Carly again tried to move, but she again failed. Was this what it had been like when her mother had faced the foul creature? Had Molly Morneau pondered these same questions? Had she been this scared?
You’re even sweeter than your mother.
Something inside Carly broke, and she suddenly discovered movement. She gasped as she jumped into the air, her feet hitting hard against the floor. But were they feet? She gazed down at slim, white paws and caught the briefest of glimpses in the mirror as she passed. She would’ve been hypnotized by the white fox staring back at her, but there was no time to waste with the ruskah right on her tail.
Carly wasn’t sure where to go or what the hell to do, but she was certain of one thing—she had finally shifted, and for some reason, she sensed she could run really, really fast. She didn’t know why, but she was compelled to seek out the secret passage the ruskah had used to find her. Her body obeyed, and she sprinted into the dark opening.
Except it wasn’t dark to her new fox eyes. Every crack and corner shone like sunlight. Although Carly wasn’t used to her clunky paws, the passage was so well lit and she was so incredibly fast that she made her way with ease—down the first flight of stairs, then the second, and finally the third, landing her in the basement.
She could have stopped there and tried running upstairs to Sharla, but wouldn’t she just be putting the young shifter in danger? Although Sharla didn’t seem to care for her, Carly refused to put her at risk. Which was why she continued into the foreign passage and the caves beyond. Perhaps, if nothing else, she could lead the ruskah far enough away from her friends that no one else would have to get hurt.
Carly sensed the ruskah behind her without having to look, and noticed it floating more than running. She was shocked that it seemed to be struggling to keep up with her. There was no surprise, however, that the chase spurred it on.
Carly’s new paws carried her through one cavern after the next, more than likely in circles, but at least the ruskah hadn’t caught up to her. She had no plan, as she didn’t know her way around down here, but that was okay. Her fox form brought with it an energy she’d never before experienced, and she was convinced she could keep this up for hours if need be.
But she didn’t have hours. The ruskah’s sharp teeth sunk into the tip of her tail, and Carly let out a loud yelp. She dared to turn and lock eyes with the loathsome creature. It didn’t put her under a spell this time like it had in the past, and she realized she could somehow read its intentions.
From what Carly could interpret, the ruskah’s mind blared red with bloodlust. It had gotten another small taste of her, and, frenzied, needed all of her. Now.
Escape was impossible in the twists and turns of the caves. Carly would more than likely end up getting herself backed into a corner if she stayed down here much longer. She needed open land with more room to run. If she could just get outside, maybe she’d have a real chance of keeping her life.
Then, as if sheer need led her, she stumbled upon the mouth of the cave and sprinted into moonlit night. Carly darted north into the forest. Her paws were quick, but so was the ruskah behind her. Thankfully, she didn’t have to look back to see it. Instead, she tracked it with what she could only assume was some kind of psychic radar.
Carly.
She tried to ignore the strange voice in her head. She didn’t need distractions right now—not when she finally had a chance at beating this thing.
Carly, where are you?
Until she realized the voice belonged to Gabe.
Running, was her only reply. And that’s what she kept doing as she passed tree after tree.
Birch trees. It was Gabe again, but what was he trying to tell her? What did birch trees have to do with—?
Carly circled back and headed in the direction she believed would lead her home. There were birch trees on all sides of Grant Manor. She wasn’t sure exactly how the trees would affect the ruskah, but she’d been winging it so far and had nothing to lose.
She must have been closer to home, or at least to that specific type of tree, than she’d realized. The ruskah let out some kind of soft hissing noise, followed by a sharp gurgle. Carly’s curiosity got the best of her, and she stopped fast, her back legs swinging around behind her as she turned to face the monster.
Carly didn’t know how, but she understood that the beast had cut itself on the bark of that birch tree. Thick, black ooze trickled down its torso. Its grotesquely long neck went dancing as it stared back at her, and something in its soulless eyes reflected pain.
It was having an allergic reaction to the birch bark, its ghoulish body doomed to slow, agonizing shock. This was Carly’s chance. If she wanted to take this thing down, she had to do it now.
Carly curled her lip to reveal a perfect set of sharp, white teeth, and braced herself as she growled at the foul creature. Fur bristled on her neck, muscles in her strong legs tensing. She heaved her small body back, pushed off her hind legs with all the force she could muster, and leapt at the ruskah.
Carly sailed through the air and let out a long, low snarl as she sunk her teeth into the ruskah’s dancing neck. She clamped down on her jaw and shook her head in a violent motion until she tore free a sizable chunk of the creature’s throat.
She spit out sticky, slimy flesh, and lunged in for another bite. But the ruskah must’ve anticipated her move and, although there was black blood pouring from its neck, gathered enough strength to push her away.
Carly howled as she flew back into one of the birch trees. She recovered quickly from the blow, however, and perched on her paws. The ruskah was still standing, but wouldn’t be for long.
