by Jessica Lee
“You’re right. I was with Taylor.” Her eyelids lowered. “Why didn’t I see you? Were you hiding?”
He held her gaze, slowly inching her closer by a tug to her hand until they were face to face. “You saw me, Liv,” he whispered and tilted his head. “Think about it. Somewhere inside your mind…you knew it was me.” Her pupils dilated, lips parted on a soft gasp.
“No,” she breathed and jerked back. But Eion wasn’t about to let her run from the truth. They’d come too far.
“No, what?”
She cast her gaze to his bare chest. “The only thing there with us were the cattle and the—”
“The wolf?”
Liv swung her head up, mouth ajar. “How did you know that?” she snapped.
“I thought I could handle it,” Eion said, his voice hoarse. “But the sound of your voice after he kissed you…” A growl low in his throat bubbled up. Liv’s eyes widened. “For a moment there, I wanted to tear his throat out.”
“What are you saying?” her voice quivered. “Please tell me you’re not trying to make me believe that the wolf was…”
“It was me.” Eion reached over with his free hand and lifted her chin with his thumb and forefinger, holding her gaze. “I’m a shifter, Liv. My other form is a wolf.”
“No, no, no, no.” She shook her head, tearing herself free from his hold. “That’s not possible.”
“I’m telling you the truth.”
She tugged on his hand.
“All my people are shifters.”
“Let me go,” she demanded, green eyes flashing. Liv pulled once more, and this time he released her fingers. She shuffled back, putting some distance between them. That was at least something—she hadn’t run screaming.
“I’m telling you this,” he began, being sure to keep his voice as steady as the pain and exhaustion would allow. He didn’t want her any more scared than she already was. “Because for me to heal the gunshot wound I’m going to need to shift back into my wolf form for a few moments.”
Her eyebrows spiked. “You’re not serious?” The question came out as a gasp.
“I have to. It’s the only way to get the bullet to dislodge and to mend the torn tissue.”
A cocky grin formed on her mouth. “You are so jerking my chain, Eion Mandrake.” She whipped her head from side to side. “Is this some kind of practical joke like you and Kris used to play on me?” She jumped to her feet.
“Liv,” he called out, trying to stop the train of logical explanations she was determined to hop on and ride.
“Oh, I know—Scare Tactics!” Liv pulled her hair back with both hands and she whirled around as if searching every corner of the room for hidden cameras.
“Liv!” He tried again.
“Come on, Eion.”
She swayed to a stop, staring down at him.
“I’m not playing.” He didn’t flinch from her intense inspection.
“I’m not that gullible or ignorant. I do have a degree in veterinary medicine, if you remember.” Her hands went to her hips. “What you’re saying isn’t possible.”
“Possible or not,” he cocked his head, “I’m about to show you before I lose any more blood and I’m not strong enough to make the shift.” Eion reached over his head and gripped the edge of the counter for leverage, righting himself. Liv’s hands fell away from their perch at her sides. “What you’re about to see, you cannot under any circumstances tell anyone. It’s not just for my life that I’m asking, but for the sake of all my people.” A tremor raced over his flesh and he couldn’t stop the shakes setting up deep in his arms and legs. Damn. He was getting weaker. But he had to make sure she understood the consequences before he went any further. “If this information got out it would be a witch-hunt. Humans outnumber us by the millions, and they would hunt us down for either scientific experimentation or until our entire race was extinct.”
“You’re really serious about this…”
“Dead serious.”
Her gaze lowered to the bloodstains from his injury that covered her open palms.
“I’m not a freaking werewolf,” Eion said. She jerked her head up, how did you know written in her expression. “This isn’t an episode of Being Human where my scratch or bite is going to turn you into a monster during the next full moon. That’s a whole different lore. You don’t need to worry about touching me. One is born a shifter. Not made.”
Liv latched onto the back of a nearby chair, her knuckles white. “Okay,” she breathed.
“One last thing. Please remember—whatever you see—I’m not going to hurt you.” He leaned forward, making sure they made eye contact. “You got that?”
She gave him a sharp nod.
