by Rose, Aubrey
"You'd shift into human form?"
"Can you think of another way?"
Jordan paused.
"No. Alright. Let's go fast; you'll freeze to death if we don't. Do you remember the way?"
"I'll just follow you back."
Damien breathed in and shifted, feeling his fur dissolve. He quickly pulled on the cloak he kept in his pack, but he had nothing for his feet. No matter. He bent over and picked up Katherine, making sure to press her wound tightly so that her intestines would not spill. She yelped as he picked her up. She weighed nearly nothing.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"My stomach—" Katherine said.
"I'll hold it." Damien clutched her tightly to his chest. She grabbed his wrist, her fingers slippery with blood.
"Help me," she said. Her voice was scared, and Damien realized that she was younger than he had thought. A teenager. "Don't let me die."
"We won't," Damien said, although the front of his cloak was already soaked in blood and he wasn't sure he was telling her the truth.
"Thank you," Katherine said, nuzzling his arm. He began to walk.
Here the dream departed from reality. That day, Damien had carried Katherine over three miles of snowy terrain to an empty cabin nearby, and Jordan had worked for hours to clean and stitch up her wound while Damien had warmed his feet back from the threat of frostbite. They'd caught food and lived there in fear for two weeks, until Katherine was healthy enough to walk. She'd insisted on coming with them, and they agreed readily. A female in the pack was more than welcome.
Ever since they'd saved her life Katherine had clung to them and obeyed Damien without any hint of protest. He and Jordan had brought her back from the razor thin edge of death, and she was theirs forever, loyal to Damien's pack, if you could call three straggling wolves a pack.
In this dream, though, the wolf in his arms shifted back into human form as he walked through the snow.
The human form was not Katherine's. It was a different girl, one with fiery red hair and bright green eyes. She reached out one hand and touched his eyes, and suddenly Damien could see again. He turned his head down toward her in awe. Her eyes found his and a sense of pure peace swept through his body.
"You're the one," she said. "You're mine."
Damien's eyes opened. His hands clenched at the sheets on top of him and he breathed slowly until his heart stopped pounding in his ears. It was her. He knew it was her. And at that moment, lying in bed with the traces of his dream still floating through his eclipsed vision, he was not sure whether or not he had truly woken up.
CHAPTER NINE
Julia
Julia woke up from sleep and for a terrible second thought that the events of yesterday might just have been a dream. Then she remembered the touch of his hand on hers and sighed with renewed pleasure at the happy thought that reality had for once exceeded her expectations. Her life had been a series of tragedies and disappointments, and she was due for something positive.
She brushed her teeth with her cell phone balanced on the edge of the sink, waiting for him to call. She ate breakfast staring longingly at the screen, hoping that it would light up with his name, even as Granny Dee made small talk with the guests who were staying at the bed and breakfast. When he finally called Julia jumped out of her seat and was outside on the porch to answer it before the second ring.
"Hello?'' she said.
"Hi, I'm calling for a sexy librarian; I think her name is Julia?"
Julia laughed and sat down on the porch step.
"Hi Damien," she said, the name coming off of her tongue as sweetly as if she were tasting an exotic fruit. "It's early to get up, isn't it?"
"Were you asleep when I called? I waited as long as I could."
"No, I was up!" Julia blushed at the thought of Damien waiting in anticipation. "What are your plans for today?"
"Well, I was hoping to take a sexy librarian out on a date," Damien said. "If she's free, of course."
"She's free," Julia said, fanning herself with her free hand. "Free all day."
"Wonderful! I wanted to do some hiking, but it's so hot outside. Someone at the cafe told me that there was a lake next to the state park around here. He said it was good for swimming."
"That's right near my house!" Julia said, catching herself gushing. She didn't want to sound too eager, did she? God, she didn't know how to flirt, especially over the phone.