Carly jumped at it once more, wrapped her entire muzzle around the wound she’d already inflicted, and pulled what remained of the neck clean off. The head, with several feet of vertebrae still attached, fell to the ground alongside the rest of the ruskah. The creature was still writhing as Carly licked black blood from her teeth.
But her victory seemed small as the trees rustled behind her.
twenty-six
Every muscle in Carly’s body tensed as she turned toward the noise. Could there be another one of those things out there? She hadn’t sensed it, but that didn’t mean anything. She lowered her belly close to the ground, ready to pounce at her next assailant.
But she lost all thought of attack as the large, gray and white wolf descended through the thick forest. Gabriel! her mind screamed as she sprinted toward him. She nuzzled her petite muzzle into the thick fur around his neck, whimpering as his soft tongue lapped at her forehead, then her nose. It took a moment to realize he was licking away the remainder of the ruskah’s blood.
Carly, are you okay? Gabe asked.
She shook her head, burying it in his neck again. She was far from okay. Are there more of them?
Probably, but not here. We’re safe for now.
Relief washed over her as she leaned closer to him. I want to go home, please.
Gabe lapped at her face once more, bowing his head as he met her eyes.
Carly understood that it was safe for her to lead the way. She trotted at first, then sprinted back to the manor. All she wanted was to see her father again and make sure he was okay. To hold Gabriel in her arms. To eat.
Her stomach rumbled as she reached the back door. Carly looked from the door handle, which she couldn’t manipulate with paws, to the wolf. She hadn’t more than met Gabe’s eyes when he shifted into his human form.
Gabe reached out to open the door. “I’ll find you something to eat.”
Carly hung her head as she followed him into the kitchen. This certainly added a new dynamic to their relationship.
“Gabe?” Sharla cried as she rushed into the room. She marveled at the small, white fox Carly had become. “My God, I… Carly, are you all right?”
Gabe growled in frustration as he swung open the refrigerator door. He pulled out a plate containing a bloody steak, and spat, “Where the hell were you, Sharla? You were suppo
sed to be watching out for her!”
“I didn’t know, I—”
“Damnit, she could have been killed because of you!” Gabe turned his back to Sharla to crouch down in front of Carly and unwrapped the steak. “I can fry this for you if you’d like—”
Carly snapped at the piece of meat, her mouth watering as she snatched it in her sharp teeth. She cradled the steak between her front paws as she lie on the floor and tore off the first bite. She’d never tasted raw meat before, had never wanted to, but at that moment it was the most satisfying thing she could imagine. She devoured it in just a few seconds, licking her chops as she looked up to meet Gabe’s gaze.
He let out a laugh as he stared back at her. “Don’t tell me you’re still hungry.”
Carly licked at her muzzle again. Starving.
Gabe walked back to the fridge. “Starving? Really? You?”
She edged toward him, keeping her gaze on his hands as he reached into the refrigerator. Yes.
He produced another steak and dangled its deliciousness in front of her. “I’m assuming you want more then?”
Yes!
“But I thought you said you’d never eat as much as me,” Gabe teased, wagging the steak back and forth. “I’d say you’re about to cross that line, Carly.”
She couldn’t help herself and threw her paws up on his knees as she snatched the steak out of his hands.
Gabe chuckled as she ripped through the piece of meat. He grabbed the bag of Doritos from the counter and shoved a handful in his mouth as he watched her. “I think you’re the cutest little white fox I’ve ever seen.”
Little? she repeated. She finished her steak, licking at her nose as she sat up to face him.
“You’re no wolf, but cute all the same.”
Carly salivated as he threw a chip in the air, and she jumped up to catch it with her teeth.
“Definitely cute.” Gabe tossed a few more chips to her, and she caught them in her mouth.
“Carly!” Howard gasped as he raced into the kitchen. He fell to his knees beside her and threw his arms around her neck. It was a strange sensation, feeling both the apologies and failures of the man who’d raised her. “Thank goodness you’re all right.”
“She’s more than all right,” Gabe bragged. “You should have seen her make quick work of that ruskah. Carly was magnificent.”
You were watching that whole time? Carly asked. Why didn’t you do something? Why didn’t you help?
“Because you didn’t need my help,” Gabe answered. “Because I wanted you to understand that you can take care of yourself. And you did, Carly. You were stunning back there.”
Her tail twitched. It was a lot to process—this new reality. When will I change back?
He shook his head. “I don’t know, I… Like I’ve mentioned before, that’s the hardest part.”
Guess.
“It could be just a few minutes,” her father explained as he released her. “Or hours.”
Gabe frowned. “Or days.”
Days? Carly thought with alarm. No, I can’t be like this for days, I just… can’t.
“Well, you don’t have any control over it, sweetheart,” Howard informed her. “Not yet, anyway.”
That did nothing to console her. Carly didn’t exactly take well to losing control. Isn’t there anything I can do to shift back? Any way to make it happen?
“I’m sorry, Carly,” Howard apologized. “You’re going to have to wait this one out. Did you get enough to eat?”
