Under An Alaskan Moon: A Shifter Romance

by Scarlett McLeod

  She could swear he pouted at her as he laid his head on her knee. Intelligent golden eyes looked up at her curiously. She laughed at him and said, “Besides that’s all the fresh meat I have right now.”

  She stroked her hand through his black fur and said, “You need a bath, Wolfie, and a serious makeover. Have you looked in the mirror recently?”

  She laughed at herself for talking to a wolf.

  Colin thought back to the last time he had seen a mirror. It had only been a couple of decades. He snorted and shrugged.

  Faye looked at him strangely and said, “You’re a weird one, Wolfie.”

  Colin gave her a grin even as his eyes threatened to close from exhaustion. If only she knew, he thought.

  CHAPTER three

  Faye watched as the wolf’s eyes closed and as a long sigh left him. She grinned, happy with her good deed, thankful she had saved his life. She got up and grabbed his empty bowl and carried it over to the sink to rinse it out. As she looked out the window, a soft covering of white coated the ground a couple of inches deep already. It was so beautiful. She glanced over at the sleeping wolf relaxing in front of her fire and smiled as a ragged snore met her ears.

  He was exhausted, she thought.

  Quietly, she ran him a bowl full of water and set it down near his head so he would have something to drink when he got thirsty.

  A few hours and one shower later, Faye turned out the lights and added another piece of wood to the fire before curling up in the recliner under a blanket. Her Wolfie still slept with an occasional doggy snore, making her choke on wild laughter. He sounded ridiculous. She pulled her hair up into a bun, curly tendrils escaping to frame her face, as she snuggled into the recliner. A few moments later, her eyes closed and she slept.

  ***

  Colin woke in what he guessed was the first light of the morning. The blonde woman lay curled up in a big brown leather chair behind him, and the fire was low on wood. The cabin was chilly.

  Normally, he wouldn’t have felt the cold, but with his ragtag coat of missing fur, he felt the chill. Apparently, the woman did not as she slept soundly with her feet tucked up under her.

  Colin lay staring up at her, warmth filling his heart as he took the time to really look at her. He had finally found his Promise! She was a petite woman, he could tell, but full of curves in all the right places. She was utterly beautiful.

  He shifted uncomfortably as he tried to get to his feet. His legs trembled underneath him as he stood. Colin glanced up at the woman, considering waking her. The embarrassment of peeing in front of her discouraged that idea, plus she looked too cute with her nose scrunched up in sleep.

  Shakily, he made his way to the door and managed to get it open before heading outside to find a suitable tree to water. He stepped outside and the crisp air immediately bit his skin. He knew if he was in his human form, his teeth would have been rattling hard in his skull. Stepping off the porch, his hardened paws made contact with soft snow that crunched as he walked. Now to find a tree, he thought.

  ***

  Faye woke up disoriented, wondering why she wasn’t in her nice warm soft bed but instead in the old brown recliner. Then she remembered the starving wolf she had rescued the night before.

  “Wolfie?” she called after looking down at the rug and realizing he wasn’t there.

  She got up from the chair while sleepily rubbing her eyes and looked around. A few minutes later, she realized the wolf wasn’t in the cabin. With a scoff, she discovered the unlocked door.

  “Apparently, you can unlock and open doors, you ungrateful animal,” she muttered. “It’s not as if I saved your life last night. Geez, this must be how the morning after a one night stand feels when the guy sneaks out.”

  She closed the front door and went to the kitchen to make herself a pot of coffee. It was really early, and she didn’t have to be at the bookshop for another two hours. There was plenty of time to rebuild the fire, eat breakfast, feed the chickens, and throw on suitable clothes for work.

  With coffee in hand, Faye flipped her sizzling pancake a moment later and paused. She smirked at the noise coming from the other side of her front door. An unmistakable whine accompanied by scratches made her chuckle before she moved to let him in.

  Wolfie was back, she thought.

