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As she stepped toward us, I peeled my lips back and growled.I could feel Edie’s hands gripping my fur and hear her thrumming heartbeat.But she hadn’t screamed.I wondered if she could tell that these were natural-born wolves, or if she thought they were also shifters.To me, the differences were obvious, though I’d never actually seen a wolf in the wild.My mother had always insisted that the best way to atone for the former Alpha’s sins was to leave the wolf pack alone.
The black wolf stopped, then crouched low to the ground.She pinned her ears back, not meeting my eyes, which I read as obeisance.She had a glossy coat, strong muscles, and sharp eyes, so she was probably an important member of the pack.
But why was she here?
Her eyes flicked briefly up to mine.There was a plea there that had my hackles lowering.I leaned against Edie and felt her grip on my fur loosen as she read the change in my body language.The black wolf made a mewling sound in her throat, then closed her eyes in surrender.
Cautiously, I stepped toward her, swiveling my head to keep the other wolves in my vision.Neither of them moved as I approached the black wolf, though I could feel them tensing.When I stood over her, I exhaled hard, letting her know I didn’t trust her yet.Her eyes flickered, but didn’t open.Instead, she deliberately wrinkled her furry brow.
Surprise rolled through me.Was she inviting me to mindshare?I’d heard that some shifters could do it with animals, but I wasn’t one of them.I could barely do it with my own clan.The elder who had taught us said my own thoughts were too loud for me to hear anyone else’s.Flint hated it, so he never practiced, and Micah had tried and tried but never had much facility.Dylan was the only one of us who had any talent for it.
I thought about going to get him, dismissed it.There was no way to get him down here without causing a ruckus, and I didn’t want to take the chance that the wolves would run off.Red was looking toward the campsite, licking his lips at the scent of grilling steak, while Gray had his eyes and ears turned toward me.Neither of them was paying attention to Edie, but I knew that could change in a second.
The black wolf made an annoyed sound, then lifted her brows again in invitation.I sent one more warning growl at the other wolves, who both shrank deferentially in response.Then I lowered my brow to hers.
At first, there was nothing, just the heat of her body and the drumbeat of her pulse against mine.It almost drowned out the sound of Edie’s nervous breaths.I tried to imagine my mind as a set of double doors I could open, but it was if I couldn’t find the latch.
Below me, the wolf chuffed with frustration.Suddenly, an image rose in my mind—a slice in a rock that led inside, a deep darkness, a scent that made the nose twitch.A cave?
Suddenly the black wolf moved beneath me, and I reared back, ready to fight.But she was scrambling back, keeping her belly low until she was far enough away to stand.She swished her tail, and the other two wolves joined her.She stared at me hard, as if willing me to understand.Then, she and her compatriots disappeared into the trees.
“Jasper,” Edie said, falling to her knees on the damp grass to wrap her arms around my neck.“That was so scary.”
I nuzzled into her, trying to ease her fear.She didn’t let go when I transformed back into my human form, and burrowed deeper into my chest when I put my arms around her.“You knew it was me?”
“Of course,” she said, pushing back far enough to see my face.Her eyes were sparkling with unshed tears.“I see you in my dreams.”
My heart was pounding against her hand where it lay on my chest.Her glasses were askew, her cheeks rosy.Her lips were parted to take in her still-shuddering breath.“Jasper,” she whispered, tilting her head up to mine.
I pressed my mouth to hers and felt the fireworks go off in my chest.My hands, released from the prison of my control, ran over her body desperately.She welcomed my touch, moaning into my mouth with the same relief I felt washing over me.My resolve to stay away from her crumbled like a sandcastle.
Fuck it, I thought, hauling her closer to me.It was time for a new plan.
One of her hands was gripping hungrily at my back, but the other was trapped between us.She kept her mouth on mine as she wriggled loose enough to slide her hand up to the side of my jaw.
At first I thought the heat was from the pressure of her skin on mine.Then it burned, hot as a branding iron.I jerked back, pulling away from her touch.Between us, something yellow fluttered to the ground.
“What--” Edie looked as stunned as I felt.“What happened?Oh god, Jasper, what happened to your face?”
I touched my jaw gently and winced.There was a welt precisely where Edie’s hand had been.“What was in your hand?”
Her brows furrowed, then her eyes widened as she plucked a crushed flower off the ground.“This.Just a flower that I thought I might press and take back for my mother.I had it in my hand when the wolves came.”
I peered at it, then reared back.“That’s Hen’s Teeth.It’s toxic.”
Edie looked at her own hand.“I’m not having any sort of reaction.”
“Well, I am,” I said, wincing.The spot on my jaw was hot and tingling.I knew from experience that it would itch like hell within the hour.“This shouldn’t be here.We don’t let Hen’s Teeth grow in any of the areas where we go on a regular basis.”
“It’s here,” she said, scrambling up.Her jeans were damp at the knee and the butt.She led me off the path to a shady spot near the trees.“See?I grabbed the bloom off the ground.”
I joined her and leaned over to stare at the plant, as if I knew what I was looking at.“We have to get Micah out here.He’ll know what to do.”
“Dammit, I just remembered where I’ve heard that term before.It was in a book my father had that mentioned wolf allergies.”
I touched the raised welt on my chin.“Must be true for shifters too.”
“You need some ointment.I’m sorry,” she said, wringing her hands together.
