Closing her eyes to concentrate on Reaper’s touch and the changes in her body, she smiled when she could feel the bones in her legs elongate.
“Whatever you do, don’t tense. It slows down the shift and it could make it unbearable for you.” Reaper continued to rub her back.
Under his distracting touch, she could feel her face contort and expand outward into a muzzle. Her teeth grew and she opened her mouth, unsure whether she would nick her lips that were thinning. The most amazing sight was that of her hands transforming into huge paws covered with red and white fur. Noticing the changes in her, she reveled at the fact how easy it became once she followed Reaper’s advice. When she finished shifting, everything around her looked sharper, including Reaper. He was an extraordinarily handsome man.
His brow drew down with concern, and before she thought about it, she opened her mouth to reassure him. A low whine escaped and the sound stopped her movements.
What was that?
“You have the same vocalization as a wolf.”
She nodded, the action unnatural in her state, and took a tentative step toward him. He smiled at her caution, but with slow movements, she circled the bathroom with ease. Soon, her instinct to run and stretch her new muscles had her glancing up at Reaper, who beamed at her.
Do you think that we can take a run?
“Yeah. Let’s get downstairs and we can talk to Ghost about it. The sun won’t be up for another two hours, so we should be fine under the cover of darkness.”
She followed him out the door and down the stairs. The act of walking on four legs, which should have taken some time to get used to, felt natural to her. Within minutes, she had grown confident in her movements. That was, until they reached the bottom of the stairs.
She stiffened beside Reaper the moment several distinct aromas struck her senses. The unfamiliar smells had her hackles rising. Reaper ran his hands across her back to reassure her.
“It’s okay—it’s the others.”
Of course, she had forgotten about the heightened sense of smell. She relaxed the arch of her spine and unlocked her muscles. She followed behind Reaper as they walked into the living room, and she took the time to really scent Reaper. While human, she could only detect wood and rain, but with her wolf nose, there was a spicy tinge along with the calming scent of damp earth. It made her want to burrow her head against his chest.
She became distracted by thoughts of Reaper and didn’t notice that the conversation in the living room had ceased. As she glanced around, everyone in the room stared at her, and she cursed herself for not glancing at her wolf form in the mirror. She wondered what breed of wolf she was, but her questions would have to wait.
In her wolf form, her legs were longer than a typical wolf. Her paws were large, about the size of a St. Bernard or Mastiff, and when she glanced at the others, her head tilted slightly to see them.
Their silence made her anxious.
“She’s beautiful,” Liv whispered.
Ara bowed her head in thanks, and sat back on her haunches to relax until she could stretch her muscles.
“We’re going to take a run around the property,” Reaper said.
Murmurs erupted and she surged to her feet. She needed to stretch her muscles, and didn’t know whether she could do that without going outside. She sensed someone watching her, and when she turned, Ghost met her gaze. He understood the urge to run, and soon, they had permission.
“Stay close to the perimeter of the house, and call if you have any trouble,” Ghost said.
She wanted to thank him but Reaper ushered her to the laundry room, which had an outer door they would leave through. He started stripping; with each piece he removed, she felt the tension in her body ratchet up. With her enhanced sight, her eyes roamed over him and she couldn’t suppress the whine escaped her.
“Beautiful, when we get back, you can do anything you want to me, but for now, let’s run.”
Envy coursed through her as Reaper shifted into his wolf seamlessly. She shivered as the heat in his eyes remained, although he was in wolf form.
Kai opened the door for them, and she bolted out the door. The moment her paws hit the snow, a whimper of satisfaction escaped her throat. By instinct, she lengthened her stride as the trees whipped past her at what should have been an alarming rate. Inside, she delighted at how freeing it felt to be outside. Her mind went blank, and she enjoyed Reaper’s company and the crisp, clean mountain air of the Rockies.
For over an hour, they both remained quiet as she explored the world in her new form. Although she’d never given a thought to becoming a shifter, a peace that she’d felt since she changed form had grown. For the first time in her life, she truly felt free to be happy and loved.
Throughout their run, she hadn’t noticed where they headed, but when she spotted Kai’s house, the fatigue from her first run weighed her down.
Tired?
Yes. I don’t understand it. She slowed to a walk as he did the same next to her.
It’s your first shift. It takes a lot of energy. After several more times, your body will be used to the stress.
Her eyes met Reaper’s and she marveled how quickly her life had changed. All because of the man next to her. He had rescued her, although she had no idea she needed him at the time. Now, he was essential in her life.
This time Liv opened the door for them, and as Ara walked through the door, a tingle started across her spine again. She whined, capturing Reaper’s attention, and he shifted back swiftly before donning his clothes. He kneeled in front of her and cupped her furry face in his hands.
“It’s okay. You’re shifting back because you don’t have enough energy to sustain your wolf form.”
Well, shit.
Chapter Seventeen
Reaper
Reaper shouldn’t have been surprised by how exquisite he found Ara in wolf form. He found that he couldn’t take his eyes from her.
