by Beverly Rae
She waited for him to chuckle and say he was pulling her leg. An idea, a way to disprove all this nonsense, came to her. “Then why haven’t I ever seen anyone change into a wolf? Why haven’t I ever noticed anything odd?”
“First of all, we aren’t odd, not then, not now. You’ve never been aware of our gift because our blood has been diluted with human blood for many years. Most of us have lost the ability to transform.”
She grasped at another straw. “So we don’t have enough of this so-called shifter blood in us to do us any harm?”
“Harm? To shift is a gift, not something harmful, but your great-great-grandfather was the last one in our family who had the ability.”
“Did you ever see him change?”
“It’s called shifting. And no, I never did.”
“Then you don’t know if this is for real and not merely a family legend, do you?”
Gramps took her hands. “Rumors are often filled with more truth than fiction. I know if you’ll search your heart, you’ll realize I’m telling you the facts. Besides, some of my poker buddies can still shift. And them I’ve seen.”
Could her grandfather and all his friends be delusional? Was this a form of old age dementia? Tala studied her grandfather’s earnest expression and knew he had all his mental capacities intact. Unless… “Gramps, doesn’t Luther use medicinal marijuana for his glaucoma?”
His laughter echoed around the small room. “So you think we’re just a bunch of old farts getting high and imagining we’re shifters?”
“Well…” Leave it to Gramps to put her in her place. “At least that would make more sense. This is just so unbelievable.”
His laughter died down and he hugged her, comforting her as he’d done all her life. “You’ve got shifter blood in you, Cookie. If you can’t take my word, then look inside yourself for confirmation. You’ll instinctively know it and be able to feel it. You’ll sense your true self. Be proud of your heritage, Cookie.”
When she sighed, he narrowed his eyes, zeroing in on her. “Now I’ve got a question or two. What brought all this up? Have you howled at the moon lately?”
ƒ
Devlin still wasn’t at the apartment when Tala got home. She’d hoped he’d be there waiting for her. After all, she hadn’t told him to get lost or anything. Not permanently, anyway.
She flopped onto the couch. What the hell is happening to me? Everything changed that night at the club. Could I have conked my head too hard when I fell? But I didn’t fall down. I crouched down. Like a four-legged animal. Like a wolf. Damn it all to hell and back, I howled. Her grandfather’s words echoed back to her. “Have you howled at the moon lately?”
The only other explanation was even harder to believe. Had she actually summoned her mate? How ridiculous! The urge to scream again crawled up her throat, but she fought it down. I wish I could forget everything Gramps said and somehow keep from getting pulled into Devlin’s fantasy.
But what if his fantasy is true? What if werewolves—shifters—really exist? She tracked her fingers through her hair and paced over to the desk where her computer rested. Do I really want to know? She eyed the screensaver depicting a pack of wolves, her hand poised over the mouse. I’d be better off knowing the truth, right?
Slipping into the chair, she steeled her nerves and typed key words into the search criteria. “Here goes nothing.” A quick bark of a laugh escaped her. “Or everything.”
After an hour of scanning the many websites about lycanthropes, she leaned back in her chair, more confused than ever. Depending on which website she clicked on, Devlin and her grandfather were either making the whole shifter thing up—no way would Gramps lie to her—or they really were real werewolves. Or they were just plain insane.
Could Devlin be mentally ill? After all, he’d spied on her and slept on her balcony. Not to mention his little break-in at her clinic. She had to admit his actions weren’t exactly average, everyday kind of things to do. Still, her heart wouldn’t let her mind accept the insanity explanation.
Some people truly believe they’re werewolves. Like Devlin does. Like Gramps does.
Like I do.
Unable to stand the images and facts any longer—much less her errant thoughts—she clicked on the mouse and shut down all the websites. But if they—we’re—not crazy, then how do I explain what I saw? Did I really see Devlin change? She closed her eyes, picturing Devlin as he’d reacted to the smell of George’s aftershave.
I saw fangs. Not teeth. Honest-to-God, sharp-as-a-knife fangs.