  As she opened the door, Colin walked inside, unmindful of the snow his wet paws tracked in, only eager to see his mate again and get warm. He would have blushed had he been in his skin at the amused look she gave him.

  “Decided you needed me after all, huh?”

  Colin gave her his best confused dog expression before realization dawned. She had thought he left. As quickly as his weak legs allowed him, he trotted over to her and shoved his head against her leg, begging for a pat. He didn’t mean to upset her. Just the idea of her watching him do his business was weird. She wouldn’t do it if he was in his skin, and he still had enough human in him to realize that.

  Her hand came down to his head and a long sigh left his muzzle.

  This felt like home, he thought.

  His eyes drifted close as he breathed in her scent.

  Faye softly ran her hand through his fur, watching as his whole bony self leaned against her leg and into her hand.

  He was so sweet, she mused.

  She wondered where he’d gone and then realized he probably had to go pee.

  What a smart dog to let himself outside to go! She was vaguely impressed.

  She bent down to his level and cooed in his ear, “Good Wolfie.”

  He couldn’t help it. His tongue took a big swipe at her face and went down the whole side, coating her cheek in doggy slobber. He was mortified directly after but was surprised to hear her giggle and to see her eyes lit up.

  “You big puppy.” She grinned and used her shirtsleeve to wipe the slobber off.

  His tail thumped against the wood floor until she rose to her feet and stopped petting him.

  Faye moved to save her pancake from burning in the skillet and looked over her shoulder as a sad whine met her ears. She laughed at the overgrown puppy sitting on the floor giving her The Look: big sad eyes and slumped shoulders.

  Oh yeah, she thought, he was working that for all it was worth.

  “Com here , Wolfie.” She chuckled.

  He scrambled across the floor until he was sitting on her foot. He nudged her palm with his head again.

  Now this was heaven, Colin thought.

  CHAPTER four

  Faye had left Wolfie on the porch as she made her way across the yard to feed the chickens. She didn’t know how they would react to having a wolf around, but, worse case scenario, she would have a bunch of frazzled hens and no eggs for a week or so.

  She hadn’t even thought about Wolfie’s reaction to the chickens until now. She was too attached to him now to get rid of him if he decided he wanted fresh chicken for a mid-morning snack. She’d have to train him out of it.

  Sighing, Faye set out the chicken feed and opened the henhouse, dodging chicken crap as she made her way across their run. Her fifteen hens and few roosters cackled at her. Several walked out into the yard while Faye collected the eggs.

  A few seconds later, the most awful ruckus she had ever heard started up outside. Faye banged her head on one of the nesting shelves as she made her way to the door to see what was going on. Chickens scattered across the yard, the hens letting their distress be known. Faye looked for the cause of the trouble and narrowed her eyes at the pile of feathers and bloody innards of one of her best laying hens on the snowy ground.

  She hadn’t closed the gate behind her. Wolfie sat staring at her with a guilty look on his face.

  Faye’s hands went to her hips. She knew this would happen. She just knew it!

  ***

  Colin inwardly raged at his wolf. One moment he had been sitting on the porch alertly, waiting for the blonde to return; the next he spotted the bird and had fresh chicken sliding down his gullet. Never mind how good the fresh m
eat had been; he knew the birds were off limits! His wolf knew that too. Or should have anyway. He got the feeling his wolf just wanted to see what the blonde would do.

  He lowered his head as she approached, a disappointed angry look on her face.

  “Bad!” she exclaimed, shaking her finger at him.

  Faye pinched the bridge of her nose as she tried to stay calm. “Go to the porch, Wolfie.”

  Colin hung his head and whined. Faye raised her voice, “Porch. Now!”

  Colin froze as his wolf screamed, “Alpha”.

  Shock flooded his skinny frame. His wolf had recognized her as his alpha. What on earth? His father was his alpha! His wolf rolled, belly up, submitting to her. Faye stared pointedly at him then the porch, and he tucked tail and went.

