If she dreamed at all, she didn’t remember. When sunlight streaming through the window woke her, she glanced at the bedside clock and smiled.
She’d slept in. It was nearly noon. She should have the house to herself since Colton would have gone to work long ago.
Sitting up in bed, she flexed her arms, then her legs, wondering at their soreness. She wasn’t used to spending so much time on her feet.
Her pockets, however, were full, stuffed with tips. Though she knew Colton felt uncomfortable with her job, for the first time in months she felt confident, as if she just might have a chance at beating Leo after all.
The day looked promising. She worked again that night, which meant more tips.
Reba called and they chattered awhile until the Realtor’s other line beeped and she had to take that call. Jewel was pleased, feeling as though she might have made the first girlfriend she’d had in years.
But as she padded to the bathroom to hop into a nice hot shower, her wolf made itself known. The beast was not pleased.
Staggering, Jewel clutched the edge of the footboard. The wolf fought for freedom, using teeth and claws. With a cry, Jewel fell to the floor, her body jerking with violent spasms. This felt wrong—waswrong. She couldn’t change now, her body still wasn’t ready. Whatever Leo had done to her still hadn’t left her system.
Her wolf cared nothing about that. Too long denied, the beast wanted to run, to hunt, to break free.
“No!” she cried out again, loudly. Too loudly.
“Jewel?” Colton’s voice.
Damn. What was he doing home? Belatedly, she remembered it was Saturday.
“Jewel?” Closer now. Any moment she expected to see her doorknob turn and her door open.
She couldn’t let him see her.
“Yeah.” Somehow she managed to respond. “I’m okay. Just…that time of the month.” A boldfaced lie, but one virtually guaranteed to stop any man dead in his tracks.
Evidently it worked.
“I’ll be in the kitchen,” he said. “I’ll make another pot of coffee.”
“Sounds good,” she managed to say, teeth clenched. Her entire body shuddered as another tremor shook her.
“Not here, not now.” She had to struggle to breathe, to keep her bones from lengthening. One finger popped as her nails turned into claws. Her left hand—too late; already a paw. This could be good—she hadn’t gotten that far before—if the rest of her body would only follow.
Instead, pain knifed through her, ripping her apart.
“Nooooo…” This time she remembered to keep her voice down.
Her wolf-self fought for all it was worth, desperate for release, for freedom. Equally determined to keep it caged, Jewel fought back, aware the inner struggle was ripping her apart.
How much longer she could go without trying to change, she didn’t know.
Finally, the wolf acquiesced.
Gasping, tears running down her cheeks, Jewel climbed to her feet and staggered into the shower. Water on hot, she turned the spray full force, wishing she could wash away whatever curse or poison Leo had used to infect her.
Drying off, she touched her silver wolf necklace for luck and got dressed. Choosing to let her hair air-dry, she studied herself in the bathroom mirror, decided she’d pass for human, and headed to the kitchen where coffee and Colton awaited.
She’d never seen a man look so good in jean cutoffs. Back to her, he fiddled with something on the kitchen counter. Pausing in the doorway, she let her gaze drink in the sight of him. The shorts rode low on his hips, showing a hint of his red cotton boxers. His muscular legs were tanned and he wore black flip-flops. His T-shirt fit well, showing off his toned arms and…
He turned, catching her studying him, and smiled. She felt the force of that smile like a punch to her solar plexus. Damn.
“Good morning.”
Somehow she managed to respond. “Morning. Have you been up long?”