Warring between exhaustion and enjoyment from her shift, Ara laid her face against her paws and closed her eyes.
During their run, he could feel her excitement as she darted through the woods, kicking up snow. He was almost surprised that she didn’t howl at the moon. But for the first time since he learned the reason behind her fever and pain, he relaxed enough to enjoy his time with her, experiencing her first shift.
When he’d first heard her voice in the early morning hours, he thought that she lay right beside him. It took him by complete surprise when he understood that she had communicated with him through their mind link, from another room. He should have realized that once he’d taken her as his mate that the mind link ability would become a possibility, but until he heard her panic in his head, it hadn’t even occurred to him.
He had been so exhausted from staying up the night before and the entire day, monitoring Ara’s progress. The fever had broken by mid-morning, and although he still couldn’t touch her without causing her pain, he was grateful when she fell into a deep sleep.
The assassins, concerned for the newest shifter, had trailed in and out of the room, checking on her and to see whether he needed a break. He couldn’t pull himself away from his mate; whatever she had to go through, he would be right there with her.
When he had found her on the bathroom floor, guilt assailed him because he’d fallen asleep and allowed her to go through the first part of her transition alone. But she had been so strong during the entire process. As he knelt beside her, her panic ceased and she relaxed, allowing the progression of her shift to proceed naturally.
Running together, side by side, had solidified their bonding and he couldn’t help being proud at his mate.
While she enjoyed her time outside, he had been on alert, scanning the woods for anyone trailing them. An immortal would know that they were shifters, but if they stumbled upon a human, they would see two wolves in their natural setting. He’d sensed her exhaustion toward the end of the run, and led her to the house before she collapsed.
&nb
sp; “You okay, beautiful?” he asked.
She huffed out a breath and opened one eye to glance at him, but made no other moves to answer him or get up off the ground. He shouldn’t have had her run so far her first time out, but he enjoyed her excitement and hadn’t wanted to dampen it.
He smiled at her, but her breathing turned into a whine, and he realized that her body wanted to shift back to human.
Without hesitation, he scooped her into his arms and darted toward the living room and the stairs that would lead them up to their room. Before he could take three steps, her whine grew louder and he glanced down. Her shift back to human had begun.
As his foot reached the first step, her form grew smaller in his arms and he glanced down to see Ara, naked, with a deep blush on her cheeks. Despite the fact they were standing in the living room, he couldn’t help that his body responded to her. Hell, he would have to be dead in order to not respond to his mate.
For a moment, he stood frozen as his gaze raked over every inch of her honeyed skin.
Back in her human form, she regained some energy and she moved her hands to cover herself. He was rendered mute by her beauty and his desire only for her.
It wasn’t until a whistle echoed throughout the room that he snapped out of his stupor and reached for a blanket on the nearest couch. Before he could reach it, he was blinded completely.
“Uh, beautiful. I can’t see anything.” His hold on her tightened.
She wriggled out of his arms, and he started when she dropped her hands on his shoulder. He reached for her, but before he could get his arms around her waist, she slid her mouth against his for a second before she pulled back.
“I’ll be right back,” she said.
Again, his arms reached out for her, but he heard her soft footsteps dart up the stairs. He wanted to follow her, but he didn’t trust that he could make it up the stairs without destroying anything in the process. The moment he heard the distinct click of the door to their bedroom, his vision returned. He blinked at the brightness of the lights in the living room, and glanced around. The others blinked and rubbed their eyes, and he knew that she had blinded everyone in the room.
“I think that her powers have grown stronger since her transformation,” Hunter mumbled.
“I wouldn’t doubt it. She keeps surprising me,” Reaper said.
“I have an idea.” Hunter darted toward the door that led him downstairs.
Reaper had kept his eyes on the door where Ara had disappeared through minutes before, and he blew out a relieved breath when the door opened and Ara ran down the stairs. Surprised when she launched herself at him, he easily caught her in his arms and kissed her for the first time in days. He had missed her touch, her lips.
As he broke the kiss, he sat down and kept her on his lap. They glanced around to see the assassins staring at Ara.
“Did you see anyone during your run?” Ghost asked.
“No, and I didn’t sense anyone,” Reaper said.
Hunter dashed up the stairs and Ara glanced at Reaper with confusion. Hunter carried a metal bucket, a folding chair, and a wooden table into the room, and set them down before he turned to them with a look of excitement shining in his sharp green eyes.
“Ara, can you test something for me?” Hunter bounced on the balls of his feet as he waited for her answer.
Ara nodded, still not understanding where Hunter was going with this, but she stood and waited for his request.
“I want you to destroy these objects, but in a way I tell you to,” Hunter said.
Reaper watched as Ara’s eyes widened in shock.
“What makes you think that I can do what you’re asking?” Ara asked.
Hunter chuckled before he spoke. “You blinded everyone in the room, where before you could only manipulate part of our brains that made you invisible. I’m just wondering if your offensive skills have developed now that you’re a shifter.”