She stared at the bag of chips in Gabe’s hand. He threw a few more Doritos, then filled a bowl with water to place in front of her. Carly gazed down at the bowl in shame, but lapped up the water anyway. She hated behaving like this in front of Gabe—like some pathetic dog.
“Hey,” Gabe said, kneeling down beside her. He drew her face into his hands, hitting her with those enchanting eyes of his. “There’s no shame in what you are, Carly. I care about you no matter what you look like—no matter what form you take. And trust me, if either of us is a dog, it’s me.”
She closed her eyes as she breathed in his enveloping scent. Her nose was more sensitive in this form, and Gabe smelled like all kinds of things she hadn’t noticed before. Intoxicating things.
Gabe brought his lips to the velvety fur on the top of her muzzle. “I have a feeling we may have some time to kill before you retain your human form. While I doubt you’ll sleep, you’ll still want to rest. I could put a movie in if you’d like.”
Carly turned to her father. Not for approval, because she wasn’t looking for that any longer. She had finally shifted tonight, and so had things between them. It was time Howard started to accept that. Gabe’s going to stay with me until I shift back, however long that happens to be.
Howard’s gaze fell, and he nodded. “That will be fine.”
Carly looked back to Gabe, who couldn’t seem to stop smiling as he rustled her ears. What movie did you have in mind?
* * *
Carly nuzzled her fox nose into Gabe’s human neck as they lie side by side on the family room sectional. It had been nearly thirty hours since her encounter with the ruskah, and she had yet to shift. Both she and Gabe should have been in school, but the principal had given them a generous leave of absence until Carly was able to attend her classes as a human.
Gabe playfully pushed her muzzle away. “That tickles.”
She whimpered, and bopped her nose at him again. My displays of affection are limited in this form.
He kissed the top of her nose. “Are you hungry? I could get you something to eat.”
No. Amazingly, I’m not hungry. But I am sick of this, Gabe. When am I going to shift back?
Gabe plunged his fingers into the thick white fur covering her neck. “I can’t help you there, Carly. You’re just going to have to be patient.”
She blinked with exhaustion for the first time since shifting. I’m not in the mood to be patient.
Gabe massaged the muscles in her narrow shoulders, turning back to the television screen. “I’m sorry, little fox, but right now, patience is your only option.”
She dug her nose into his chest, her eyes falling closed.
“It’ll happen when it happens,” Gabe whispered. “You waited sixteen years to shift for the first time. A few days isn’t really that long to wait to shift back.”
She grunted as she met his eyes again, hating that he was right.
Gabe smiled down at her. “You look sleepy.”
Carly shook her head a bit. She didn’t want to give in to unconsciousness. She wanted to stay awake, here, with him.
“Some sleep wouldn’t hurt, you know,” he advised. “I’ll still be here when you wake up.”
You’d better be, she warned, and closed her eyes again for sleep.
twenty-seven
As hoped, Carly woke in Gabe’s arms. She examined the freckles on his nose and wished he could always be here when she first opened her eyes. She couldn’t imagine a better way to start her day.
Gabe gave her nose a soft kiss. “Good morning, sunshine.”
“Good morning. How long did I sleep?”
He seemed amused for some reason, and Carly suddenly realized why.
She gaped over her human arms, which extended into long fingers. She felt for her mane of sandy blonde hair, her gaze falling on her legs entwined with Gabe’s. “I’m back. When did this happen?”
“You shifted human about thirty seconds after you fell asleep,” Gabe answered with a content grin. “I knew you’d be excited, but I didn’t have the heart to wake you. That was over two hours ago.”
“Why weren’t you there?” she asked next, pulling back to make some room between them. “I woke up with that ruskah staring at me, and… Gabe, where were you? I thought you’d know I was in danger, but you didn’t seem to.”
His gaze darted away, and she sensed shame encompassing his thoughts. Was there something else there, too? Something dark she couldn’t quite make out?
/> “Carly,” he sighed, shaking his head. “I did sense something was wrong, but not until you’d already made it out of the caves. And by then, it was clear you didn’t need any help. I have no clue what happened, but… I’m sorry, I… I failed you, and I’ll never forgive myself for it.”
“You didn’t fail me,” Carly told him.
“No,” Gabe insisted. “I did fail you, Carly. I let you down when you needed me most, and I still don’t know how it happened. From what I could tell, you seemed safe. From what I could tell, you didn’t need me at all.”
That sent a chill right through her. As it turned out, Carly hadn’t needed him. But she still would’ve written it a different way if she’d been given the option. “Maybe we should just… be grateful for the way things turned out, and not speculate what else could have happened. Because you’re here, with me, and that’s as much as I could ask for.”
Gabe sobered, and the intense way he was looking at her terrified her nearly as much as the ruskah had. “I promise you, Carly, being with you is all I want to do with my life.”
Legacy: Bloodline Book 1 Page 25
