"You shouldn't be here. Where's your friend? I followed one scent but heard two voices. Stupid humans," he muttered as he looked around.
"You heard Pea?" Hannah asked, surprised.
Her entire life, she had been ridiculed for the voices and people she saw that others couldn't. It wasn't until she was older that her mother and Pea had taught her how to control it and how to protect herself in case others responded when she summoned them. That's why she used the circle. But no one other than her family had ever been able to hear the voices she heard before.
"Pea? Whatever. The older woman. Of course I heard her. I hear lots of things," he grinned and flashed amber wolf eyes at her.
"But she's..." Dead.
Hannah couldn't bring herself to say the word. She hoped this rude asshole of a gorgeous man would magically read her mind and leave her alone. Then she would hobble home once the throbbing in her ankle stopped.
"I don't have time for this. I should leave you here to learn your fate," he said huskily as his gaze briefly softened. "Many wolves wouldn't be as honorable towards a beautiful lost human such as yourself."
"I'm not lost!" Hannah replied, trying to stand again. "I know exactly how to get home." Her face flushed slightly as she realized he called her beautiful, but the pain in her ankle quickly brought her back.
"But you can't get home, can you?" he said softly as he stepped closer. Pulling his eyes from her, he looked at the ground and the stones beside her. "Witch," he muttered. "I should've known. The most arrogant and careless of all humans."
"I'm not careless. I wouldn't have tripped if you didn't sneak up on me."
"You don't know what exists in these woods. If you know what's good for you, you won't return."
He helped her onto her feet as if she weighed nothing. His touch sent a shock through her body that ended with a throbbing between her legs. Hannah didn't know what came over her, but she felt a yearning for him, like hunger but worse. Like if she didn't have him, she would starve.
He inhaled deeply, still supporting her. His eyes flashed yellow and he let out a low growl. "How? What witchcraft have you done?" he demanded as he breathed her in again.
"I…I just talked to my grandmother," she said, confused, her head swimming.
"I'll help you home. This is no place for you."
He stepped back as Hannah struggled to keep her balance. Before her eyes, his torso lengthened, fur sprouted from his skin, and his angelic face transformed into that of a wolf. Almost the size of a horse, Hannah realized how enormous he really was now that he was standing beside her. Amazed, she stood beside the wolf, not knowing what to do next.
The wolf grunted then lowered his head as he pushed between her legs, forcing her to slide onto his back. Understanding that he planned to carry her home, she wrapped her hands around the thick fur of his wide neck and held on tight.
"The small house at the edge of the woods. By the path," she whispered into his pointed, black and white fuzzy ear.
He sprung forward, leaping into the air, then raced along the grassy path she followed earlier. The cool air rushed past her, her heart beat wildly, and she felt like she couldn't breathe. She wanted to pinch herself to make sure this wasn't a dream, but she was too afraid to let go of his fur.
At the back of her mind she thought about him as the man helping her up, and all her lust came back to her. Pressing her face against his neck, she felt the wolf's muscles working beneath her as he made short work of the long path. Thinking about his muscles flexing and stretching when he walked earlier as a man, she let out a soft sigh. As if in reply, he growled ferociously, bringing her back to the trees racing past.
The wolf slowed down when they reached the edge of the forest. With her hands still clinging to the thick fur around his neck, Hannah sat up, her hair loosened from the ride, and pointed to the aqua clapboard cottage in the middle of the quiet street. The house was dark except for an electric candle in the oval window that faced the street. Hannah knew her mother had gone to bed long ago. She never stayed up the nights Hannah visited Pea.
As she slid off the wolf's back in front of her porch, she used the white wooden railing to steady herself, putting her weight on her good leg. The wolf shifted back to its human form and grabbed Hannah by the arm as he lowered his face to her level.
"Never again, you understand? Stay out of the forest," he growled.
She wanted to speak, to tell him she'd keep visiting Pea no matter what, but his intense gaze rendered her speechless. The warmth of his breath on her skin made her want to feel the heat of his naked body against hers. She felt wanton and lustful, two words she'd never use to describe herself, at least not until tonight.
