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Before she could even get the words out, he turned, shoving Naomi in the direction of the trees so hard she went sailing to the ground.
Only when she landed…
The slender teenage girl disappeared.
And a wolf took her place.
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It was the smallest one yet. Lithe and delicate. Not even half the size of the black wolf, though still larger than any version Loren figured you would find in the wild. If there were any question as to its identity, a coat of golden fur glinted in the daylight, as it rolled onto its feet and took off.
It was fast, darting between the trees and out of sight. Left behind were the scattered remains of Naomi’s outfit—a tattered blouse, a broken heel, and the fabric of a mini skirt ruffling in the wind.
“I need to go after her,” McGoven muttered, tugging down the waistband of his sweatpants. His voice was still that deep, commanding tone, but beneath it all, he sounded relieved. Satisfied.
He glanced back at Micha and nodded to his injured leg. “You should shift too. I might need the help. You can corral her away from the town—”
“Sure thing.” Wincing, Micha released Loren and began to remove his clothing. “I’ll cover you.”
Loren gaped as both men stripped naked, before common decency made her turn away, cheeks flaming. Next came the soft hiss of clothing hitting the ground, and then the heavier thud of two bodies lumbering into motion.
When she finally gathered the nerve to peek over her shoulder, she only just managed to catch sight of two giant wolves—one brown, and the other black—bolting for the woods. She didn’t know how long she stood there after that, just staring.
It could have been minutes. An hour.
By the time she finally forced herself to move, her only action was to stoop for a pair of ratty, mud-stained sweats, which she tossed over her shoulder. She did the same to another pair, and then the torn remains of a pink blouse and mini skirt.
How thoughtful of you,a part of her hissed sarcastically.Three people just change into wolves right in front of you—what do you do?
Gather up the laundry.
You should be there,that same voice insisted. Out there, with him…
Her eyes seemed pulled to the forest against their will, scanning the shadows beyond the branches. But it wasn’t like she could just sprout claws and fur anytime soon.
Why was that? If she was what he claimed, then why couldn’t she shift? He said the urge was like a muscle that needed honing. Or perhaps, a switch you could just flick inside yourself, and voila?Presto chango.
I think my switch is broken,she thought as a halfhearted mental search revealed nothing out of the ordinary. No magic lever marked “lycan button.” It seemed like the only thing shecoulddo was the one thing she seemed to be best at. Cleaning up the mess.
The dirty clothes she left in a pile by the front door. Then, she entered the kitchen and stood near the window. Rain picked up again, dampening everything beneath a heavy sheet.
In the end…she didn’t really know what made her go upstairs and tiptoe into that large bedroom. Boredom? A need to dosomething?
After a few minutes of rummaging through the closet, she found several clean pairs of sweats and a few oversized shirts. She showered and claimed one of the sweatpants for herself. The rest, she brought downstairs and set neatly folded by the door.
How damn thoughtful.Why not go all out?a part of her hissed.Corrupting teenagers has got to be exhausting—why not make him dinner, too?
As evening neared, she found herself in the kitchen, throwing open the fridge to do just that.Old habit?she guessed. A hold out from the days of living with her father, who demanded his meals be waiting for him. Whatever the reason, she dragged a loaf of bread from the counter and rummaged in the fridge for a carton of tuna.
As Sonia had joked, he didn’t seem to have much else. A quick peek revealed some steaks in the freezer, and there was a carton of apple juice and some eggs on the shelf in the fridge. Though, maybe he just supplemented his diet with fresh meat?
A flicker of movement drew her gaze to the window, just in time to catch two dark shapes crossing the west field. Her heart lurched. The sun had already set, and the resulting shadow revealed just enough of tanned skin and long limbs for her to realize that both figures were fully human...and naked.
A desperate impulse kept her from blushing. Modesty wasn’t important. She needed to see him… Boldly, her eyes went to the first figure, who just so happened to be the tallest.
He moved easily, black hair ruffled by the wind. The chiseled lines of his chest stood out as if etched in stone. It was only when he made it to the porch—close enough to have been fully illuminated by the house lights—that she finally turned away.
Fingers shaking, she slammed a piece of bread down to create the last sandwich. At the same time, the front door opened to a flood of footsteps. She waited until they had an adequate amount of time to notice the clothes before she finally peeked into the foyer.