Eion leaned back. “There’s so much we need to talk about when I am finished, and I can focus.”
Liv released a short bark of a laugh. “You mean there’s more you haven’t told me beyond the fact that you claim you’re a wolf in human clothing?”
“Believe it or not.” He gave his best shot at a quirky grin, but based on the energy that it took he wasn’t sure he pulled it off. Eion closed his eyes. “Just need to gather my strength.” He reached for the image of his wolf in his mind’s eye. “Please don’t go,” he whispered, hoping like hell that once she saw the real him, the one that humans believed only existed between the pages of a horror novel or on their DVDs, she wouldn’t hate him.
Hate him for the lies.
For the years of denying her the whole truth.
The change rolled over him like a burning hot wave of electricity. Eion’s mouth fell open in a silent scream. The tendons, nerves, and muscles rebelled, but finally gave in to the driving force of the mutation. Fuck. He’d almost waited too long.
Eion flopped over onto his side, his gaze falling onto black paws instead of his human hands. The clatter of a chair striking the floor jerked his head up. In her rush to reverse her step, she’d toppled the hard-back.
“Oh. My. God.” She stared back him, the right half of her body tucked behind the wall separating the den from the kitchen.
He released a whimper and dropped his head. The best he could hope for as a response under the circumstances.
“It really was you…”
From his spot on the floor, he watched as she crept forward from behind the wall.
“Dear God. You weren’t lying.” Slowly, she lowered into a crouch beside him. “I’m not sure if you can understand me or not. God,” she rolled her eyes, “this feels so crazy.” Her gaze lowered back to him. “But if you can, may I see your leg?”
On another slight whimper, he slid his injured hindquarter over in her direction.
“Holy Mother of…” Flicking her gaze between his eyes and the leg he’d moved, her jaw dropped. “You can understand me.” Liv glanced down at where the bullet had entered, tenderly pushing back his fur. “The bleeding has stopped. Damn. If I didn’t know any better, I would swear this was at least a week or more into its healing process.” She looked over toward his muzzle again. “Incredible.”
Eion squirmed, putting a few more inches between them. He had to change now. Breathing deep through his nostrils, he called for his human form. Again, heat flashed through his body. His arms and legs stretched, bones straightening, hips snapping back into alignment. He cried out as the tissues in his legs welled up, rejected the foreign body, and spat the metallic slug out.
Lethargy weighed down his lashes like the heavy belly of a submarine too deep to come up for air. But he had to. He had to see if Liv was still with him. See the look in her eyes. Would fear, hate, or horror be waiting for him there? He licked the dry surface of his lips and tugged hard on his eyelids. Light hit his retinas through the thin slit.
“Eion?” Liv’s voice sliced through the fog in his brain. He blinked, searching for her face. “Wow.” Then she was there, dark hair fanning her heart-shaped face. Her gaze raked him from head to foot, slowing over the now healed scar above his knee right before settling over the flaccid length lyi
ng on his thigh. “Impressive,” she whispered.
Fucking hell. If he didn’t feel like shit, he’d be so damn aroused right now. “Whatever that compliment is for, I’ll take it,” he managed to whisper, his voice sounding like it had passed over a cheese grater.
Liv yanked her head away, facing him, cheeks pink. He loved that about his beautiful human. “I-I don’t even know what to say.”
“It’s okay,” he whispered. “Don’t say anything right now. Not to anyone, please.” He closed his eyes, unable to resist. Moments later, something warm covered his body. Gentle hands lifted his head and lowered it back onto what had to be a pillow. “Liv,” he muttered. “Need…to talk…” He lifted his lashes, trying once more to bring her into focus. Darkness crawled in around the edges of his vision, blotting out her face with its inky fingers until nothing remained but the night.
Chapter Fifteen
Olivia breathed deep, tamping down the granola bar she’d managed to eat earlier that evening, and painted on her best smile. Josie waved from across the room, skirted between a couple of tables, and shimmied around the small dance floor, making her way over to Olivia and Taylor.