His dark blue eyes flashed yellow. Quickly pulling her closer, his lips were on hers, his head tilted. As his tongue pushed into her mouth, she reached up to slip her fingers into his hair, hoping he wouldn't stop kissing her. As his silky scruff gently scratched her chin, she attempted to press herself against him.
"No!" he barked before turning away, his eyes still glowing. "Damn human temptress. Stay out of the woods!"
Before Hannah could say anything, he was gone. She stared at the forest, disappointed that he left so quickly. Wondering if he was watching her from the shadows, she silently cursed her ankle for keeping her homebound. She waited in the moonlight for a sign, some proof he was still there, but none came.
Giving up, she entered her home and hobbled over to the kitchen table where she removed her boots. A lock of her hair fell into her face, and she pushed it aside and over her ear like she always did. Wait a second, she thought. Moving her hand in front of her face again, she realized she smelled like him, a combination of the woods and fresh air mixed with his natural musk.
As she thought about him, she smiled. He might have been gruff, but she knew he was just trying to protect her. She couldn't explain it, but there was something about this man she found irresistible. Something more than just his incredible looks or amazing kiss. Removing her cloak, she happily realized it was covered with his scent. She carried it to the couch, draped it around her, and willed herself to dream about the rugged werewolf.
Chapter Three
"Hannah, wake up," Hannah's mom said as she shook her shoulder gently. "Go to bed. The couch is no place to sleep, it’s uncomfortable."
Hannah slowly opened her eyes as she tried to remember what had happened the night before. Did I dream that? Rubbing her eyes, she caught the werewolf's scent again and sat up. Her mother paced the room as she spoke, reminding Hannah of a caged animal as Eliza kept her steps within the confines of the faded floral throw rug. Hannah watched her, her hands punctuating her sentences as she rambled on about things Hannah didn't care about enough to listen to.
Glancing towards the picture window that faced the backyard, she wondered what time it was. The sky had the gentle glow of morning. She hated morning. And why was her mom already up?
It wasn't like her mother to wear the same thing twice in a row, but Hannah was sure those were the same sweats she wore when Hannah left to visit Pea the night before. Giving her mom a closer look, she also realized she had traces of makeup on. She never wore makeup unless she went out. To add to that was the nervous babble her mother did after every full moon for the past few years.
The pacing confused her, too. Hannah couldn't remember when that began, but it was long ago enough for her to find it endearing instead of worrisome. She wondered if it had to do with her visits to Pea, but she knew what would happen if she asked. As Hannah wrapped her cloak around her like a blanket, she tuned back in to her mother's yammering.
"Pea would've killed me if I slept on the couch. And what's on your cloak? Is that mud? Oh Hannah, can't you be a little more careful? Give it to me and I'll throw it in the wash."
"No! Just leave it alone," Hannah grumbled, then realized her mother was eyeballing her suspiciously. "I mean, I'll take care of washing it myself."
"Suit yourself. How was Pea? She solve
every problem you ever had?"
"Give it a rest, Mom. Why haven't you visited her? I'm sure she'd love to see you."
"Are you hungry? How about some pancakes?"
Hannah's mother always changed the subject whenever she was asked why she didn't visit Pea. Sometimes Hannah used it to her advantage, but this wasn't one of those times. Today she had something else on her mind.
"Mom, have you ever met a wolf?"
"A wolf? No, of course not. Why? Did you hear differently? Because you know how the townspeople like to gossip. They'll talk about anything. Even if it’s not true."
"I didn't hear anything. Relax," Hannah said, wondering why her mother was suddenly acting nervously. "I'm just curious. I mean we've lived here my entire life, I've heard you and Pea talk about them so I guess they're around, but I've never seen one."
"Well, you're not missing anything. They're wolves," Eliza said, shrugging. "Nothing more than oversized dogs. And they are dogs, trust me on that."
"Dogs are great. They're faithful, loving, and playful."
