Page 50 of The Wolf and Her Shadows

I shrug. “That was already the plan, was it not? As long as you give me a massage when we make camp, I have no objections.”

She nods, reaching over to grab my shirt off the floor where it had been discarded before the last massage she gave me. Holding it out to me, she says, “I know you’ll need to undress again before shifting, but I’ll be trading places with Aren as soon as I’ve changed clothes. I assume you’ll want to be covered up when I do so.”

Rolling my eyes, I take the offered shirt and toss it onto the bed next to me. “Vannaria, you’re ridiculous, as usual. I may not have the same feelings for them as I do for you, but they’re a part of you.” I grasp her hand. “Even though I’ve only met the others briefly, I trust them. The same as I do you.” With teasing lilt to my voice, I pretend to whisper, “And besides, Aren’s already seen me naked.”

Glances down at our clasped hands, Vannaria’s cheeks darken and she mutters, “Ah. Right. They failed to mention that bit, apparently.” She clears her throat. “But, I’m glad you trust them. I assure you, it is not misplaced.”

Smiling, I lean over and place a kiss on her cheek. “I know. Now hurry up and get changed, we’re losing daylight.”

Chuckling softly, she obediently climbs off the bed. “Apologies for the delay, Your Majesty.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Aren

I’m drawn to the forefront of our mind as Vannaria fastens the last buckle on our armor, and says, “Alright, we’re going to swap places now, Your Majesty.” She leans over to give Mariane a brief kiss before whispering, “I’ll see you soon.”

Our chest fills with warmth when the other woman smiles brightly at her.

*I’m ready when you are, Vann,* I say, letting Vannaria know I’m both present and mentally prepared for the switch.

*Alright.*

Closing our eyes, she takes a deep breath, stilling our mind. As she slowly exhales, her control over our body wanes and I take the offered opportunity to slip past her, claiming it for myself.

As soon as I’m fully present and able, I whisper the words to change our glamour, focusing on the visage of the man I’ve stolen the appearance of. Once the tingling sensation has passed, I open my eyes, blinking rapidly to clear the lingering haze that switching sometimes brings with it.

“Perhaps I should’ve asked Vannaria before she left, but is there a reason you two needed to switch places?” Mariane asks, drawing my gaze over to her. “Not that I’m complaining, of course.”

I’m briefly taken aback by her state of undress, so it takes me a moment to truly grasp what she is asking. Clearing my throat softly, I explain, “My appearance is less noticeable than hers, while at the same time bringing with it a certain…reputation. If any of the unsavory sorts we might come across have seen me before, they likely know who I am and that it’s best to stay clear.”

Crossing her arms over her bare breasts, she nods. “Ah. I see. Sometimes I forget that you lot are bounty hunters. I assume that means you’re the one that does the collecting on said bounties?”

I nod as well, a bit of guilt pooling low in our belly. “I am. Most men we turn in are loath to admit to being caught by a woman, so very few have mentioned the fact that Vannaria and I are technically the same person.”

She scoffs. “Of course they wouldn’t.”

Averting my gaze slightly, I change the subject by asking, “Would you like to shift before I inform Slivo we intend to depart soon? Or would you like to say goodbye to them as well?”

Tossing the blankets off her lap, she stands, hands moving to the waistband of her pants. “I’ve never been very good at goodbyes.” Without another word, she drops her pants to the floor, kicking them aside before lowering herself onto her hands and knees.

I find myself unable to look away from the golden eyes pinning me in place.

After a moment, Mariane’s skin begins to ripple, much in the same way ours does when we change our glamour, and bits of fur begin growing all over her body. She grits her teeth as her bones visibly rearrange themselves and I have to clench my fists to keep myself from reaching out to her.

When a strangled whine rips from Mariane’s throat, I can no longer bear it, desperate to do something to comfort her through the pain. Falling to my knees in front of her, I slowly lift my hands to her face, waiting for her to nod before gently cupping her cheeks. She leans into my touch, gasping for breath, her eyes filled with pain. When I feel the bones beneath my hands twitch, I instinctively draw a bit of heat to the surface of my palms. Not enough to burn, but hopefully enough that the warmth will ease a bit of her pain.

Exhaling a shaky breath, she presses herself closer to me, her eyes slipping closed as her face changes from human to lupine. The rest of her body follows immediately after, the transformation taking much less time than it had the previous times we’d witnessed it.

When her eyes slowly reopen, they’re no longer golden, the yellowish tint a stark contrast to her jet black fur. I will forever be amazed by the depths of emotions those eyes are able to express, the softness in them now betraying far more than words ever could. A look of gratitude.

Letting out a relieved sigh, I let go of her face and run my fingers through the thick fur on the sides of her neck. “I’m glad I didn’t somehow make it worse by mistake. I simply couldn’t bear to see you in such pain without at least attempting–”

She cuts me off by dragging her long wet tongue from my chin to the tip of my nose.

I grimace, hoping I don’t offend her as I wipe away the slobber covering my face with the back of my hand. “Ah, you’re welcome. But feel free to save the face licking for Vannaria. I would hate for her to get jealous.”

Mariane huffs, the sound clearly meant to be a laugh.