And so she moved slowly, frustrated, sure, but this was the safest way to go. She hoped.
Notwithstanding the light she carried, darkness enveloped her among all the tall trees as she trod slowly along the underbrush. She tried to stay alert to all sounds around her, since she would probably hear any wolf before she spotted it in the dark forest.
Any people, too.
The forest at night smelled lightly of pine trees and other plants. Her breathing was heavy, and she thought she smelled a light skunky odor—but nothing nearby.
She’d gone a significant distance, believing the clearing she aimed for was fairly close, without hearing or otherwise getting the sense that any wolf was nearby—and then she heard a sound.
Voices. Soft, yes, but it sounded like one man’s voice, followed by another. Off to her right.
Could that be Ryan and Piers?
Or someone out to get the wolf?
Remaining as quiet as she could, she maneuvered in that direction. If it was them, should she let them know she’d lied and come out here this night anyway?
She’d observe them for a while and decide.
A ray of light seemed to emanate off to her left and she headed that way, shutting off her own flashlight.
There. This was a different, smaller clearing. The two men she assumed would be there were, in fact, there.
But what were they doing?
Ryan stood there in the nude. In the nude! Under other circumstances Maya would be more than impressed with his amazing muscular physique. Her gaze was drawn below to his even more amazing man parts, large and taut and the sexiest she’d ever seen.
But why was he undressed?
The light she had seen emanated from a large battery-operated lantern that Piers held, aiming it toward Ryan.
Ryan suddenly let out a sound that resembled a cross between a groan and a growl—and then he began to change.
What was going on? This couldn’t be real!
The man writhed as his limbs shortened. The rest of his body shortened, too, even as fur began to emerge from his skin.
And his head. His face. It elongated into…
Oh, heavens! Maya had never even considered that the old myths could be true.
In moments, a creature resembling Rocky, whom Maya had not seen here this night, crouched on all fours on the ground.
Even with the information Maya had seen, and laughed about, online, she’d never considered this as a possibility.
Ryan Blaiddinger was a werewolf!
*
The discomfort and pain of a shift never became easier. And this time there was the additional distraction.
He had drunk the elixir. Piers aimed the light toward him. And then he had heard and scented and become fully aware that they weren’t alone.
They had checked the area before. No indication of wolves or those who wished to harm them, or even other humans.
But she had somehow located them. Maya.
She had seen him shift.
He needed to protect her—and himself and Piers. He quickly motioned his head toward his aide, who had shut off the light. He then turned to indicate the direction he would now be going.
In moments, he was in the woods. He slunk toward her as if in submission, hoping she would not feel threatened or scream.
“What are you?” she demanded. She sounded hoarse, incredulous, frightened, but fortunately kept her voice low.
He made a noise deep in his throat that was not a growl, then nudged her side with his muzzle. At the same time, Piers joined them.
“What are you doing here?” his aide demanded, keeping his voice low.
“I—I wanted to help protect the wolf. I hoped to find you but didn’t know you were here. And—” She turned and faced Ryan. “What is going on?” Her voice had risen and Ryan nudged her again.
“Come with me.” Piers took her arm. “We’ll stay together and talk. This wolf has work to do.”
Good. His aide had things under control as much as possible. Ryan loped into the woods.
He listened with his enhanced, wolfen hearing. Yes. He heard human voices in the distance and ran that way.
Then he scented something off to his side. Another scent similar to his and to other wolves’.
He changed his course, heading in that direction.
He spotted the other wolf soon. Heard the sound of his paws on the underbrush.
He was heading in the direction from which the voices had come.
He had to be stopped, and so Ryan accelerated his pace, aiming to place himself in front of the other canine, soon succeeding.
The wolf growled, showed his fangs, acted altogether threatening.
So did Ryan—for the protection of this fellow wolf. This fellow shifter, for his scent seemed somewhat familiar.
Yet another shifter on this night with no full moon? He would need to learn answers…later.
For now, the only language they shared was that of their wolfen sides. And so Ryan growled as well, crouching as if ready to leap, to attack.
He showed his own fangs first, then nodded his head. Closed his mouth as if in submission. Moved forward to bump his counterpart, urge him to run off in the opposite direction.
He sensed confusion in the other wolf. Stubbornness at first, until Ryan pushed him again with his head against the other wolf’s side. And again.
The communication worked. With a look toward him first that looked puzzled yet belligerent, the other wolf stopped. Stood still. Then ran off into the woods—going the way Ryan had urged him.
Away from the sound of the voices.
For minutes, Ryan stayed still, listening in an attempt to be sure the other wolf wasn’t simply skirting around to return to where he wasn’t welcome.
Then Ryan headed stealthily in the direction of those voices.
In the same clearing where blood had been found stood several humans. One was the male Fritts who had allegedly been attacked here. The others were his female, and that Silling human.
They were listening. Talking about wolves and how they would make sure all were disposed of—properly.
