stories to tell around the fire
for once."
    Cyan returned the
smile, swinging his legs over the log with a groan to warm the back
of his damp shirt against the flames. "Don't let me keep you all
morning, I'm feeling nice and welcome now. It was good meeting you,
April."
    "You too, Cyan," she
said, rising from her seat and tucking her jacket in close as a
gust of wind blew through the camp. "I'm going to hold you to that
storytelling session later."
     
    * * * * *
     
    Cyan wasn't sure what
to make of the Highland Pack after his first morning spent with
them. If it hadn't been for his conversation with April he might
have been thinking about moving on already.
    It was clear that