by Liv Brywood
Maybe Stryde would help her. She’d have to travel through the forest to get home anyway, so she might as well stop and ask him. He seemed like the type of man who would not only believe her, but might actually be willing to do anything he could to protect her.
Convinced that Stryde would help her, she followed a trail into the forest and headed in the direction of the river. It didn’t take her long to hear the rushing water. She didn’t know how far upriver she’d have to go to find his cave, but she knew it wasn’t too much further.
She stayed hidden in the tree line, unless she needed to step out to look for the ledge outside his cave. It had to be somewhere near here. She recognized the huge fallen tree stump on the beach.
Hours later, she’d walked up and down the beach so many times that she’d started to lose any hope of locating his cave. As she turned to walk back into the trees, a flock of birds took off in a flurry of beating wings, as if they’d been spooked.
On high alert, she scanned the beach. Icy tendrils of terror coursed down her spine. The camouflaged man stepped out of the forest not a hundred yards from her. And in his hand, he held a huge black gun.
The gun cracked. Searing pain sliced through her chest. The force of the bullet catapulted her back. She landed on her back the beach.
The sun-drenched sky faded and darkness blurred her vision. She drew one last shaky breath as the world disappeared.
Chapter 7
Stryde trekked across the forest. He couldn’t decide which route to take to get back to the cave. The shortest trail meant crossing the beach. He’d avoided going anywhere near there since Leah’s death, but the longer route would take him hours out of the way. He decided to suck it up and turned toward the beach.
Still in human form, he stepped onto the sand. He wiggled his toes in the cold granules and sighed. Someday, he’d be able to cross the beach without feeling as if his chest was caving in. Today was not that day.
As he padded toward the river, he kept his eyes glued to the ground. Just because he’d chosen this path didn’t mean he had to wallow in unrelenting pain. When he got to the cave, he’d be able to sleep. Until then, he needed to put one foot in front of the other and focus.
As he stepped into the water, he gritted his teeth against the cold. Freezing water swirled around his ankles. He wiggled his toes to keep them from going numb.
Halfway across the river, his sixth sense picked up on the utter stillness of the forest. Usually birds would be chirping in the quaking aspens along the riverbank. A silent forest signaled danger.
He crouched into a striking position. A whisper of wind rustled through the trees. Adrenaline coursed through his muscles. As he surveyed the area, his hearing reached a heightened state. At first, nothing seemed amiss. Then, he noticed a lump just on the other side of a huge fallen tree stump.
He slowly stood and stared. Was he imagining things, hallucinating? It couldn’t be a woman, could it? He couldn’t endure that nightmare again. It was probably a dead animal. Although he couldn’t imagine one shaped like a human, even in death.
His feet moved before he’d consciously decided to investigate. He stepped out of the river, rivulets of water cascading down his back. As he trotted closer, he picked up the pace.
No, no, no. Why was this happening again?
He dropped to his knees next to Brandy. She lay on her side, facing away from him. He couldn’t see her face. He froze in terror. His hands hovered a few inches over her body. She hadn’t moved since he’d approached, at least not in any way he could detect.
He tentatively touched her shoulder. When she didn’t move, he rolled her toward him. A wheezy breath hissed out of her lungs. Dark red blood seeped through her shirt, directly over her heart. She’d been shot.
He carefully pulled her into his lap and brushed her sand-laden hair from her face. Desperation constricted in his throat. “Brandy, you can’t die. Not here. Not like this.”
Her eyes fluttered but didn’t open. She still clung to life. He tore the edge of her shirt and peeled it open to reveal the wound. Sticky blood pooled in a jagged puncture directly over her heart. He was shocked she wasn’t dead yet.
Nothing could be done for an injury like this. Even Akila wouldn’t have any healing salve strong enough to treat such a catastrophic gunshot wound. There was only one way to save her. He’d have to do the thing he’d sworn he’d never do again—turn her into a wolf.
