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“I can handle sticky. I work in a candy store.”
“You have a lot to learn, Lexi,” he said, patting my leg. His hand remained there for a moment before he put it back on the steering wheel. “I need to teach you some of the rules before you get yourself in deep trouble.”
I glanced outside. “Are we here? That was fast.”
“Detour,” he said, making a right turn. We drove up an old dirt road with only the headlights illuminating our way. “My parents bought some land out here years ago as an investment.”
“Not to be the little black cloud on your picnic, but most horror movies usually begin this way. Couple goes down a dark road into the woods and the next thing you know, a guy with a chainsaw is chasing them down.”
“Only when they start making out,” he said. His eyes searched the dark woods, looking more alert. “You need to let your wolf run. We’re camping here for the night. We’ll head out in the morning to the Packmaster’s house, but this is a safe place where you can shift.”
I got nervous at the suggestion. “And why do I need to do that? You’re not telling me everything, Austin. What’s the worst that could happen if I choose not to?”
“There are some things in life you have to do, and letting your wolf out is one of them. Their spirit grows restless. They pace and get angry. If you don’t let them run once in a while, they’ll force you to shift and you won’t be able to switch back until they’re ready. This is a way of life, Lexi. It’s not a choice.”
“What if I can’t?”
He bellowed a laugh. “Girl, if you can’t figure it out, then class is in session. Every Shifter has to learn how to control their animal and that includes summoning it.”
“Maybe I don’t want to summon it,” I said in a low voice.
“Chicken?”
I wrinkled my mouth. “I hope not. I’d look awful with feathers.”
Austin laughed so loud that he turned his head away and coughed into his shoulder to muffle the sound.
After we turned off the road, we got out and he walked up to a storage shed and unlocked the door. I waved off a mosquito and cupped my elbows as Austin hauled some equipment to a clearing on the left and began assembling a tent.
Onetent.
The jury was still out on whether or not it was a tent or a sombrero, because it was too small to fit the both of us. Once it was set up, he placed an electric lantern inside the flap and held my hand, leading me through the woods to a grassy area.
“Austin, I don’t know about this.”
His grin was nothing less than devastating. “Lexi, I promise you it’s not as bad as all that. I know you feel your wolf pacing in there—I can tell by your restless behavior. We all feel it with our animal. Establish a relationship with her. She wants out, and that means you’ll have to let her take over once in a while so her spirit is happy. You are two halves that make a whole. When she’s hungry, feed her. I once knew a guy who didn’t shift; he was one of those who lived in denial of what he was. He caged a wild animal, Lexi. He became aggressive, and eventually the wolf broke free and he didn’t shift back for a year. What we are isn’t like what you’ve read in books or seen in movies. Most Shifters can’t remember what happens in their animal form, but the animals within us are always aware of what’s happening. They’re the source of our instincts.” He tucked his hands beneath his biceps and lowered his chin, looking down at me. “It’s easier than you think. Just relax and call to her.”
“I don’t know her name,” I countered, kicking the toe of my shoe on the ground.
His smile faded and he stepped forward. “I canmakeyou shift, but I’d rather you learn to do it on your own. I thought you were always the girl who wanted to do everything herself, without any help?”
Boy, did he put me in my place. That’s exactly the kind of girl I was. I’d gotten better about it in recent years, but not much. Life kept throwing me in situations where I had to step up to the plate and swing.
And right now, I was up to bat without a clue of how to play the game.
“What if I run off?” I asked.
“Then I’ll track you down,” he replied matter-of-factly.
“Austin, I’m scared.”
He cupped my face with his hands and moonlight glittered in his eyes. “No, you’re not. You’re Alexia Knight; you’re not afraid of anything.”
I studied the dark woods nervously, and a restless shadow paced beneath my skin, making me hop from one foot to the other. I finally shook it off and blew out a hard breath, staring down at my shoes and allowing every muscle to relax. I wasn’t sure how to call my wolf, so I did something quite silly.
In my head, I whistled and said, “Here, girl.”
And then I blacked out.
