by J. D. Tyler
“Yeah.” His voice got quiet. “All of us who were in the Navy SEALs together and got turned went out and got them when we first formed the Alpha Pack. We did it to remind us what we’d become, and as a solidarity thing.”
Daria thought that was really cool, but from his tone she guessed he might not, so much. It seemed like a serious occasion to his team, having the tats done. “Will you tell me the story of how you were attacked and turned?”
“One day,” he said.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry, it’s none of my—”
“No, don’t apologize.” Sitting up, he reached for her cheek, stroked it. “That’s just a dark story for such a nice day. I don’t want to ruin our evening.”
“Well, okay. As long as I didn’t overstep.”
“Of course not.” He was silent for a moment, then studied her thoughtfully. “You make the ghosts go away.”
“What?”
“I mean literally. I told you we all have Psy gifts in addition to our ability to shift? Well, mine are that I can see spirits—sometimes communicate with them, though that’s rare—and speak in peoples’ minds. I’m a Channeler and a Telepath.”
“Wow.” She didn’t know what else to say. “Do you see any ghosts right now?”
“No. That’s what I meant before. You make them go away,” he said in disbelief. “I just realized that when I’m with or near you, they don’t hound me.”
If she wasn’t able to astrally project, she’d think he was one brick short of a load. “I’m glad about that. I can’t imagine what it would be like to have ghosts following you everywhere like you’re the Pied Piper.”
“It’s not easy. But it’s better than being able to tell the future, like Nick.”
“True.” She studied him. “Can you speak to me telepathically?”
“Yes, but I doubt you could speak back to me that way, yet.”
“What do you mean yet?”
“Never mind,” he mumbled. “Want me to say something in your head?”
“Sure.”
Daria Bradford, I think you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met.
“Oh my God!” she cried out, clapping a hand over her mouth. “I’ve never—that was unbelievable.”
He grinned. “Try to say something back. Think it really hard.”
She concentrated. I think you’re the sexiest man I’ve ever seen. I want you to make love to me again. “Did you get that?”
“Nope, sorry. You’ll get it down, eventually.”
“What makes you say that?”
“You will, that’s all.”
She thought about that. Would she be around to learn how? She hoped so. She was coming to like this place. This man. More than like—he was fast becoming a necessity. At that thought, her skin itched again. It was puzzling how she seemed to need him more by the hour.
“Ryon . . . I’m ready.”
“Ready for what?”
“I want to see you shift. I’m ready to meet your wolf.”
“You sure?” He searched her face.
“Positive. You were right before when you said I wasn’t ready, but that was before I met your team, Blue, and Chup-Chup. Bring it on.”
She was rewarded with one of his blinding smiles as he rose to his knees. Without a word, he started the transformation. As she watched, stunned, his limbs began to reshape. Arms and legs became four canine ones. His face elongated, changing into a muzzle, and fur sprouted all over his body. In seconds, there was a full tail where none had been before.
Where the man had been crouched stood a big, gorgeous wolf. His fur was a rich silver and cream tipped with black on his back and shoulders, and the tips of his ears. His mouth was hanging open, tongue lolling like an oversized puppy. His blue eyes were the same.
“You’re beautiful,” she whispered.
You can touch me. Please?
Tentatively, she reached out and rubbed his broad head. Scratched around his ears, and laughed when he pushed into her hand to encourage her to keep going. After giving his ears a bit more attention, she scooted closer and ran her palm along his back. He was so soft, like down, not coarse or wiry like she had envisioned.
“You’re amazing.”
Thank you. Nobody besides my Pack brothers and the staff here has seen me like this, until you.
“I’m the first, besides them?”
You are.
“I’m honored.”
It’s your right, and your legacy.
“What do you mean?”
You’ll see.
“That’s your answer for everything.”
He didn’t reply this time. His wolf’s body began to change shape again, and in seconds Ryon was kneeling there again. His eyes met hers, and he looked so hopeful. Happy.
“You weren’t afraid?”
“No. It was still you, in a different form.”
“God, Daria.” He closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, he swallowed hard and touched her face. “I never dreamed anyone outside my Pack could accept me the way I am. Every one of us longs for it, but it’s not a given.”
“You never have to worry about me not accepting you. I can’t believe you ever were.”
Lowering his hand, he searched her face. “That means everything to me.” He paused. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
“Earlier you seemed upset after talking with your dad. Is everything okay at home?”
She hesitated, wondering if she should get into the conversation. No man liked to hear about his partner’s former lover. Then again, it wasn’t like the news had any bearing on her life now. The man was called an ex for a reason.
“My dad has been trying to reach me because someone I know disappeared a few months ago. It’s really strange, knowing Ben. He would never have just walked away from his career. He’s a successful criminal attorney and is as married to his job as anyone I’ve ever met.”
“This Ben is a friend of yours?” His voice had taken on a slight edge.
“Ex-fiancé.” She shrugged. “We were good friends, once. We dated for over a year, but it didn’t work out. He was so self-contained, so driven. Successful. Smart. But his career was his entire life, with not much room for spontaneity, or passion.”