"Is that what this is about? You want a pet? We can get a goldfish or a hamster if you want."
"Will you stop?" Hannah said, exasperated. "I'm not five anymore. And the wolves are more than just dogs. They're people, too. But how is that? How is it possible? Maybe I've met a wolf before and didn't even know it."
"Oh, you'd know it," she said as she stopped pacing. "Now tell me what Pea said."
"Stop trying to change the subject, Mom. I'm allowed to be curious about the strange beings in our town."
"Well then, you're going to have to accept that I don't have all the answers. Werewolves keep to themselves, we keep to ourselves. It’s better that way. There are fables and folklore of course, but who knows what's true and what’s not? All I know is that they're horrible, selfish creatures. If you ever do meet one, just keep walking. It’s the best thing you can do."
Eliza wrung her hands together as she finished speaking. Hannah knew something was up, but she was too tired to probe further. With the cloak still wrapped around her, she kissed her mom on the cheek and smelled something familiar. Her mother smelled like fresh air, like a werewolf. That's not right, she thought.
"You just got home, didn't you?" she asked her mom. "Why would you hide that from me?"
"I didn't want you to worry. I was getting ready for bed when I noticed you were asleep on the couch."
"Where'd you go?"
"Oh, nowhere. Just met an old friend for drinks."
"And is this old friend a werewolf?"
"What? No! You don't know what you're talking about. And what if it was? But it's not," Eliza said nervously, studying her daughter's face. "And how would you know what a wolf smells like?"
Hannah wasn't ready for the tables to turn. She wanted to keep her encounter private for a little longer, especially from her mother, who would only give her grief.
"Just a lucky guess," she said, hoping her mother wanted to drop it as much as she did. "Pinky has told me about some things. That's all."
"Oh. Well, okay then. I'm going to bed and so should you. Goodnight, Hannah."
"Goodnight, Mom."
Chapter Four
Hannah couldn't stop thinking about the wolf. But if she was going to be honest, she couldn't stop thinking about the naked man. After convincing herself she'd still be obsessing about him even if he was dressed, she grew more curious about werewolves and wondered how she could find out more since her mother was of no help. She couldn't believe that after all these years of living in Leeds Point that she never thought to pay attention to anything out of the norm.
Thinking about her best friend, Hannah knew she was the best person to answer all of her questions. Pinky Smythe immersed herself in the offbeat history of their town and its ties to the occult. Not wanting to hear the horrors of how her ancestors were treated, Hannah purposefully kept herself ignorant.
Growing up in Leeds Point, Hannah was ridiculed and bullied for being part of a witch family. As a child, she figured the less she knew about anything supernatural, the more she would fit in. But now she needed to find out about this werewolf. Plus, if she didn't tell someone about him, she might explode.
Grabbing her cell phone, she pressed the call button beside her friend’s name. Pinky answered, the sound of children playing noticeable in the background.
"Hey girlie! I was just thinking about you!" Pinky said.
"You got a minute? I want to chat."
"What, Hannah? You still there?" Pinky asked loudly. "I can't hear you over the kids. If you can hear me, just come over."
Hannah hung up, slipped her phone into her jeans pocket, and put on a grey hoodie over her orange t-shirt before heading out the door. Pinky lived down the road in an old colonial that dated back to the seventeen hundreds. Part of the house was used as a nursery school while the rest of the home housed Pinky, her parents, and her much younger brother and sister.
Pinky's house was Hannah's home away from home. Most of the children in Leeds Point went to the Smythe's nursery school at one point or another, and Hannah and her mother weren't any different. The school was the oldest business in the small town.
Walking behind the pale yellow-shingled building, Hannah saw her friend surrounded by a group of small children while she read to them. Pinky was tall, slim, and a bit awkward. People always told her she should be a model, but she would reply that she'd rather have a root canal than be a walking mannequin. Pinky knew when people were just trying to be polite and didn't have the patience for it.