Another image of Devlin came, his head shaped differently, grabbing George and coming to the she-wolf’s rescue. He’d shifted then, too. She’d dismissed what she’d seen at the time, but could she now?
Shaking her head, she crossed over to stand in front of the mirror. She stared at her image and smiled, stretching her lips to expose her teeth. But they looked like normal, non-lethal teeth. Hooking her thumbs on either side of her mouth, she pulled on her upper lip. Shape? Normal. Color? Normal. Length? Normal. Nothing canine-like.
She chuckled. I’m not insane. I’m just acting stupid. Rubbing a hand over her neck, she shook her head and dropped her gaze to the table below.
A pure silver bracelet rested in a crystal bowl. Tala fingered the bracelet, moving it around, studying its shiny surface. Silver had always made her vaguely ill. The more silver the object contained, the more ill she became. So if a silver bullet could kill a werewolf, then could a little silver make one sick? Even one with diluted shifter blood?
The absurdity of her question hit her and she whirled around, striding out on the balcony—and away from the bracelet. But she couldn’t run from the whisper in her mind. It’s better to know.
Above her the moon glowed, a brilliant white orb against the dark sky. Glancing around, she checked to make certain no one else was near. What she was about to do was ridiculous and she didn’t want an audience. A shiver of anticipation zipped through her as she cleared her throat, lifted her chin toward the sky—and howled.
Her first attempt was weak and breathy. Hell, I sound more like a sick hyena than a wolf baying at the moon. Pitiful, Tala. Really pitiful. Setting her feet apart, she fisted her hands on her hips, circled her neck to loosen the muscles, and let out a longer, stronger call. Better. A third, more forceful cry followed, this one surprising her. The sound of her last howl carried on the wind, echoing through the air.
Wow. Not bad.
“Mommy, there’s a doggy upstairs.”
Tala jolted, clamped a hand over her mouth and slinked over to the glass doors.
“No playing with imaginary pets right now, sweetie.”
Please don’t let Caroline come outside. Tala pressed against the glass, trying to get as close as possible to the building. And definitely not Bobby Lee with his shotgun.
“But Mommy. The doggy’s crying.”
“Good grief, Tracy. First a monkey and now a doggie. You know people can’t have pets in our building. Close the patio door and come back inside.”
After hearing the door slam shut, Tala moved as quietly as possible—like a wolf?— and slipped inside her apartment. Once safely on the couch, she clutched her tummy and burst into a fit of giggles. Baying at the moon is definitely not my thing.
Relieved, she flicked on the television to her favorite classic movie channel. The horror film The Wolf Man appeared just as the monster began morphing from man to animal. Staring at the transformation, Tala scrutinized the way his body changed in bone structure and appearance. Granted, it’s a movie, but maybe…
The Wolf Man’s face bent and contorted. He jutted out his chin and the length of his jaw expanded. Thrusting her own chin forward, she tried to imagine the pain of such a transformation. No wonder they always make a lot of noise.
The Wolf Man hunched over as his clothes shredded across his back and shortened on his arms. Without thinking, she slipped off the couch and crawled over to the television.
Tala copied his con
version step by step. When he wrenched a body part one way, she tried to do the same. When he rumbled one of his growls, she mimicked it with one of her own. Concentrating, she envisioned coarse hair sprouting all over her body, claws striking out from the tips of her fingernails, and ears growing to fur-tipped triangles on her head.
“Grrrr.” Tala let the sound roll from the back of her throat and over her tongue. She shook her head when he shook his, ready to feel his anguish when he cried into the night sky. She bared her teeth and could almost, just almost, feel the tips of fangs on her lower lip. Could she be changing?
“Having fun?”
Tala shrieked, pushed up from the floor, stumbled, and landed on her bottom. “Damn it all to hell and back!” She glared at Devlin, too embarrassed to think what to do next.
Devlin’s gaze skimmed from her to the television and around to her again. “Are you trying to do what I think you’re trying to do?” A wide smirk covered his face and a twinkle came to his eye.