"Perfect. Can I meet you at your place? Sorry, my guide isn't going to be able to drive me after noon or so—she has work to do later today. But if you don't mind being my escort, she can drop me off."
"Of course! I don't mind at all."
"I can be there in an hour or so. Sound good?"
"Sounds great!" Julia couldn't keep the goofy grin off of her face as she ran upstairs and changed into her hiking clothes. Or should she wear a dress? It wasn't a long walk to the lake; she didn't really need hiking gear. She changed into a sundress and sandals. Perfect. She had already put on mascara before she realized that they would be swimming. Once she'd wiped it all off with makeup remover, she put on waterproof mascara. Then she realized that Damien wouldn't be able to see her anyway. She smacked her forehead and looked at herself in the mirror.
"Oh well," she said, sighing to herself. "I feel pretty, and that's what matters most."
The minutes she waited felt like an eternity, but finally Julia saw the car pull up on the road out front. The blond girl was sitting in the driver’s seat, sunglasses covering her eyes. Damien got out of the passenger seat and began walking up the path to the house. Although he used his cane to sweep the path in front of him, Julia had the odd sense that he could see more than he was letting on. The way he walked so confidently, not even bothering to use his cane when he went up the steps. Up the steps—
Julia fixed her hair one last time in the mirror, and the doorbell rang. Granny Dee opened the door as Julia was walking down the stairs, and Damien stood in the entryway.
"Hello, I'm here to see Julia?"
"She's right here," Granny Dee said. Julia realized it was up to her to make the introductions.
"Hi Damien," she said. She wanted to lean forward to kiss him on the cheek, but she thought that it might be presumptuous. "This is Granny Dee. Dee, this is Damien."
"Pleased to meet you," Damien said.
"Pleasure's all mine," Dee said breezily. "Come in, won't you?"
"Thank you," Damien said.
"Would you like something to drink? Tea, coffee?"
"I'd love a cup of tea. Say, I ran into a sign out front. Are you selling or renting? I don't know if Julia told you, but I'm looking for a place to move into."
Julia and Dee both froze.
"We're...we're not doing either," Dee said. "Let me get you that tea." She scurried out of the room, and Damien's eyebrows knitted together.
"Did I say something wrong?" he asked.
"No, it's just...we're getting foreclosed on," Julia said.
"Oh! I'm so sorry." Damien reached over and put his hand on hers. "I wouldn't have asked."
"We're trying to make the payments," Julia said. "But it looks like we only have a couple of months before we're going to be evicted. The house is already listed as a short sale."
"That's terrible. Is there anything I can do?" His face twisted into an odd expression that lasted for only a second.
"No, no, it's okay. There's nothing worrying about it will fix," Julia said. Dee came back with tea, and they changed the subject to more pleasant topics. Damien praised Granny Dee's tea and soon they were talking and laughing like family. By the time Damien and Julia headed out the door, Julia was certain that Dee had forgiven him.
CHAPTER TEN
Damien
As they hiked out to the lake through the pine trees, Damien could smell the traces of wolf faintly. He wanted to shift into his wolf form—there was no way he could discern the danger with a human nose—but he couldn't come up with a pretext for leaving Julia. No
matter. Normal wolves wouldn't want to come close to his scent anyway, and Kyle and Jordan had assured him that there were no other shifter packs around.
The branches overhead cleared and Damien could feel the sun shining down on his face, along with a cooler breeze. Sweat trickled down his face, stinging his eyes, and he wiped it away.
"We're here," Julia said. Damien reached out and took her hand. He had grown accustomed to the presence of her emotions, and now her happiness extended outward in a bright halo, enveloping the both of them. Katherine's face appeared briefly in his thoughts, and his heart tore at the idea that he might have to hurt her. To hurt either of them. He'd hated lying to Julia, pretending not to know about their house being foreclosed.
"What does it look like?" Damien asked, as they walked slowly out towards the source of the coolness. "Tell me."
