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Chaos from the wild called to me. The mighty wind blew prominent from the west as my fur sprouted along my arms. Each careful change occurred because I willed it, because I had spent years honing my control over my animal form. Now that I called him forth, I could shake some of the stress lingering from the day.
A quick handy would probably help too. But that was wishful thinking around these parts. Too many women in town were suspicious of an outlier like me, even with a pack at my back. Understandably, they were all still shaken by that nasty encounter with Baneridge Hounds running that underground trafficking ring.
Handsome guys like me would just have to make do with their hands. After a quick shake, I bolted toward the west, merging deep with the forest as I let my nose lead the way. Crisp air combed my fur as I dodged thick trees and lunged over fallen trunks. Above my head, nocturnal creatures spoke with their coos and wails. It fueled me, much like my anger fueled me.
A tank like mine could hold years of resentment. But Galanthia had managed to pry the worst out of me in just seconds. Women like that were likely to do it again, so it would be best for me to avoid her. Even so, I found my head trying to sort out reasons we would end up working together.
She said she was off the project, I told myself, but my heart was convinced otherwise.Maybe she’ll be less moody if we work in the afternoon instead.
That couldn’t be it either. Mornings seemed fine for her. Otherwise, why would she have stated that I should show up at the crack of dawn?
Was she mad that I got there before her?
Sillier things had driven women into fits. My ex-girlfriend had been prone to manic swings that were hard to pinpoint. It could have been that the dishes were dirty—or it could have been that she was on the rag and wanted sex. There was no telling what hidden motives lay under that pile of auburn hair.
And sure, Galanthia was hot, but that didn’t mean she got to boss me around or anything like that. The way she snapped at me made me feel insignificant, and I’d had enough of that from Jazmin back in the day. Plenty of guilt lingered around over the fact that Jazmin hadn’t stayed to raise Leo, but even more guilt gripped me when I let myself feel the relief of her absence.
She wasn’t exactly a good parent. Like Etta had said back at the health center, she was just a contributor of DNA. That was all fine by me if it meant Leo got to be with the better of the two.
Though was I really any better if I was straight-up arguing with a woman in the middle of a construction project?
My pace slowed as midnight approached. Speckles of stars scattered across the night sky like white acrylic paint on a dark blanket. I trotted toward a body of water that sat nestled in a circle of trees, contentedly lapping up the water from the edge. There was a meadow around here somewhere. Maybe lying down for a while in my natural state would help a bit more.
After locating the spot I wanted, I shifted into my human form and sprawled out my limbs, letting my fingers curl around blades of cool grass. The sky stretched in a vast array above me, undisturbed by the crowd shyness I had left behind.
Galaxies lived up there.
And here I was on the ground thinking myself into a funk because I couldn’t understand why this woman who I had grown up with was being rude to me.
I sat on my elbows.Does she remember when we were kids?
During my travels, I had unearthed patches of the Ambersky Growlers. That was the pack my father had originally been in--where I had been born—so that was where I had started. Only the damn pack had completely dissolved about five years ago, right before Mom had gotten sick sent me out to find my bastard DNA-donator.
I would have liked to stay behind to take care of her. But she insisted it was important. Hell, maybe she thought the guy would be merciful about everything if he knew of her rare illness. I would have liked to think so myself, but I never got to find out. Mom did her best to take care of me after she took me away from Ambersky those thirty-some years ago. We left it all behind so we could move on. But then I ended up chasing a ghost.
Agitation glowed within me. Well, it wasn’t like there was much that could be done at this point. One or two people had asked about Galanthia. But it hadn’t occurred to me at the time that her presence had held much significance. Who among us was that important in the wake of an entire wolf pack collapsing?
My body went rigid as I looked to the east. More fuel poured into my system—but this time, it was a panicked concern that squeezed my heart like a vise. Someone was in trouble back there. Was it Leo or my mother? Maybe one of the guys had stubbed his toe or something.
Hard as it was to determine what kind of pain was being experienced, I never let it pass without inspection. I launched toward the trees and partially shifted, giving my legs the advantage of my wolf form. I skipped past the small pond, broke through a collection of branches, and scaled two fallen trees.
Amidst the shadows was something that seemed to follow my every move. Roses came to mind, and then it hit me that I was inhaling the decadent scent of freshly picked roses. I slowed my pace and turned around, trying to find the night creature that was stalking me.
A tall shadow approached from the south, causing me to raise my wolf claws. “That’s close enough.”
“It’s just me, Xavier.”
I lowered my fists. “Galanthia?”
“I, uh…”
Oh,shewas the source of concern, wasn’t she? I felt it in her awkward stance, her exposed palms, and the shuddering exhalations of her exhaustion. She’d kept up with my every move since the meadow, I assumed, if she was that out of breath.
Contempt melted away on the spot. “Are you alright?”
“I was just…taking a walk.”
“Something’s wrong.”
