Manhattan Moon

by Jae

  For a moment, Shelby was tempted to give her usual answer: Of course not. Shape-shifting was totally natural for a Wrasa, so why would she be nervous? But this time, she was in the forest with Nyla, not with her family. There was no reason to pretend, so she nodded.

  Nyla reached for her hand without saying a word. For a while, they strolled side by side until the dense forest forced them to walk single file. “You shouldn’t put so much pressure on yourself about the shape-shifting.”

  “I’m not pressuring myself.”

  “No?” Nyla caught up with her and lightly slapped her hip. “Whenever a family get-together is coming up, you disappear for a few nights to practice shifting, and when you come back, you’re frustrated because it didn’t work. And you’ve been so nervous today that you drove poor Goliath crazy.”

  Shelby bent a low-hanging branch to the side and held on to it so that it wouldn’t hit Nyla in passing. “All right.” She sighed. Her shoulders drooped. “Maybe you’re right. It’s just that I want to show you how I look in my coyote form. I want you to share that part of my life.”

  “I know. And I feel very honored.” Nyla hooked one hand into Shelby’s waistband because the path was still too narrow to walk next to her and hold hands. “But when it comes to me, you’ve got nothing to prove. I believe you when you say you’re a Wrasa even if I’ve never seen you turn into a coyote.”

  Shelby grinned. “What gave me away? My appetite? My sensitive hearing? Or my incredible stamina during sex?”

  Nyla slid her hand deeper and pinched her ass. “At least when it comes to the latter, we humans can keep up with you just fine.”

  Oh, yes. Heat rushed through Shelby at the thought of how well Nyla could keep up with her.

  “I don’t love you because you’re a Wrasa who can turn into a coyote. I love you for your honesty, your loyalty, your sense of humor, and ...” She gave Shelby a wink. “... your incredible stamina during sex.”

  Shelby’s tension receded as she laughed.

  “Seriously,” Nyla said. “If we leave this forest without me seeing so much as the tip of a coyote’s tail, I’ll still love and respect you.”

  Shelby stopped and turned. Tenderly, she rubbed her cheek against Nyla’s and kissed her.

  Nyla tugged a strand of hair behind Shelby’s ear.

  They smiled at each other and continued deeper into the forest.

  Shelby took in the sounds of the forest. With every step, her senses seemed to sharpen more. To her left, a deer was weaving its way through the undergrowth, but with Nyla at her side, Shelby didn’t feel the urge to chase after it. She followed the gurgling of a creek until they reached a small clearing. “Let’s stay here,” Shelby said. “Seems like a safe place.” She led Nyla to a fallen tree. “Do you remember what you’re supposed to say if I actually manage to shift and humans come across us?”

  “I’ll tell them my dog is a fear biter and they should keep their distance. Then I’ll try to get you to the car as fast as possible,” Nyla said.

  “Good.” Shelby nodded. “And if someone enters the clearing while I’m kneeling in the leaves stark-naked, trying to shift?”

  With a straight face, Nyla said, “Then we’re worshippers of a neo-religious cult, practicing our right to freedom of religion.”

  “And if any Wrasa show up?”

  The humorous twinkle in Nyla’s eyes faded. “Forget it. I’m not leaving you behind.”

  “Nyla …”

  Nyla shook her head, making strands of hair fall onto her face. “We’re a pack, right? A pack doesn’t leave any of its members behind.”

  Shelby sighed but didn’t try again to change Nyla’s mind. She had tried to persuade Nyla since she had told her she wanted to bring her to the forest. Nyla hadn’t budged. It doesn’t matter anyway. I probably won’t make it this time either, and we’ll be back in the car within fifteen minutes.

  The spring sun warmed Shelby’s back as she slowly undressed.

  Nyla took each article of clothing from her and folded it carefully. When Shelby stood before her naked, Nyla embraced her and kissed her temple before she stepped back.

  For a moment, Shelby shivered without the warmth of Nyla’s body against hers. Then she closed her eyes and tried to focus on the transformation. She called up the mental image of the coyote and imagined feeling his fur grow beneath her skin.

  A slight tingling ran down her forearms, but otherwise, nothing happened.

  Shelby tried harder. Her temples started pounding. Normally, shape-shifting didn’t cause this kind of pain. You won’t make it. In a minute, she would open her eyes and give up, but first she wanted to take in the forest.

  The muscles of her ears twitched as she tried without success to rotate her ears toward the birdsong. The sun was strong for a day in spring, and Shelby imagined it shining down on her fur. She sniffed, breathing in the scents of moss, ferns, and earth. A smile crept onto her face as she caught a whiff of jasmine.

  Even though jasmine wasn’t native to American forests, the scent mingled with that of the forest as if they had always belonged together.

  Shelby relaxed and imagined lying next to Nyla, her muzzle on Nyla’s thigh, and sleeping until the scent of the souvlaki they’d brought roused her.

  The skin on her forearms began to tingle; then a burning sensation ran down her back. Heat spread from cell to cell.

  Oh, yes, yes, yes.

  Her bones creaked. Pain shot through each of her joints. She rose on her toes as her foot became part of her leg. Her fingers connected to leathery footpads. Needle-sharp claws erupted from her fingertips. She lifted her muzzle, which had formed from her nose and mouth, and howled.

  Slowly, the pain lessened. Panting, she opened her eyes. The world had mutated to an array of yellows, grays, and browns. Again she lifted her muzzle into the breeze and sniffed. An enticing scent hit her nose. The wind carried the scent of jasmine and human. Her human.

  With a short bark, she ran over to her mate and bowed down on her front paws until her chest nearly touched the ground. Then she jumped up, playfully nipped her mate’s calf, and bounded away.

  After a wild chase across the clearing, she slowed to allow her slower pack mate to catch up. She rolled on her back and allowed gentle fingers to pluck leaves and clumps of earth from her fur. After a while, she rested her head on her mate’s warm thigh and let out a contented sigh. Her human caressed her ears and trailed her fingers through her ruff. Protected by her pack, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

  In her dream, she was frolicking through a garden filled with jasmine, her mate by her side.

  ###

  About Jae

  Jae grew up amidst the vineyards of southern Germany. She spent her childhood with her nose buried in a book, earning her the nickname “professor.” The writing bug bit her at the age of eleven. For the last six years, she has been writing mostly in English.

  She works as a psychologist and likes to spend her time reading, playing board games with friends, spending time with her nieces and nephew, and watching way too many crime shows.

  Connect with Jae online

  Jae loves hearing from readers!

  E-mail her at jae_s1978@yahoo.de

  Visit her blog: jaefiction.wordpress.com

  Visit her website: jae-fiction.com

  Follow her on Twitter @jaefiction

  Coming from Ylva Publishing in spring 2013

  http://www.ylva-publishing.com

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