Ryon’s expression took on a look of catlike satisfaction. Quite a feat for a wolf. “Unlike me,” he said smugly.
“Very unlike you.” She kissed his mouth. “For example, he wouldn’t make love on mornings he was due in court. Said it would take him out of his zone, and he needed to be sharp for the jury.”
Was that a growl she heard coming from his chest? The soft, ominous noise made her shiver.
“What an ass.”
“He’s actually a good man, just a tad self-absorbed. We weren’t compatible as lovers.”
“And you’re worried about him, why? Who cares if he vanished.”
Okay, that was tinged with outright jealousy. Possessiveness. If that was a shifter thing, she wasn’t sure she appreciated it. “Cool your jets. I care because I know Ben. There is no way in hell that man would’ve left his practice and hopped on a plane to Bermuda or someplace, never to return.”
“You hear of that happening. Men simply leaving because they can’t take the pressure of their lives anymore. This Ben guy sounds like a prime candidate for ditching his high-pressure world.”
“That’s what Dad said the police suspected, at first. But Ben’s accounts are intact, checking and savings untouched. There are no records of him having purchased a plane or bus ticket, no credit card activity. Nothing. It’s like the earth opened up and swallowed him.”
“Why is your dad just now hearing about this if he’s been missing for months?”
“Dad says Ben disappeared the day after we broke up. I didn’t know anything about it, and honestly, although I thought it was odd for Ben to completely cut off all communication between us, I chalked it up to him changing his mind about us even being friends.”
“You put it out of your head.”
“Yes, and so did my dad. My work and lifestyle don’t lend themselves to sitting around watching a lot of news, and none of Ben’s friends thought I’d care, so they didn’t contact me.”
“The police didn’t try to reach you, either?”
“No. My name either didn’t come up, or they fucked up in their investigation. I’m thinking the latter, because I would’ve told them what I’m telling you—something bad happened to Ben. I know it.”
“Even if it did, it’s not like you can do anything. It’s not even your problem.”
She frowned at him. “This is a man’s life we’re talking about. Just because he and I didn’t work out doesn’t mean I’m not worried.”
“I know that. It’s just . . .” Raking a hand through his hair, he stared at her. “I don’t like the idea of the woman I just made love to expending so much energy worrying about some guy who was too ignorant a jerk to understand what a good thing he had.”
Her frown deepened to a scowl. “Ignorant jerks come in all shapes and sizes. The man is missing, possibly dead, and you want to be jealous that I’m concerned? Green is not a good color on you, Ryon. Doesn’t go with blond at all.”
“I can’t help what I am,” he ground out. “My wolf doesn’t like you thinking about some other man, and neither do I.”
“You know what? This jealousy thing from you is a little intense for me, considering we haven’t known each other all that long.” Standing, she started to gather her clothes and piled them on the couch. She pulled on her panties, and then started putting on her bra.
“Dammit, I’m sorry.” Pushing to his feet, he held out a hand. “Please, don’t go.”
“I need some breathing room, okay? I’m not leaving, I’m just going to relax for a while and have some time to myself.”
“If that’s what you want.” He looked so miserable she almost relented.
But she needed to get away, catch her breath. His emotions were battering at her, all of his joy, fear, hope, anger, and she felt like she was in danger of losing her mind. She didn’t understand how his feelings were flowing to her like there was a superhighway between them, but she had to take a break.
Once she was dressed, she turned to face him. “I’ll talk to you in a bit, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Thank you for dinner. It was wonderful.”
He looked away, not speaking. A wave of hurt and rejection poured to her from him, and she fled like a coward in the wake of it. She left, not risking another glance at him and was back in her own quarters in less than a minute. Once there, she paced the carpet.
She couldn’t stop. There was something alive under her skin. That was the only way to describe the sensation that was driving her crazy. And this feeling seemed to be agitated by Ryon being upset. Daria regretted hurting him, but this was more. It was as if there was another consciousness making itself known, or trying to, and it wasn’t happy. It wanted something.
Wanted out.
She gasped. What was that? She was losing her marbles. She—
During one of her passes by the window, she paused, her attention caught by movement outside. When she saw a silver and black wolf streak across the lawn toward the forest, her heart clenched.
The wolf was Ryon. In a compound surrounded by shifters, she wasn’t certain how she knew it was him. But it was. The strange bond between them sang with fear, longing, and sadness. The desire to run until he was too exhausted to care.
Before she could question the wisdom of her actions, she was pushing open her patio door, exiting the small yard and running in the direction he’d gone. She tried pushing her thoughts at him, but whether any of them connected, she couldn’t say.
Ryon! Please, come back. I didn’t mean to hurt you.
Nothing.
Hey, let’s talk. We can’t do that if you’re running.
She wasn’t sure how far she’d gone or how long she’d chased him when she stopped and braced a hand on a tree. She couldn’t run anymore. And there was a painful lurch in the pit of her stomach, like she had to vomit. That didn’t happen, but sickness roiled in her belly. Spread to her arms and legs, which were now itching like mad, and became excruciating pain.