Wearing her usual dark pink high top Converse, jeans, and a loose fitting plum t-shirt, Pinky tightened her royal blue ponytail while she read one of the children's favorite fairy tales. Pinky looked up, pushed her square plastic-framed glasses up her nose a bit, and waved at Hannah without skipping a beat in the story. Hannah sat cross-legged on the ground next to the kids until the story was over and they ran to the jungle gym, leaving her and Pinky behind.
"Did you see Pea last night? How's she doing?"
"Same as always."
"Bitch to you about your hair?" Pinky asked as she picked up after the kids.
"Yup! Like I said, same as always," Hannah said, grinning, thankful death hadn't changed her grandmother.
"I'm telling you there's a reason for it. I'm sure of it. Why else would she make a big deal about your hair?"
"Well, not everyone is as easygoing as your parents. I'm still surprised they never say anything about your hair. I see you have a new color of the week already," Hannah teased. "Seriously though, Pea's just nuts and you're superstitious. Speaking of, I need to talk to you about something."
"Is something wrong? You never say that. We just always talk."
"It’s just that I know you're into all this weird stuff, like the history of Leeds Point and the strange stuff you hear about in town. You know, like occult stuff."
Pinky laughed. "'Occult stuff', says the witch who visits her dead grandmother every full moon," she teased.
"Yeah, yeah, I get it. And I know it’s crazy that I never paid attention to anything, but I think I've always been so accustomed to my own weirdness and having to deal with that, that I never paid attention to the other strange stuff that's around us."
"Just spill it, Hannah. What are you getting at? And why are you acting so weird?"
"I met a guy last night," Hannah said hesitantly, unable to believe what she was about to say. "Except he wasn't really a guy."
Pinky leaned forward, ready to jump out of her seat from excitement. "What was he? A ghost? A vampire? I haven't heard of any of them around, but there's always a first."
"A werewolf."
"Oooh, shifters are so hot! I think the wolves are the best personally, but I definitely wouldn't turn down a bear, or even a lion."
"There are were-bears and were-lions too? And you've met some? Why didn't you tell me?"
"Jeez, Hannah. You never wanted to hear about anything supernatural before so I just
kept my mouth shut. I think Leeds Point is some kind of vortex and all these beings are attracted to coming here. I mean, I don't think there are that many shifters around, there are territories, you know. But we've got a decent selection of them. Remember that guy Louis that I was crazy about? He was a were-lion."
"Get out! I had no idea! Is that why you never let us meet?"
"Yeah, he was very open about it, and I know how you are, you like your bubble. There's even a bar that caters to shifters called Night Shift. But please, tell me about the wolf you met. I'm dying to hear everything! What's his name?"
Hannah blinked. How could she not know his name? And he knew where she lived. What was wrong with her?
"Crap, Pinky. I don't know his name. It's not like you think anyway. He was pissed I was in the woods. Said it was dangerous for me." Hannah rolled her eyes.
"But? Come on, I know there's a but."
"But I can't stop thinking about him or his kiss! He was perfect. Like one of those Greek statues. Except with a bigger package."
"You saw his..." Pinky asked, her eyes wide.
"He shifted from wolf to human, so yeah."
"Wow. And he didn't try to cover up?"
Hannah shook her head. "My mom and Pea always warned me about them. I'll be honest, I didn't think they existed. I thought it was just another crazy superstition of theirs. But I don't know what it is. I can't get him out of my mind. And he smelled so good, too! I need to see him again. I'd go back in the forest, but with the new moon approaching, it'll be too dark. I guess I'll have to wait."
"Fuck that, I'll take you to Night Shift. I know the bouncer and he'll let us in. Wolf night is Thursdays. I say we go and maybe if we're lucky, your wolf will be there. I know that's a few days away, but it beats waiting for weeks."
Hannah nodded. It wasn't like her to hang out at bars, especially to look for a guy. But this wasn't just any guy. She had to see this man again. And she was damn sure she was going to get his name this time.
The Crane Curse Series Complete Boxed Set (Shape Shifter Romance) Page 2