Tala scrambled to her feet. Who did he think he was, making fun of her? “I’m just watching a movie.” When she saw his raised eyebrows, she hurried on. “And exercising.”
One eyebrow cocked a bit higher, relaying his disbelief. “Ri-ight. Exercising.” The bemused expression matched his growing smirk.
Tala tugged at her disheveled shirt and mentally dug in her heels. “It’s a new fitness trend sweeping the nation.”
“Really?”
She glared at him, miffed by his smugness. “Yeah. Really.”
“And what do you call this new workout? Abs of Steel for the Alpha Wolf? Pilates for Predators? Tae Bo for Timber Wolves?”
Okay, so the guy is funny. She stammered, searching her brain for any title halfway plausible. “Um, it’s called Maniacal Yoga.” Oh, shit. That name sucks.
Devlin laughed and crossed his arms over his wide chest. “Hmm. Kind of a weird name, don’t ya think? Even weirder than my guesses.”
Unable to stand his you-are-so-full-of-shit stare, Tala huffed at him and strode into the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator door and took her time scanning the contents. Not that she actually wanted food. She just needed time to cool down. “I didn’t pick the name, you know.”
“Of course not. But you know, from the way you were moving your body and all, I’d swear you were trying to shift.”
The cold can of soda she’d pick up slipped through her fingers, but she caught it halfway to the floor. She gawked at the can in her hand. How the hell? Since when had her reflexes gotten so fast? Keeping her face turned from him, she worked to keep her voice even. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“So you weren’t trying to shift?”
She popped the top and took a drink, forcing the liquid past her closed-up throat and down to the bubbling pit in her stomach. “Of course not.”
“Good. Because if you ever wanted to shift, it would look like this.”
Chapter Nine
Devlin allowed the animal part of him to rise to the surface. Sweet release erupted along with the pain that always accompanied a full transformation. Keeping his eyes on Tala, he willed her to face him. The smell of her apprehension drifted to him, saddening him. Above all else, he didn’t want her to fear him.
Stripping off his clothes, he let the change continue. Still, she kept her back to him. “Tala, you have to watch to understand. Watch me. Now.” Although spoken in a whisper, his command took hold and she pivoted slowly to face him.
The shock on her face made his heart ache for her. Her eyes, wide and staring like a deer caught in a hunter’s scope, scanned him up and down. But he kept on shifting.
“It’s okay, Tala.” Years of practice had taught him how to speak even while his fangs sharpened and his skull shape morphed. “I’m still Devlin. No matter what form my body is in.” Claws grew on both feet and hands and he held up one hand for her inspection.
She struggled to speak, but nothing came out. Leaning against the refrigerator door, she shook her head and gaped.
He stretched, getting used to his other body structure, and she jumped. “I would never hurt you, Tala. Never.”
Within seconds, Devlin dropped to all fours, standing before Tala as a large black wolf. A rumble echoed from his chest, the need to howl rushing through him, but he kept his urge under control. Instead, he did something he never expected he would ever do. Dipping his head in a low bow, he offered himself to her.
To pet.
His love for her lanced through his heart and he realized the extent of his emotion. Was this what love did to a person? Here he was, Devlin Cannon, alpha male, bowing to a female. Yet he knew he’d do anything for her to understand and not fear him. Even bow.
With his head lowered, he couldn’t see Tala’s reaction. He took shallow breaths, trying to make little-to-no sound, afraid he might frighten her more.
When her hand touched the top of his head, he let out a long sigh, releasing his apprehension. He remained motionless, not wanting to scare her from touching him more, and was rewarded when her fingers bent, catching a bit of his fur. She moaned, running her hand down the length of his neck, holding his neck and his hope in her palm. Still stroking him, she petted him as she would a beloved dog.
Devlin raised his head and smiled a wolfish smile. “See? I won’t bite you again.” His smile widened, a mischievous idea zipping through his mind. “Not unless you want me to.”