  He sat down and tried to figure out what the hell had just happened. He had never heard of this happening to a fated couple before. While a female alpha wasn’t strange, it was strange for this blonde woman to be one.

  She was human.

  He inwardly smiled. It was going to make it ten times harder to ever deny her anything. His heart leaped at a sudden thought. If she commanded him to change, he would. He could never deny an alpha claim. And, apparently, since his wolf had recognized her as alpha, that was exactly what she was.

  He grinned, his tongue lolling out.

  His female alpha.

  Faye had little idea of the bizarre thoughts whirling through her adopted Wolfie’s mind. She cleaned up the bloody mess in the chicken coop and left the door open so the hens could get back inside later after they fed. At least she didn’t have to worry about feeding Wolfie breakfast now, she mused angrily.

  She shot another glance at the smiling wolf sitting on her porch. Its eyes were fixed on her, and she frowned. He could add bloody jowls to his list of disfigurements. Wolfie desperately needed a bath.

  Faye glanced at her watch and thought about work. She was definitely going to have to take the overgrown puppy with her. After his scene with the dearly departed, she didn’t want to risk leaving him alone. She might not have any chickens left when she got home. She had just enough time to give him a bath before it was time to leave.

  Still angry with him, she marched up to the porch and ignored his whines and attempts to get her to pet him. Holding the door open, she shooed him inside and hung up her jacket before Colin heard the fatal word.

  “Bath.”

  Immediately, his ears flattened against his head, and he parked his butt directly inside the door. No, nah-uh, she was not giving him a bath, he thought.

  Faye turned and looked at him and couldn’t stifle a giggle. Colin’s ears perked up at the sound, and he cocked his head at her.

  “You’re not getting out of this,” she said warningly. “You stink and you’ve got blood all over. I have to take you to work with me, and right now, you look like a zombie wolf. Bath time.”

  Colin whimpered pleadingly, and Faye gave him an evil grin. Next thing he knew, she had swooped him up in her arms. He yelped and struggled briefly before the feeling of being in her arms overruled everything else. He licked her cheek with joy when she giggled again.

  He remembered she was an evil woman when she deposited him in the bathtub and leveled him with a warning glare and an order to stay put while she started the water.

  Colin couldn’t help the whine that escaped his muzzle when the cold water touched his paws. He was comforted when her hand rested on his head and stroked it gently.

  “It’s alright,” she said softly. “I got ya, Wolfie.”

  The water temperature soon became warm, and Colin felt his muscles relax. When was the last time he had had a warm bath? He couldn’t even remember. Colin felt her hands massaging sweet-smelling stuff into his fur, and a long sigh left him.

  “See?” comforted Faye. “It’s not that bad!”

  Colin rested his head on her bent knee over the side of the tub and gazed up at her adoringly. Now this he could get used to!

  CHAPTER five

  Faye finished giving Wolfie a bath and was toweling him dry when her cellphone rang.

  “Hang on,” she instructed. “Don’t move.”

  She backed out of the bathroom, giving him a warning with her eyes that promised death if he dared move. Dashing to the nightstand, she grabbed her phone off the charger and answered, “Hello?”

  Colin shivered in the bathroom, whining softly when the blonde didn’t finish drying him. Holy hell! It was cold. He shifted so he was lying down on the soft blue rug by the tub and laid his nose on his paws forlornly.

  His ears perked up when she walked back into the bathroom, but he made sure she knew from his facial expression how disgruntled he was that she left him to freeze. She laughed at him but then grabbed the towel to finish drying him off.

  “That was my friend,” she murmured as she toweled his back. “She wants me to pick up an extra shift at the Crazy Moose tonight.”

  Colin huffed, not really paying attention as his eyes drifted close.

  Faye regarded his damp fur a moment with furrowed eyebrows before her eyes lit up with an idea.

  “Hold on, Wolfie,” said Faye. “Stay still!”

  Colin jumped when a loud noise right by his ear roared to life. With a startled yelp, he twisted and clawed at the door. “Easy!” yelled Faye. “It’s just a hair dryer. Calm down!”

  Colin looked warily at the red instrument of torture coming straight at him. He froze in surprise as he felt warm air blow over his fur, ruffling it.

  “See,” cooed Faye, kissing his nose. “That’s not too bad, is it?”

  Colin registered nothing else past her pressing her lips to his nose. His eyes drifted close as he relaxed, loving the feeling of her hands running through his fur.

  Faye finished drying him completely and got herself ready to go, stripping out of her clothes and grabbing a pair of jeans and a Henley to pair with her boots. She laughed when he covered his eyes with his paws.

  Colin groaned when she stripped in front of him and quickly plopped down on the floor and covered his eyes. He had a feeling she would shoot him if he ever did change, and she found out he had seen her naked. A few minutes later, he followed her out to her car and hopped into the passenger seat. He had ridden in a car before, but it had been a very long time.

  Thirty minutes later, they pulled to a stop behind a quaint little used bookstore called Heidi’s.

  Faye knelt down in front of Colin for a moment under the awning outside the employees’ entrance.

  “Please, please, be good for me, okay? I’ll get you some more food later so you don’t feel required to eat another one of my chickens,” she said.

  Colin hung his head as she mentioned chickens but gave her a lick on the cheek, promising to behave like a model dog. They entered the shop, Faye’s hand resting on Colin’s head and he walked protectively by her side.

  “Is that my favorite employee?” called a man’s voice.

  Faye hung up her coat on the hook by the door and answered with a laugh, “Yes, sir! I’m also your only employee.”

  Colin watched as a tall older man with a beard stepped into the back room. He instantly liked the bearded walking mountain but cocked his head as he looked at the man. This man was obviously not Heidi, so who was he? He didn’t look like he belonged in the tiny little bookshop with his beard, flannel shirt, and jeans.

  Colin sat by Faye’s feet and the man asked, “Faye, what’s this?”

  His eyes fixed on the wolf while Colin stared at the blonde. Her name was Faye. Beautiful, he mused.

  “Oh him?” asked Faye, patting the wolf affectionately. “This is Wolfie.”

  “He looks like he’s starving,” commented the man.

  “Yeah, Reggie,” said Faye with a frown as she rubbed the wolf’s ears. “Found him outside the cabin last night. Poor thing was about to freeze. So I took him in and fed him last night. Gave the big stinker a bath this morning.”

  “You invited a starving wolf into your ho
use?” asked Reggie incredulously. “Are you crazy, girl? This fella could’a bit your head off.”

  “Now you wouldn’t do that now, would you, Wolfie”?” cooed Faye as she knelt down to hug the wolf while grinning up at Reggie. “Look at him. He’s adorable.”

  Colin internally blushed at the way he must have looked staring up at Faye when she stood. But, to him, she was a goddess and her fingers touching his fur was euphoric. His eyes drooped as he leaned against her leg and his tail thumped on the linoleum floor.

  “He looks like a lil ‘ol puppy,” grunted Reggie as he leaned down and offered his fingers to the wolf to sniff.

  Colin complied, wanting to determine if the man was as harmless as he seemed despite his enormous size. But he edged away when Reggie tried to pet him. Reggie frowned as Faye looked smug.

  “What’d you do to ‘em?” asked Reggie, bewildered. “He won’t let me pet ‘em.”

  Faye shrugged, grinning. “Maybe he’s a one-woman wolf.”

  Colin laughed at her possessive gesture and shoved his head between her knees, his tongue lolling out as he grinned up at her.

  “He’s laughing at me,” said Reggie with a frown.

  Faye shrugged, her fingers still caressing his fur, and said, “Maybe he thinks you look funny.”

  “Hardy har har,” grunted Reggie. “Go get busy. Heidi is behind the counter making a fresh pot of coffee. Help yourself.”

  “Alright,” said Faye, grabbing her green apron off the hook. “See ya, Reggie.”