Uncertain Claim

by Rebecca Airies

  Biting her lip, she shifted restlessly on the cushion. She really wasn’t sure how to talk to him about him changing into a wolf, because she never thought they’d get to a point where it became an issue. Hell, she’d thought he’d only be with her a few months at most.

  Since most shifters didn’t tend to run around in wolf, cat or whatever form in the city, she’d thought that it was a part of his life that she’d never see. Now that the opportunity had arrived, she was more than interested. She wanted to see what this big, muscled man looked like when he changed.

  “It’s been a while since I ran as a wolf. You wouldn’t be scared?” His fingers thrust through his blond hand and his eyes watched her intently.

  “Scared of you as a wolf? No, I don’t think so, but I guess I might be a little nervous. I know it will be you, but most of the time when I think wolf, it’s a wild animal. You know, something you don’t play around with.” She licked her lips as she thought about it. Curiosity shot right off the scales. He’d be able to control himself, but she did have a few questions. Would he be a larger than an average wolf because of his human size? Not that she’d know what size a wolf was actually supposed to be. She’d never been right next to one.

  “All right, I’ll do my running in wolf form, but I want you to go with me.” He took her hand and drew her across the room.

  “I don’t think I can keep up with you when you’re running as a human. There’s not a chance if you’re a wolf.” She smiled and shook her head.

  “I’m not going without you, so if you want me to have a run, then you’re going to have to come with me.” He tugged her through the dining room and stopped at the door. “So have you made your decision?”

  “Really, you’re going to try emotional blackmail with me?” She laughed a little.

  “No, just the facts, baby.” He shook his head in denial, but the smile on his face gave lie to the words.

  She shook her head and glanced at the door. She knew the man wanted to get his way as well as make her smile. Hell, she wasn’t afraid he’d resort to using the tactic on a regular basis. He was as likely to argue with her as he was to cajole or make her laugh. She sighed as if she was put out.

  “All right. We’ll go for a walk, but don’t start growling at me if you want to run off into some of those trees and you feel obligated to stay near me because I’m there.” She cut her eyes to his and gave a small narrowing of her eyes to show she meant business.

  “I also want you to see and know me in my wolf form, so I’m not going to go bounding off without you. Get your running shoes and I’ll be waiting here. Just remember. Not a dog.” He sent her off with a light smack on her butt.

  She chuckled and stopped at the stairs. “You mean no throwing sticks for you or giving you treats?”

  “I’ll get my treats after the run, babe. The only thing I’m likely to fetch for you in wolf form is the haunch of a deer. Gotta provide for my mate, you know.” He grinned and winked.

  “Ugh. Don’t even joke about it.” Her stomach felt a little queasy and she could practically see the bloody leg with strings of tendon trailing hanging from the mouth of a wolf as it trotted toward her.

  “You won’t feel that way after you’ve been changed. Your wolf will want to hunt, even if only for the chase. It’s play and socialization. Now go, woman, you’re holding up my run.” He made shooing motions with his hands.

  No way was she going to touch the “when you’ve been changed” comment, since he was so adamant that she was his mate. She didn’t want to argue right now and she wanted to believe it was true too much. It would be too easy to fall into the trap. She didn’t intend to be convinced of it only to find out later that it wasn’t true.

  She headed upstairs and grabbed the running shoes that had been in with the boxes and bags of clothing for her. She wished she had her small running pack, because she usually carried her water bottle and a snack bar there. She’d have to carry a bottle this time. Detouring to the kitchen, she grabbed a refillable bottle from the fridge and hurried to join Gavin.

  She stopped in the doorway, stunned to find a wolf waiting for her near the door. The animal was a dark gray, but there in the light she thought she saw some silver streaked through the fur. She froze. Instinctive fear rushed through her and she almost ran right back out of the room. Only the thought that he’d probably chase her kept her locked to her spot. Her hands shook and her heart slammed against her chest wall. It’s Gavin, she reminded herself.

  When he sat and tilted his head at her, she realized he must know that she was on the verge of panic. That helped settle the fear creeping through her. She leaned against the door jamb and ran a hand through her hair. Taking a deep breath, she pushed away the last of the nervous energy.

  He’d never know how close she’d come to heading for the nearest room with a door, running in and locking it. Well, not any more than he already did realize it. The wolf would smell her anxiety. He was still the man she knew. He just happened to be a wolf right now.

  “Well, Mr. Fuzzy, are you ready? And you could have told me that you were going to change before I got back down here. It wouldn’t have been such a shock.” She opened the door.

  He looked up at her, but then lunged in close and nipped at her ankle before trotting out the door. She was too busy jumping back to notice much more than the way he moved with such easy coordination. The sight of that muzzle diving down toward her feet had her moving, but not quite fast enough to fully avoid the stinging contact. She’d always thought that it would be more difficult to walk on four legs instead of two. He moved with such smooth skill that it was mesmerizing.

  “What, you don’t like the name, Mr. Fuzzy? You are a little fluffy, you know.” She raised a brow and closed the door as she stepped out onto the shaded porch.

  Gavin growled and advanced on her. She shook her head at the move. Even as unsure as she was on certain subjects, she knew one thing without a doubt. He wouldn’t ever harm her physically. Walking right up to him, she ran her hand down his back and winked at him.

  “So are you ready to go, