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His lips curved. “I took precautions early on and soundproofed the den.”
She remembered how hard it had been to hold back her howls the last time she’d been with him. “I’m glad.”
She thought of something else as well; she wanted to hear him in full voice. The possibility of listening to his deep, resonant howls sent shivers all the way to her toes.
“We’ll be free to do whatever we want this time. But there’s one thing you should know. My wife, Sharon, lived there with me. I go back every once in a while, but her touch is in the space. Will that be a problem?”
Mary thought about the moment when Sharon had told her she’d be needed tonight. Sharon had been right. “No problem at all.”
Fergus finally released her and led her to the door.
Mary loved the feel of Fergus’s hand on her waist. She was in tune with the wolf. Even walking beside him, she fell easily into step, matching his long stride. Of course it helped to be as tall as she was, just short of six foot.
She glanced up at Fergus as he took her out onto the front stone walkway. The more she was with him, the stronger her wolf-like qualities became. Right now her nostrils quivered as she took in his alpha-mating scent. She swore she could separate out three different scents, one like grasses, the other a rich layered musk and finally the smell of stone. The latter seemed an impossibility, yet earth had a smell, everything did. Wolves could detect subtle variations, like dogs and other forest predators.
When he stopped and held his arm out for her, this time on his left side, she lifted her nose to the air in front of her. In a slow arc, she sniffed moving from the eastern portion of the front landscaping all the way to the west.
She smelled something in the air she couldn’t define. Because Warren’s guards were still in the front area, AR-15s in hand, she switched to telepathy. What is it I’m smelling? It’s metallic yet has an odd odor that reminds me of the Graveyard.
When he lifted his nose into the air as well, she watched his nostrils elongate slightly, one of the fairly common attributes of shifting alter wolves.
She couldn’t do that, because her body was fae. But she understood the sensation.
He repeated her former action of smelling the air left to right in an arc. I see what you mean. I wouldn’t have picked up on it except that you mentioned it. Must be your fae sensitivity combined with your growing wolf.
So, what is it?
He shook his head, yet his nostrils kept elongating, then returning, back-and-forth.
Uneasiness crept through her though she didn’t know why. She held him tighter. Her heart started pounding. The strange odor in the air intensified and her fae senses lit on fire. “Fergus, get down!”
She pulled him with her, falling onto the pavers. Within the same split-second, automatic rifle fire sounded from the forest opposite. She’d hit the stone hard and her cheek felt bruised as well as her knees.
The guard-wolves all started shouting. Still on her stomach on the stone pavers, she lifted her head enough to see four of the wolves fly swiftly into the air, angling southwest.
When Fergus started to get up she held him down. That smell is still there.
Can you locate the source?
Mary lifted her nose. It’s straight out front.
The remaining guard wolves crouched behind stone planters.
We need protection, she said. Glancing to her left, she saw that a large planter, housing a tightly pruned tree was her best bet. Move it, wolf, she all but shouted telepathically.
She tugged on him as she levitated in a horizontal pattern and landed behind the planter. Just as Fergus followed, another layer of automatic fire kicked up stone shrapnel off the pavers right where they’d been.
He covered her body protectively with his own.
She had so much adrenaline in her system, she shook all over. He rubbed her arms. “You saved us both, Mary. Jesus, it’s as though you’ve become my bodyguard.”
She twisted her head to look at him. Given the angle, she craned her neck hard. I think that’s funny when you’re this powerful Savage wolf.
But you’ve got some badass wolf-senses developing as though you’re combining both your fae abilities and my wolf skillset. His eyes widened suddenly. Holy fuck Mary, did you just levitate horizontally to this position?
Mary glanced back at the stone. Oh, my God. I did. He was so close she felt his breath on her cheek. Fergus, what’s happening here is extraordinary. I’m experiencing your levitation ability as though I’ve always been able to do it. I could do somersaults in the air if I wanted to.
He kissed her cheek. I think it’s great. But more than that, I’m glad you’re alive right now.