“And here they are now,” she stated, beaming. Dear God, this was so sweet of her friend, yet she’d rather be anywhere but here tonight. Taylor squeezed Olivia’s hand and tugged her further into The Dry Well. Josie pulled Olivia in for a quick hug. She leaned back and glanced over to Taylor, cherry-colored lipstick glistening on her lips, making her teeth appear sparkly white. “We’re going to have so much fun tonight.” She spun, grabbing Olivia’s free hand, and towed them deeper into the saloon. “Come on!”
Two tables were wedged together for the evening’s partygoers. Kris, already perched at one end, tossed back a dark draft. He spotted them weaving their way over and lifted his mug in salute. Her brother appeared happy to be out of the house, hanging out with some of his friends like a normal person.
Except nothing about her life would ever be normal again.
Taylor maneuvered them to the opposite end of the table from Kris. Kris rose and hobbled over to join them. He dropped down in the chair beside Olivia.
“You look like you’re having a good time,” she said, once her brother had settled.
“Oh, yeah. I needed a break outta that house for something other than a damn doctor’s appointment.”
“Here you go.” Taylor set Kris’s beer down in front of him. “Didn’t want you to have to get back up for it.”
“Thanks, man.” Kris glanced up and gave Taylor a quick nod. He swung his gaze back to Olivia. “You look awesome tonight, Sis.”
Olivia looked down, giving the ruby form-fitting dress with its low scooped neckline a once over. She cocked her head up at her brother and batted her eyelashes. “Why thank you, big brother. That’s very nice of you to say.”
He smirked. “I rarely see you all dressed up like a girl. I’m sure Taylor is very much appreciating the reminder.” Kris lifted his beer in Taylor’s general direction behind them. “Am I right, Doc?”
“Kris!” Her cheeks warmed.
Taylor nodded and grinned. “I’m totally appreciating. But if you two don’t mind, I’m going to head over there for a game or two.” Leaning in, Taylor gave Olivia a quick peck on the forehead.
“Of course not.” Olivia looked up and over her shoulder. “Tonight’s about having some fun.” She smiled. “Enjoy yourself.”
Taylor cupped her cheek. “I love you,” he stated and slipped away.
Tension coiled inside her. She did love him as well. He was kind, a brilliant doctor, gentle…oh, and let’s not forget human. Olivia rolled her eyes. Since when did a woman have to add that to the list of what she preferred in a man? She groaned. They needed to finish their discussion from the previous night, but this wasn’t the right time to get into it with Taylor on why they shouldn’t be together. And after what she’d seen at Eion’s, she hadn’t wanted to face anyone.
“Did you say something?” Kris leaned closer.
“No.” She shook her head. “Just clearing my throat.” She covered her mouth and forced a cough for effect. Olivia closed her eyes and the image of Eion sprawled on the floor post-shift zoomed to the forefront of her mind. His hair, damp with sweat, had clung to the sides of his face. The dark shadow of a beard had roughened the outline of his jaw. He’d stared up at her from the linoleum, a primitive, feral gleam in his hazel eyes. Every ounce of the wild beast that bunched beneath his flesh had been trained on her, raking her with his gaze. Her breasts tingled, and she moaned. Dammit. Was safe what she really wanted?
“You sure you’re okay?” Kris brushed her arm, and she jerked. “Want me to get you a drink?”
“Oh, I’m fine. I’ll get a beer in a sec.” She nodded, and pulled her purse free from where she’d hung it on the back of the chair. “Want to check my messages first.” Liv plopped her bag on the table, reached in, and plucked her smart phone from its pouch. The display read four missed calls and two messages. All from Eion. Her stomach twisted back into the knot she’d battled all day. From the couple of conversations she and Kris had shared that afternoon about the ranch, she learned that Eion had shown up for work that morning as if nothing had happened. Incredible. For more reasons than one. She’d made sure she was up and off to the clinic to avoid a potential encounter.
He’d tried to call several times throughout the day, but Liv was nowhere near ready to talk.
Eion Mandrake…a shifter.
She’d watched him turn into a damn wolf right before her eyes.