With a worried glance at Liv and Kai, and then Reaper, she shifted on her feet and bit her bottom lip. She glanced at the table where the chair and bucket lay on top, and glanced back at Hunter. “I’ll try.”
“Can you crush the bucket?” Hunter asked.
Reaper reached for her hand and gave her a reassuring squeeze. Her answering smile had him relax his tense shoulders, and he sat back to watch how her powers had developed.
Ara raised her right hand and the bucket hovered in the air. The moment she closed her hand into a fist, the bucket flattened into a 1/4 inch steel round. She placed it gently back on the table and glanced at Reaper. The shock on her face had him speaking up.
“Beautiful, you now have the power to defend yourself. There is nothing to feel bad about. You won’t destroy for the sake of doing it, so stop thinking of yourself and your powers as a bad thing. If it helps keep you safe, I, for one, am grateful you have them. You’re still Ara, and I love you.”
Ara blew out a breath and nodded. “I love you, too.”
He smiled at her before Hunter captured her attention again.
“Ara, can you reconstruct the chair into a ball?”
She did as Hunter asked, with practiced ease, and levitated the sphere into Hunter’s outstretched hand. The panther beamed at her, and the smile on her face wavered a bit.
Reaper knew that Ara wouldn’t hurt anyone or anything unless absolutely necessary. The gunman had tried to kill both of them, and although they had reminded Ara that it had been self-defense when she had killed him, he knew that she still felt guilt over it. Most people would use their power to get what they wanted, even if it meant death, but Ara hesitated with her natural gifts. It was another reason that he loved her.
“And now, can you splinter the table, using them as projectiles?”
Ara blanched and turned away from Hunter, but Liv, sensing her distress, brought logic to the situation.
“Ara, honey, I know you’re freaked out by the increase of your powers, but it’s natural. I believe that whatever talents you had when you were human increase when you become a shifter or vampire. I’m still investigating why the changes are so dramatic, but your powers are innate to who you are. There is no need to be afraid of them.”
Reaper watched the emotions on Ara’s expressive face as she contemplated Liv’s words. She chanced a glance at him and he smiled with encouragement. It stunned him when he realized that she worried about his reaction to the situation.
“You will always be powerful, Ara, and I’ll be right here if you ever need help.” He moved closer to her and whispered in her ear. “You are amazing and while I will be by your side to protect you, I’m glad that you’re able to take care of any danger yourself.”
At his words, Ara took a deep breath and faced the table. “Please step back.”
When the living area had been cleared, she turned back to the table and it exploded outward in a million pieces that shot in every direction. With a wave of her hand, Ara stopped the splinters in midair. They were able to move around the explosion, examining the pieces in awe. Reaper had thought that crushing metal cans had been impressive, but nothing compared to the table.
They heard footsteps coming from the kitchen, and before Ara could figure out what to do with the pieces, Seth stepped in the room. His eyes widened as he took in the scene in front of him.
“Holy shit, that’s cool.”
Liv snarled at the kid’s language, but Seth draped an arm over her shoulders and pulled her in for a hug.
Ara’s tense shoulders relaxed before she gathered the pieces into a tight pile and placed them into the trash. She glanced around the room, worried that she might have done something that freaked them out at last, but everyone looked impressed.
They moved the furniture back into place and Reaper pulled Ara onto his lap as they all settled around the room. Ara had grown quiet during the conversation Xander had started about mates and turning, but her relaxed posture calmed him. He hoped that her worry about her powers had passed, but he knew it would take time. So
mething they both had plenty of.
While they talked, he absently brushed over the spot where he marked her and he wanted to do it again. She shivered in his arms, and he pressed a kiss against her hair, smiling at her reaction to him. Her yawn gave him the perfect excuse to get her all to himself. With barely a word, he carried her upstairs and into their bedroom. He flicked the lock on the door and sat her down on her feet.
“Are you tired?” he asked.
“No.”
She stepped back away from him and he almost growled at her retreat. The sound became stuck in his throat when she lifted the hem of her shirt and quickly removed it. With a quick snap of her fingers, her bra followed and it fluttered to the floor, forgotten.
“Reaper?”
Her husky voice pushed him over the edge and he pounced on her, pulling her into his arms. He needed her, his mate.
***
Ara
The exhaustion that had clung to her since they’d gotten back from the run in the forest disappeared the moment Reaper growled at the sight of her naked chest. He was in front of her in an instant, and when his mouth slammed down on hers, she tore at his clothes, needing to get closer. Needing him.
His mouth trailed down her neck to nip at the mark he left on her skin, and she sucked in a breath at the sensations that burst from the simple touch. Teasing the spot for the next few minutes, he drove her to the brink of an orgasm, but she wanted him inside her before she succumbed.
“I brought myself to an orgasm thinking about you the other night.”
Her simple statement had the intended consequences that she wanted. She found herself flat on her back and staring up at the ceiling.
He made quick work of her jeans and panties, before he crawled up her body, revealing that he’d already removed his clothes. As his hot, hard body pressed down on hers, her hunger for him grew out of control.
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