He couldn’t do it here. The transformation would make her too vulnerable. It was too violent and he’d need to contain her until he could keep her calm enough to explain what he’d done.
As her skin took on an ashen appearance, he knew there wasn’t much time. He picked her up and eased her over his shoulder. He held on to the backs of her thighs to keep her from sliding. Then, he ran.
By the time he reached the cave, breath blasted from his lungs. With his free arm, he swept the furs from the dais. He lowered her to the bed and then placed a feather-stuffed pillow under her head.
He peered down at her for a second while considering what he was about to do. Being a wolf could be a terribly lonely life. She’d be cut off from society, ostracized or attacked if humans ever discovered her secret. He knew that feeling well. For a fleeting moment, he asked himself, would she be better off dead?
He immediately dismissed the abhorrent thought. Who was he to make a life-or-death decision for her? But wasn’t he doing just that by transforming her into a monster?
She gasped. A gurgle of blood sputtered out of her mouth and trickled down her cheek. He couldn’t waste another second with stupid philosophical arguments. She deserved to live. If she hated what he’d done to her, he’d accept the consequences.
He wouldn’t be able to turn her in his human form, so he shifted into his wolf form. He scraped a claw across her wrist, then lowered his mouth to infect her with saliva.
He wiped the coppery taste of blood from his mouth. He despised the taste of humans. Animals were different. They hadn’t been infected with the chemical-laden and ultra-processed food of modern society. He’d happily munch on fresh fish from the river all day, but a human, never.
He climbed onto the bed and spooned his body around hers. Her skin flushed as the transformation began at the cellular level. She’d grow incredibly hot, and then cool down over the next hour, but it would take almost a full day before he’d know whether or not the transformation had worked. About ten percent of humans couldn’t transform at all and another twenty percent couldn’t survive the physical stress. In her weakened state, he didn’t know what her chances were, but he knew they weren’t good.
As he lay by her side, memories of the only other woman he’d transformed reared up to haunt him. It had been over a decade since he’d changed Leah, but he’d never forget the violent reaction.
He’d taken Leah to a secluded cave near the peak of Howling Mountain. At the time, none of the werewolves lived in the small cave so he knew they’d be alone. He’d slashed and licked Leah’s arm, exactly the same way he’d licked Brandy.
At first, it seemed like nothing had changed. But then, Leah had become violent, feral, and nearly uncontrollable. He’d feared for his life in the face of the newly transformed wolf. Leah leapt onto him, pinning him to the ground. He’d stayed in his human form, thinking that she’d recognize him, but she hadn’t, not at first. It took almost an hour to calm her down.
They’d spent the next six months in hiding. He taught her how to hunt and scavenge. In return, she’d taught him how to love.
He shook his head at the memory. If only he’d known that transforming her would become a death sentence. He was young and stupid then, but what excuse did he have now?
With his paw, he stroked Brandy’s reddish-brown hair. He couldn’t do anything but wait. Her fate was totally out of his hands. He hadn’t felt this powerless since finding Leah on the beach. He never wanted to feel this way again. He’d vowed never to let anyone into his heart. Brandy had come close, but h
e knew any relationship with her would end in tragedy.
If she survived, he’d take her to Ryker’s den. She’d be safe with the Silver Creek Pack. As far as he knew, Diana hadn’t been transformed. Although she wasn’t a wolf, she’d only been living with the wolves for six months. Her recent relocation to the forest would make her the best person to help Brandy assimilate into wolf society. Ryker would accept her into the pack and Stryde could go back to living a safe life.
Day turned into night as Stryde cradled Brandy against him. She’d passed through the body temperature fluctuations and her breath was steady and getting stronger by the minute. A shimmy of relief rippled down his spine. She’d survived the worst part.
He leaned back against the stone wall. Exhaustion slackened every muscle. If he could just shut his eyes for a minute…
Hours later, he woke to the sound of a low growl. Momentarily disoriented, he waited for his night vision to function. He heard the distant rushing of the river and recognized the small den.