Crying out, she hit her knees, holding her casted arm over her stomach. Her skin and guts were turning inside out, and any second they were going to exchange places. All that would be left was a gruesome pile of muscle and bone, and they would all shake their heads in speculation of what could’ve happened. If she didn’t know a creature had killed the campers, she might’ve believed there was a new disease going around, and she had caught it.
“Ryon!” Panting, doubled over, she clawed at the ground. Then she realized that her hands were tipped with actual claws. Black and sharp. “Shit!”
Her limbs began to move—and then one by one, they popped. Screaming, she could do nothing as the change she’d witnessed in Ryon just a short while ago took over her body as well.
The agony was horrendous. She continued to scream until her voice was hoarse—and then became a long, high-pitched howl. The pain ended as suddenly as it had begun, and she whimpered, frantically looking all around her. The cast that had occupied her arm was now split and lying in the grass. Clearly it was no longer needed, because her leg was fine.
Other than belonging to a wolf.
First she struggled to get free of her clothing. Then sitting, she looked down at herself, incredulous. She was covered in silky-looking black fur and had four paws. A tail? She tried wagging it, and to her surprise, it worked. It brushed the ground behind her, stirring leaves. Slowly, she tried to stand. That part went okay, but when she tried taking some steps forward, her legs got all tangled and she went down with a yelp.
Exhaustion prevented her from getting up, and so she curled into a ball and whined miserably. She couldn’t walk back yet, and the sun would set soon. How was anyone supposed to find her? She didn’t want to be out here alone, in a strange body, when the sun went down.
The memory of the screeching creature, not to mention Nick’s rendition of what it might look like, made her shake. It had slaughtered two people, maybe more. If the beast found her out here, weak and defenseless, she’d end up as dinner.
Despite her fears, she grew sleepy. Staying awake wasn’t an option. Before she went under, she could have sworn she saw a white wolf appear from behind a tree about fifty yards away. But when she blinked it was gone.
Daria, where are you? Hold on, honey. I’m coming.
She’d probably imagined that, too. But she was too tired to answer anyway.
* * *
In wolf form, Ryon raced through the woods toward the compound. Toward his mate. He had heard her cry out, and had immediately turned back when the pain felled him.
Her agony had ripped through him as though it were his own, and he’d actually stumbled and fell. Sitting on his haunches trying to figure out what had happened, the realization hit him.
Daria was going through her first shift. His mind reeled at the knowledge. Hadn’t it taken Kira and Rowan a few weeks to experience their wolf for the first time? God, this had happened so soon, he wasn’t ready.
She was confused, in pain. Alone. All of these horrible things should not have happened. If he’d been a better mate, he wouldn’t have indulged in a moment of self-pity, leaving her by herself at the compound. Not even for an hour, not when he knew she would need him, and not over something as stupid as his jealousy of a man who was no real threat to his mating.
Because he was a selfish bastard, she was suffering. He called out to her as he ran, but she wasn’t answering. The bond between them was blank, but not as though she was willfully shutting him out. It was as if she was asleep, or unconscious. He ran faster, frantic to find her.
He wasn’t sure how long he searched, but he was starting to panic. Their bond would’ve helped him find her faster, but he was hindered. Maybe she hadn’t even run in his d
irection.
The last thing he needed was to see the glowing form of a spirit step from behind a tree. Halting in his tracks, he recognized the woman who’d been mutilated. This time her image was whole, her skin unmarred by the atrocity inflicted upon her. Sometimes this happened, the victims reverting back to the state they were in before they died. Maybe they couldn’t accept what had happened, much less that they were supposed to be dead.
As the ghost moved closer, eyes beseeching, Ryon shifted. Kneeling in the dirt, he shook his head. “I can’t help you.”
Monster, she mouthed.
Ryon shivered. The spirits were so seldom able to get their woes across. Leave it to this one to be different. “I know. I’m sorry for what the beast did to you, but we’re going to catch him. I promise.”
This time, her voice came through on a whisper. “My husband?”
“Everyone is looking for him. We’ll find him.” She didn’t need to know they probably already had.
“Monster,” she said sadly, the strange, dark eye sockets glistening with unshed tears.
Jesus. “I hope not. But one way or another, we’ll find him.”
From her bereft expression, she must have known he’d likely suffered the same fate. Why did the ghosts torment him when there wasn’t a fucking thing he could do? What good was this stupid “gift”?
“Look for the light,” he told her. “When you find it, keep going. Maybe your husband is there, waiting for you.”
A look of hope bloomed, and she turned without another word. Began to walk away. In seconds, she vanished into the trees again, and he exhaled a shaky breath.
“I’ll never freaking get used to that.” If the woman’s husband was dead, he prayed they’d find each other. It drove him crazy that he never knew if the spirits found peace.
Shifting again, he resumed his search for Daria. Scenting the air, he began to come undone. He couldn’t locate her. Then a flash of white caused him to put on the brakes. In the path ahead, a small white female wolf stood with her head up, ears forward in a nonthreatening manner. She didn’t snarl or offer any aggression. She simply turned, glanced over her shoulder once as if expecting him to follow, then took off.