"It's...it's a big lake. A mile across, maybe. It's too hot out today, so nobody else is here."
"We're the only ones crazy enough to hike in this heat?"
"I suppose so," Julia said. "There's a rock outcropping not too far away, with a pine tree that's growing sideways out of the rock. Step up, we're at the dock."
Damien pressed her hand as they stepped onto the wood planks. He could hear the faint splashes of water underneath the dock.
"And here we are," Julia said. Damien grinned and tore his shirt off. Immediately he sensed a sharp ache, and for an instant he was concerned. Then he realized that the ache coming from Julia was the ache of desire. She wanted him.
How could he tell her that he was a shifter? There was no way she would believe him, no way she would want to stay with him once she realized the truth. He wanted her so badly, but...but how? The two worlds of humans and wolves were separate for a reason.
"Ready to swim?" he asked.
"Um...I need to change," Julia said. He could tell that she was blushing, the feeling of embarrassment radiating from her skin. Embarrassment and desire.
"Are you worried about changing into your bathing suit?" Damien asked. "I won't look. Promise."
"I'm shy in a bathing suit," Julia said. "You just stay right there, okay?"
"Okay. How deep is this water?" he asked.
"Right here? Ten, fifteen feet, maybe. It's all pebbles around here on the bottom, too. Like swimming in a pool."
He could hear her clothes falling to the dock, sensed her anxious hurry as she stood naked on the dock, pulling on her suit.
"What if I fell into the water right now? Would you jump in naked to save me?" Damien stood at the end of the dock. He could hear the water underneath.
"Don't you dare."
Damien grinned. He could sense the distance down to the water's edge as he leaned over. Her nervousness increased, and he knew it was because of him. He savored it, wanted her in his arms, wanted to make her happy. The pack would have to understand that she was his mate.
"Be careful!" Julia said. "You're going to fall—"
Damien jumped, his hand tossing his glasses down back to safety as he tumbled off of the edge of the dock and into the water.
His feet hit first, and the cold water shocked his body as he submerged. The air in his lungs buoyed him up, but he did not want to rise. The water was an alien environment, one he indulged in rarely. When he did, it was a treat, and today he thought he might just burst with happiness. Sharing this experience with Julia—with his true mate—was incredible.
He dove down with one hand outstretched and found the bottom after just a couple of kicks. Pebbles, as Julia had said. He opened his eyes underwater. The cool liquid was soothing, gentle. The pressure was greater the deeper he went, and for a moment he worried about getting disoriented. Underneath the water, he could not know which direction was up. Here, though, his feet found the lake floor, the pebbles round and cool.
Would Julia ever jump in? He felt an anxiety radiating from above, but he waited at the bottom of the lake, his arms propelling him down, until he heard a splash from above. He smiled before pushing himself back up towards the surface.
She had come to save him.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Julia
Julia reached out as Damien fell, but she had been too far away, changing. Her suit was only halfway on, and she quickly pulled the straps up over her shoulders and stepped over to the edge of the dock.
"Damien?"
He had gone under the surface of the water, and Julia waited, but he did not come up. Worry arced through her nerves.
"Damien?"
She looked around, but there was nobody else at the lake. Taking a deep breath, she jumped into the water. She gasped in shock at the cold, sputtering as she spun around in the water, her hands reaching out to try to find him.
Damien's head popped up from the lake surface behind her with a splash. She turned to see him, his dark hair dripping with water.
"Are you naked?" he asked. His eyes were closed, and he was grinning.
"Damien!" A rush of relief swept through her. She clung to one of the wooden dock pillars, her feet treading water. "No, I am not naked!"
"Darn," he said, swimming over to her. His hand reached out and she took it, guiding him to the pillar. He grasped the wood and hung there next to her, both of them breathing hard.
"That was a test," he said, as soon as he had caught his breath.
"A test?"
"To see how much you care about me dying."
