Moonlight's Ambassador (Aileen Travers Book 3)(65)

"Really?" I asked. A year and a half and she was still at the farm? I'd been under the impression from Caroline that they usually only secluded wolves for a year, so they could gain control over their other self. That this woman had to stay longer meant either there was something about this process I didn't understand or her control was very shaky.

"How'd you become a werewolf?" I asked, curious how the wolves went about choosing the people they planned to change.

She got a sheepish look on her face. "It was a bit of an accident."

How does one 'accidentally' become a werewolf? I thought Brax had more control over his wolves than that.

"My boyfriend is a werewolf," she said as if that explained everything.

The look I gave her was blank. I didn't understand.

Seeing my confusion, she blushed before leaning forward and confiding, "We were intimate a little too close to the full moon, if you know what I mean."

No, I had no clue what she meant. I raised my eyes to Liam, asking without words if he did.

He took pity on me. "Their control over their wolves gets shakier around the full moon. Passion has been known to snap that control. If any part of him changed during sex, his bodily fluids would have the potential to carry the lycanthrope virus. In rare cases, it has been known to spark the change in a partner."

Lisa looked slightly uncomfortable at the revelation.

Liam continued with a cool look in her direction. "I thought Brax had counseled his wolves on being careful around such times so as to avoid such a circumstance."

She bit her lip, looking slightly abashed. "He had, but we figured since I was on the list for the bite anyway, there would be little harm in it." Her eyes were avid as she leaned forward. "Plus, sex with a werewolf around the full moon is really intense. The inner animal comes out, if you know what I mean."

My eyes widened slightly, and I nodded. I did understand this time.

Liam retained his hard expression. "You realize your boyfriend would have been punished severely for disobeying his alpha. Brax has killed others for less."

She looked shamed, her chin wobbling and her eyes filling with tears. One escaped to roll down her cheek. She looked no less perfect for the show of emotion. When I cried, I tended to turn a blotchy red, my eyes looking like a puffer fish and my nose looking like it had a severe sunburn.

"I know. Since finishing Brax's punishment, he refuses to talk to me. I haven't spoken with him since that night." She sniffed. "I hope he knows I never meant for any of this to happen."

Liam looked unconvinced. Both of us studied her with a laser focus.

"What happened between you and Caroline?" I asked in a soft voice, trying to appear sympathetic.

She looked up at me, her eyes still watery. "It was my fault."

"I'm sure it was an accident," I said, giving her an excuse.

"I know better than to corner a new wolf." Her hands twisted in her lap, the picture of a remorseful woman. "I've just been so lonely being the only girl on the farm. I thought it might be nice to have a friend. All of the other wolves don't like me much because they think it's my fault Jonathan got in trouble."

"Of course, that's understandable," I said with a warm smile.

"It is?" Her look was hopeful.

"Yeah, I was in the military for several years, and it was always nice when I found a female friend. Guys are great, but they sometimes don't get everything we're going through."

I ignored the look Liam shot me, one that said he suspected someone had invaded my body.

She gave me a relieved smile. "Exactly. I just thought we could help each other out."

"Give each other tips?" I said, helping her along.

She nodded. "Yeah. Maybe even cover for each other when one of us needed a few minutes away to get ourselves back under control. I mean Brax and his people are so nice, but I think they forget sometimes what it's like."

"You know, I'm going through some of the same things. These older vampires, they just don't understand. They're all about rules and nit-picking everything I do. It's enough to drive a person mad," I said, flicking a glance Liam's way.

Her eyes went to him to as if she had just realized he was in the room with us. Panic flitted over her features, and she leaned forward, her hands gripping my arm, "Please don't tell Brax I said anything against him. He's a good alpha, but he wouldn't understand that sometimes us girls just need a moment. He might punish me for such thoughts."

My eyes narrowed. I kept my sly smile inside.

"Sounds like a pretty awful person to punish you for such a natural way of thinking," I said in an idle voice.

"Oh no, he's great. I mean, he's set in his ways and he can be a little harsh sometimes."

I nodded as if I agreed with every word she said. "Right. Sounds like you don't like him at all."

"No, that's not what I said," she denied, her gaze going from me to Liam and back again.

My voice was puzzled. "First you say he's great, then you say he's harsh. That you'd face punishment for saying anything against him. Does that sound like the alpha we know, Liam?"

Liam's eyes rested on me, warm with a slight quirk to his lips. It was a long moment before he looked back at Lisa, his eyes turning wintry. I shivered at the thought of such a gaze being turned on me. I'd faced his stony expression before, so I knew exactly how unsettling it was when the stone-cold enforcer came out to play.