Tala gazed at him, her eyes meeting his. At long last, she blew out a puff of air that loosened up her whole body. “I…I don’t believe this.”
“Why not? You saw me shift. You see me now. What more can I do to convince you?” He rose, reaching out to her, claws retracted, to place his paws on her shoulders. She, however, wasn’t ready for closeness and yelped, slipping away from him. Trying not to let his disappointment show, he followed her.
“So everything you told me is the truth.”
Although her words seemed more like a statement of fact than a question, Devlin answered. “Believe what you see.” He studied her, sizing her up. Was she ready for all the facts?
Tala slanted her head and continued to scrutinize him. At least she appeared calmer than before, even though those icy blue eyes had yet to blink. “And you can speak.”
“Shifters aren’t dogs. We’re people, which means we still remember how to talk like people.”
“But I’d think just the physiology of it would make speaking—”
“Stop it. Stop thinking like a vet and believe what you’re hearing.” Surely she’d believe him now. “Tala, I haven’t told you everything.”
Anger flashed in her eyes and he smiled. Ah, there’s the feisty female I know and love. “Hold on. I couldn’t tell you before. You’d have freaked out worse than you did just now.”
She considered his explanation and accepted it with a curt nod. “Go on, then. Tell me everything now.” Her sarcastic laugh bit at him. “But damn it all to hell and back, what more can there be?”
“I tried to tell you before. I came to the city to find my mate. You’re my mate.”
At last Tala blinked, as though he’d surprised her with a snake thrust at her nose. “But why me?” She scanned his body, her forehead creasing in dismay.
How could she not believe him? After everything she’d seen, how could being his mate prove to be the most unbelievable part? “I haven’t misled you, have I?”
She shook her head, but looked unconvinced. “But how can I be your mate? I’m human.”
He’d opened his mouth to explain how he could change her, make her lycan, when she gasped and clamped a hand over her mouth.
“What, Tala? What’s wrong?”
Excitement and a little bit of fear sparkled in her eyes. “My grandfather.”
Huh? Her grandfather? “What about him?”
Lacing the fingers of her hands behind her head, she crossed to sit down on the couch. “My grandfather is a retired zoologist. When you made those wild claims about being a werewolf—”
> “Shifter.”
“Shifter. I went to see him, to get his opinion and to ask him about the family story he used to tell me.”
Tired of trying to maintain an upright position, Devlin dropped to the floor and rubbed up beside her. “Yeah? Go on.”
“He said I have shifter blood in me. Diluted through generations of marriages to humans—which is why I don’t change—but I have shifter blood, nonetheless.”
Rising to place his forepaws beside her on the couch, he issued a low satisfied growl. “I thought you might. Otherwise, I don’t think I’d have heard your call. Nor do I think we would’ve connected so quickly.” He gave her a wolfish grin. “If you hadn’t instinctively known about yourself, about us, I’d have never made it inside your home.”
Tears sprang to her eyes. “Oh, shit, Devlin. Oh, shit. It’s all really true.” She paused, then swallowed hard. “The dreams.”
Was she talking about his dreams of her? But how would she know? “What dreams?”
But she refused to tell him, shaking her head. Perhaps later… Right now he needed to take her in his arms to comfort her, to comfort him. Wanting her body next to his, he began the change back to human.
This time, she watched him closely. Mesmerized, she stood, unmoving, her eyes taking in every change, every detail of the process until he stood before her, naked and ready.
“Uh, Devlin?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you always get an erection when you transform?”
Of all of the questions she could have asked, he hadn’t expected that one. Glancing down, he laughed and shook his head. “No and thank goodness. Having a hard-on every time I shifted would cause major complications. And quite a few stares. Even if I say so myself.” He chuckled, hoping for one in return. But she acted as though she hadn’t even understood his joke.
“So the big bad black wolf is what you always look like?”
Bad? Was she kidding? He frowned at her, unsure of what answer he should give. He opted for humor again. “Only when I’m around beautiful blondes like you and Goldilocks.”