"A test? A test?!" She splashed his face. She was so happy about him being alive that she didn't care how much water he got in his nose.
"Yes," he said, laughing and running his hand through his wet hair. He turned to her and she saw his eyes for the first time. She inhaled sharply. There were scars through his eyelids, the pink shiny skin running across his skin like claw marks. And his eyes—his eyes were golden and tawny, the light shining off of them like fire.
"My eyes?" he asked softly. "That's why I normally wear glasses."
"You weren't born blind?"
"Nope. I had perfect vision until..." he trailed off, his tongue licking his bottom lip as though he was unsure of how to say something.
"You were in an accident?"
"Something like that," he said. "The doctors said I was lucky I even got to keep my eyeballs. Most people who lose their sight like that have to get fake eyes put in."
"These are your real eyes?" Julia touched his cheek where the bottom of the scars faded out, and he flinched.
"Sorry," she said, pulling her hand back.
"No, not at all. It's just that most people are scared of them."
"Your eyes are beautiful," she said. "They remind me of tiger-eye. You know, the gemstone? I used to collect gems when I was a kid. They do look just like that. Swirls of gold and brown."
"That sounds beautiful," Damien said, a half smile curving his mouth. "I wish I could see your eyes. I bet they're lovely."
Julia didn't say anything. She didn't know what she was supposed to say.
"What do you look like?" Damien asked. "Green eyes, red hair, more beautiful than the sun?"
"I don't—I'm...I'm not..." Julia struggled to get the words out. How could she tell him that she wasn't beautiful?
"Hey, no worries," Damien said. "I'm the last person to judge you by your looks. Half of the time I leave the house wearing two different socks. I was just curious."
"It's just... I don't think you would think I'm attractive," Julia said quietly. She didn't want to lie to him. He had the right to know.
"Why would you say that?" Damien's voice was so kind it nearly broke her heart. She didn't want to lose him, but she couldn't help telling the truth.
"Most guys don't think so," she said. In her mind, every guy who had ever rejected her flashed through her memory. Would Damien be the next? "I just don't know if you'd even want to see me."
"May I?" he asked.
Julia didn't know what he was asking until she saw his hand reaching out toward her face.
"Yes," she whispered. Her breath grew quick
and she kicked her feet to stay afloat.
His fingers touched her cheek, his hand cupping her chin. His fingertips ran across her skin, exploring the curves and shallows. His hand ran down the side of her neck, trailing down to her shoulder, along her arm. The ache inside of her made her feel like she would burst. She wanted him so badly, and she worried that he would feel her body and not want her anymore. His hand ran down the length of her arm and held her hand, feeling each finger.
Shivers ran through her body as he touched her, his hand possessing her as it moved back up, squeezing her elbow, his fingers circling her arm. She let herself drift away from him as his hand moved down to her side. He pulled her back toward him, and she gasped as his strong arm circled her waist and brought her close. She didn't have to kick to stay afloat any longer—his arm held her up as he hugged her to his body. His lips grazed her forehead in the slightest kiss, so slight that she thought she might have imagined it. Her heart swelled.
"You are lovely," he said.
"Thank you," Julia said, her face turning hot.
"Thank you for jumping in to save me."
"So I passed the test?" she asked softly. Her heart was racing. What did he think about her? His body was pressed against hers, and it made her melt, but she knew that he could feel her now. She didn't know if he would like what he felt.
"With flying colors," he said, smiling. "In fact, you might care about me too much."
Her eyebrows knitted into a frown, and a sharp pain lanced her heart. Did he mean that he didn't care about her as much as she cared about him? Now that he had touched her, now that he knew what her body looked like, he was pulling away. It was the same as it had been with every guy she'd ever cared about. There was no way he would want her. How could she have been so daft? He was so handsome, tall and muscular. What would he want with a dumpy short girl with frizzed hair? She choked back tears.
He shook his head, as though he could sense her worry.
"I didn't mean—"