He glanced down at Brandy just as her eyes opened. A thin band of yellow luminescence encircled the irises in her bright green eyes. Thin wisps of hair sprouted on her arms and legs.
She released another low growl.
Stryde tried to calm her by nuzzling her neck. When their eyes met, he searched hers for any hint of recognition—nothing.
Maybe he should have stayed in human form. He’d at least be able to talk her through the transition. But he couldn’t chance it. Leah had almost killed him during her transformation. Based on the amount of fear rolling off Brandy, she’d probably do the same.
Brandy’s tongue lolled out of her mouth. Her fur thickened and her legs began to shorten and change shape. Her eyes went wide as she held a fur-covered paw to her face. She howled as her spine snapped and broke, forcing her into an unnatural arch. The crackle of bones mixed with the sound of torn tendons echoed against the walls.
She curled into a ball and fell onto the dirt floor. The hauntingly familiar howl of a female werewolf sent shivers up his spine. The sudden, erotic sweetness of her heat swirled into his nose, awakening the beast within him.
He fought the overwhelming urge to take the fertile female wolf. He backed up to the wall and put as much distance between them as possible.
As she completed the first shift, she whipped her head back and howled. Somewhere in the valley below, another wolf howled in response.
She shook her cinnamon-colored coat and tentatively licked her front paw. She jumped back as if realizing for the first time that she was a wolf.
She raised her head and bared her teeth. Feral intent gleamed in her eyes. She stalked toward him.
***
Pure instinct overwhelmed the swirl of confusion in Brandy’s mind. Something was horribly wrong, but she instantly knew she needed to attack the wolf on the other side of the cave.
She sprung toward him, using her powerful hind legs to leap through the air. She landed on his back and sunk her teeth into his thick coat. Before she could get a good grip, the wolf thrashed back and forth, forcing her to release her grasp.
She scampered back a couple of feet, lowered her head toward the ground and snarled. The sound startled her. At first she didn’t realize she’d made it, but when she did, icy fear crystallized in her belly.
She glanced at the wolf to assess his threat level. He backed up to the wall and lowered his head meekly. The sign of submission gave her time to re-examine her hands.
She sat back on her legs and lifted what she thought were her hands. Two furry paws with razor-sharp claws appeared. She couldn’t believe her eyes. Those beastly limbs couldn’t possibly belong to her.
She twisted and turned to try to see the rest of her body. She caught glimpses of fur but couldn’t reconcile what she was seeing with what she remembered. The last thing she could recall was running on the beach. She’d tried to escape the masked man, but he’d shot her.
But what happened after that? As she struggled to remember, flashes of memories played like a broken movie through her mind. Hot sand on the beach, birds circling overhead, a gunshot. Everything was black for a few seconds before a man with gentle gray eyes stood over her.
She recalled the intensity and pain in his gaze. Right away, she knew he was there to help her. But she couldn’t speak or move. She was floating over her body, watching the entire scene from above. A gentle lightness in her soul called her upwards, as if she needed to be someplace else. But she couldn’t leave. The man’s gray eyes spoke to her soul, begging her to stay. And as much as she wanted to leave, she couldn’t.
She fought her way back into her body, then pain as intense as anything she’d experienced in her life ratcheted through every muscle, every vein. She thought death had come for her, so to wake up in a strange body, in a strange place threw her completely off balance.
A rustling sound drew her attention. A man stood where the wolf had been sitting. Her gaze darted around the room. Where had the wolf disappeared to? The answer seemed so close. Just out of reach, but she couldn’t grasp it.
Across the room, the man who she’d seen in her vision held up his hands as if he was afraid of her. “Brandy, it’s me, Stryde. I know things are probably really scary for you right now, but I’m going to help you.”
She tilted her head to one side. She recognized the steel-gray eyes and read the concern in them. As he stepped toward her, she inhaled his earthy scent. Underneath the smell of pine, she detected a carnal scent that sent fire through her veins.