He’s a wolf. The very thought still made her kind of lightheaded. The man she’d been hung up on ever since junior high, the man who had ignited a flame inside her that she’d long since thought impossible to spark wasn’t even human.
Olivia flung the phone back into her purse. God only knew what else he’d been hiding all these years. He’d seemed so adamant about needing to talk to her before he’d lost consciousness, but learning that lycanthropy was more than a myth, and that Eion was living proof, was about all her brain could handle.
My God. Could he be responsible for the attack on their herd? The thought flashed through her brain. He’d stated that not just him, but his people were wolf shifters. Why hadn’t it occurred to her before now? Maybe because prior to last night, she couldn’t imagine him capable, but that was before she’d learned how little she really knew about Eion. Olivia reached up, her hand going for her sternum and the pain swelling behind the bone. Her pulse raced with the implications. How could he do that to them? To her? Her throat tightened and tears welled.
Stop it. Stop it. You don’t know that for sure.
“Before I get started in a game, I thought you might like something to drink.” A bottle of beer appeared on the table in front of her, yanking her back into the moment. She looked up and found Taylor had returned. “You okay? You look preoccupied or worried.”
“Worried?” She called on her vocal chords to make their most convincing performance. An innocent voice that said she didn’t have a care in the world at the moment. “Nah.” She shook her head. “Thanks for the drink.” Olivia clasped the cool thick glass, lifted, and downed a large gulp, enjoying the chilled burn of the alcohol down her esophagus. God, she needed a buzz.
“I know you wanted us to continue what we started last night.” Taylor’s lips formed a grim line. “Is that what’s on your mind?”
“No.” She shook her head once more. “Tonight’s about a celebration.” Olivia forced a smile. “We can talk later.”
“Okay, then.” He straightened. “I’m going to head back over.” He pointed to the throng of people who’d gathered around the pool tables. “When you’re ready, come join us.”
She tugged her mouth into a smile. “Sure thing. I’ll be over in a few.”
Taylor strode from the table toward their friends, clearing her view of the saloon and the bar. Business had picked up in the last half-hour. Several couples and a few men out for drinks
with the guys occupied more of the tables. Olivia lifted her gaze to the bar area, taking in the rugged looking cowboys who were downing shots of whiskey and tequila. A familiar set of wide shoulders draped in black drew her perusal to a stop. The man had sidled up to the oak and brass bar with his back to her, but it didn’t matter, she’d know him anywhere. Her arm fell, and her glass hit the table with a clink.
Damn. She dropped her attention to her wine, worried she’d broken the stem. The zinfandel sloshed back and forth but the glass remained in one piece. Olivia swung her gaze back up, and it collided with Eion’s penetrating stare. A shiver raced down her spine, and she shuddered. Why in the hell would he show up here? She looked away, doing her best to focus on the laughter coming from the area where Taylor had gathered with the others.
Out of the corner of her eye, the lights dimmed over the dance floor. The smooth tones of Simply Red’s version of If You Don’t Know Me By Now spilled from the stereo system.
A wide hand appeared in her line of sight. “May I have this dance?” She sat back, tilting her head up and into the face that had plagued her dreams for twelve years. Dressed in a black button-down shirt and jeans, he wore his midnight hair loose with two thin braids at the temples. Eion’s hazel eyes sparkled beneath long sooty lashes. Her stomach flip-flopped, sending a sudden onset of weakness to the muscles in her thighs. Jeez, was she fourteen again?
Less than twenty-four hours ago she’d witnessed the “man” performing the impossible before her eyes and swearing her to secrecy. But tonight, him asking her to dance, looking down at her with that sexy grin as if everything was normal had transported her back in time to the days of her schoolgirl crush.
Desperate for someone to help her find the strength to say no, she flung her gaze to Kris.
He shrugged. “It’s up to you. If you want to dance with him…dance.” A lot of damn help he was. He looked over toward the bar then back at Olivia. “I think I see a couple of guys I know. I’m going to go see if I can’t get someone to haul me another beer or two back over here.” He snagged his crutches and shoved from the table.