Properly in their point of view.
Ryan had an urge to leap into the clearing and dispose of them properly from a wolf’s point of view, but that was his wild and wolfen side.
His human side took charge and he listened some more. Smelled the air.
No other wolves were nearby.
Even if these humans had weapons, no other wolf would be harmed that night.
After a while, they began laughing. Said that seeing no wolf here, despite the howls, was fine.
They began walking farther up into the forest.
He walked back toward where he had left the other humans.
When he reached that clearing, he found the two he had left there remained.
But he also caught the scent of the wolf he had chased off from the other location.
He moved around the clearing until he found the other canine, who also simply stood there in the shadow of the nearby trees, staying at the periphery and appearing to listen.
Not seeming in attack mode.
This shifter outside the full moon. Like him.
They looked deeply into each other’s eyes, but only for a moment.
And then the other wolf ran off down the hill.
Chapter 14
Maya’s stress level rose, making her feel like shouting. After Ryan, the wolf, disappeared into the woods, she had joined Piers in this remote clearing lit only by the dimmed lantern—where that frightening yet amazing event had occurred—and stayed there with him for a couple of reasons. First, because her legs were so shaky that she couldn’t have made her way down the pathway to the park without falling, let alone following the wolf that had previously been Ryan, which was what she craved doing.
Second, because she wanted more information. A lot more. A full and credible explanation, if there could be such a thing.
But when she had asked Pie
rs, who’d seemed shocked and unhappy to see her, he had kept dissembling, hinting he was under orders to stay quiet. From whom? Ryan? Not him? Not only him? Then who? And wasn’t Maya supposed to have stayed in the hotel? Hey, wouldn’t she like an energy bar or a bottle of water? As if that would distract her.
So now, she sat on the ground on a towel Piers had removed from his backpack and laid down there for her.
“How long do you plan to stay here?” she asked for the umpteenth time.
Piers, who’d remained standing, repositioned his stocky frame yet again, scanning the trees blocking the view to everywhere rather than meeting Maya’s stare. His arms were crossed, and his expression appeared grumpy—or was that anxiety?
If only Maya could read his mind. Hey, she’d assumed mind reading to be a myth, a legend, wholly untrue. But after seeing what Ryan had done, she wondered if there was truth in all the old supernatural fairy tales of the world.
“I take it you’re waiting for Ryan to return,” she tried again. “Did you both somehow hypnotize me from a distance? Will he come back here looking like he usually does—” handsome, sexy and wholly human “—or is he really some kind of werewolf right now?”
“Don’t know for sure,” Piers said, this time glancing at her.
But which didn’t he know—whether Ryan was a kind of werewolf, or if, when he got back here, he’d still look like a wolf instead of a person?
He clearly wasn’t saying.
So Maya continued to sit there and fume and worry—both about Ryan and about her own sanity.
She listened for the howl of a wolf. The one she’d heard back at the hotel couldn’t have been Ryan, so at least one more had to be out and about, possibly in this area.
She hoped Ryan would return soon. Maybe he’d actually explain what had happened. Or would he be able to?
Could he talk as a human if he was still a wolf?
Was she insane?
This all seemed so bizarre. As much as she adored wildlife, as much as she loved wolves and learning about them and conducting censuses where they now resided, she had never even considered what had happened here as a possibility.
And now—well, were there more beings like Ryan?
Should she plan on taking a census of them?
*
Ryan would have preferred doing his shift back to human form in Piers’s company so his aide could help with the necessary details, like bringing his clothes over and making sure there were no harmful obstacles in the area that could hurt Ryan during the uncomfortable change.
But, once he’d sensed that Maya was now with Piers, he’d done it while he was alone in the forest. Thanks to the elixir he was able to choose the time as well as the place, and he’d done it not far from this area, yet far enough for them not to know he was there.
He even had some ability to choose the time of shifting back under a full moon, thanks to the elixir. But he, and all other shifters, changed under the full moon, though with more control with the elixir.
And now—well, he stood behind a tree just outside the clearing. Nude. He kind of liked that idea, considered strutting through the coolness right into that area to show it all off to Maya. Bad idea.
He hadn’t wanted her there when he’d shifted before. Now, to keep control of the situation this night, he didn’t want to be naked in front of her again. Though the idea wasn’t exactly displeasing. But this wasn’t the time or the place.
Some other time, maybe—one of his choosing. And hers. For more than a shifting.
As if that would ever happen…but he recalled again that kiss he’d backed away from, and a critical part of him that had been pretty much at rest started rising to attention.
Damn. He shouldn’t react that way. After all, he was angry with her. She had broken her promise to stay at the hotel.
He glanced around again. He didn’t see his clothes, and figured that Piers had tucked them away in his bag as usual till they were needed again.
He considered strutting out there once more, just as he was. Ignoring any stare she leveled on him—or staring right back in challenge.
Yeah, he liked that, but figured there were better challenges to be met that night, like convincing Maya that what she had seen needed to be kept to herself.