She eyed his naked body. Although he appeared harmless, powerful muscles tensed in his arms. Under his well-defined chest, a thin line of hair bisected rock-hard abs and drew a line down to the thick, male part of him that held her attention more than anything else. Her mouth watered at the sight.
Recognition incited a storm in his eyes. “What you’re feeling right now is perfectly normal.”
She tried to respond, but the yipping sound coming from her throat couldn’t convey her speech. She frowned and stared at Stryde.
“You can’t speak when you’re in wolf form, so you’re going to have to change into human form.”
She whimpered and stepped back. Wolf form? What was he talking about?
She stared down at her paws. Their furry countenance frightened her. She trembled violently. Could she be a werewolf?
Stryde said, “I know you’re scared, but I promise I’ll tell you everything I know after you shift.”
She’d recalled the strange and painful sensations of muscles ripping and reforming. The transformation from near death into a wolf had broken every bone in her back. She didn’t want to go through that again, but what choice did she have? She needed answers to questions she couldn’t ask in her current state. She ground her canine teeth together.
“I know it hurts, but I promise, the discomfort will end right after you shift.”
She pawed the ground. She didn’t know how to shift and couldn’t even ask Stryde for help, not verbally at least.
He must have recognized her dilemma. “You have to feel that animalistic presence inside of you, that part of yourself that you hardly recognize. Find it and force it into its cage.”
She concentrated as hard as she could. She scrunched her snout and bared her teeth. When nothing happened, she looked to Stryde for guidance.
He stepped closer to her, still cautious. “Feel that base part of yourself, the instinct to eat, to sleep… the instinct to mate. Focus on those desires. Contain them.”
She doubled her effort, squashing the rumble of hunger in her stomach, suppressing the overwhelming need to sleep. And she tore her gaze away from his irresistible body long enough to diminish the feral desire coiled in her sex.
The moment the shift began, she tensed. The agony of muscles and bone shifting in unnatural ways lasted almost a minute. By the time she’d returned to her human form, she could hardly move.
She lay in a heap at Stryde’s feet. Sweat coated her skin and hair. She tremb
led as a cold blast of air whipped mini dust devils across the floor.
Stryde dropped down to gather her in his arms. “You did it.”
She hoped she’d never have to shift again. “What happened to me?”
“I found you on the beach, shot. You were so close to death. I had no choice. The only way to save you—”
“Was to make me a werewolf?”
“You have to believe me. If I had another option, if there’d been any other way of saving you, I would have chosen it instead.”
She’d only known him for a day, but she trusted him. The anguish on his face couldn’t be deceptive. He’d saved her life the only way he could. She rested her hand on his chest. “I believe you. Thank you for saving my life.”
He released a breath and placed his hand over hers. His heartbeat thudded against her palm. She looked up into his eyes and couldn’t look away. Relief relaxed his mouth, making it so irresistible that she couldn’t help but lean into him.
He bent forward, his lips so close, so sensual. She closed her eyes and waited. When nothing happened, she opened them.
He’d pulled back and was staring at the floor. “What were you doing on that beach?”
Confused, she sat back and folded her hands in her lap. Curiously, the fact that she was naked didn’t concern her. For the first time in her life, she felt comfortable in her skin.
She said, “I went to see my uncle. I thought he’d help me.”
“But he didn’t?”
“No. He didn’t believe me. Just like everyone else. I don’t know why I expected him to.” Her bottom lip quivered.
Stryde reached for her chin and gently tilted it up. “I believe you.”
“I guess if my uncle had been shot at, he’d believe me too.”
Stryde brushed his fingers across her forearm. “You have goose bumps.”
“It’s getting a little cold.”
“The sun’s going down.”
“How long was I out?”
“All day. Come here, I have something I want to show you.” Stryde helped her up and led her to the ledge overlooking the valley.