He did see a towel on the ground—the one Maya sat on. Hell. Enough of this.
“Piers,” he called loudly and was pleased to see Maya’s eyes widen, her body spasm because he’d startled her. “I’m here. Bring me that towel.”
He half expected an argument from Maya, but she merely stood up, still staring in the direction of his voice—though he felt certain she couldn’t see him behind this tree.
“Yes, sir—er, be there in a second,” Piers shot back. Damn. The “yes, sir” might give away their military status, although maybe they should tell her anyway. Ryan would have to determine whether to obtain permission to do that as they talked—for he felt certain they would be talking about what she’d seen and who he was, and he’d have to be as discreet about Alpha Force as necessary.
Although, with her love of wildlife, maybe honesty would work with her.
Maybe.
Well, he’d rather have his superior officer’s okay before revealing anything about their special military unit.
Piers had grabbed the towel and was now at the other side of the tree. “You all right?” he asked Ryan—no “sir” this time.
“Fine. I’ll tell you about it.” He took the towel and wrapped it around his middle so it hid everything critical. “She handling this okay?”
“She’s one nosy woman.” Ryan had stepped away from the tree and saw, in the dim light, that Piers’s round head was shaking back and forth, as if he was in total bemusement by Maya.
That somehow made Ryan smile. “Not surprising. Now, whatever I decide to tell her, you back me up, okay.”
“Yeah,” Piers said. “Although I’ve got a feeling that no matter what you say she’s going to dissect it, and you, till she feels comfortable she knows everything.”
“That,” Ryan said, “is what I’m afraid of. Well, here goes.” He walked around Piers and approached Maya, who stood where she’d been seated before, watching them. “Hi,” he called to her. “I’m sure you’re having an interesting night. I hope it’s a good one, too.”
Even though nothing personal was showing at the moment, she looked down toward the critical area hidden by the towel and that made him stiffen there even more. “It could be better,” she said, her gaze returning to his face. “As soon as you explain to me what’s going on, and what I saw.”
“Sure,” he said, although he didn’t mention there were parts of the situation he’d need to keep to himself—and Piers. “Just let me get dressed and we’ll talk.” Piers had already retrieved his clothes from the backpack and handed them to him. “Excuse me a minute.”
“I’m not sure I’ll ever excuse you,” he heard Maya mutter as he returned behind the tree where he’d been standing before.
This time, Piers stayed with him, handing him items of clothing to put on and taking the towel.
“You doing okay with all this?” Ryan asked his aide.
“Not really. I didn’t tell her a damned thing but even when she wasn’t pressing me for information I felt pressure flowing from her. She’s determined.”
“We already knew that about her feeling toward wolves,” Ryan reminded him with a smile. “And now we’ll just have to find out how she feels about shifting wolves. You ready?”
Piers nodded. “Sure, I’m ready. Are you?”
“Of course,” Ryan lied.
He had a feeling that the remainder of this night—and maybe even way beyond that—was going to be made extremely interesting by Maya Everton.
*
They all started walking down the hillside, along the same path that Maya had scaled to get there, their way lit only by the flashlights they held.
It wasn’t always easy, but she stood right beside Ryan, her ath
letic shoes allowing her some traction on the crunchy dry leaf-covered slope. Piers followed, and she had the sense the guy was relieved that she wasn’t urging him to talk any longer.
“So when are you going to explain everything to me?” she asked after Ryan said nothing for a long minute, although he did take her arm to help balance her. A real gentleman.
A wolf in man’s clothing—casual, ordinary-looking clothing, right down to his own athletic shoes.
A wolf…
“There’s not much to explain,” he said. “You saw me. I’m a shapeshifter who changes into a wolf sometimes.”
“Then it was real, not some kind of hypnosis or mind control?” Although even if it had been, she’d have no idea why he’d have done it to her.
“No, it was real.”
She slipped a little on some leaves beneath her feet, possibly because of the distraction and unease his words caused within her. He caught her, and she was very aware of his touch.
A human’s touch.
But still… “So when does it happen? All the old legends say that shifting occurs under a full moon, right? Like the other night. But the moon tonight wasn’t full. It’s waning.” A thought hit her. “If any of that is real, does that mean the wolves I saw a couple of nights ago were shifters, too?”
“At least one of them was,” he told her, and she thought she heard some humor in his tone.
The crunching of dried leaves beneath their feet stopped as she stood still for a few seconds and turned to stare at him. “You? You were that third wolf who ran the others off?”
“That’s right.” She couldn’t see him well in the darkness lit only by the flashlights all three of them held, but she knew he was grinning at her. He found this fun.
She found it…well, actually she was fascinated by it. She’d always been a number cruncher and a scientist, too, with degrees both in statistics and biology. She particularly loved wildlife.
Could she learn to accept the reality of people who changed into wild animals?
Somehow, she thought she could. How weird!
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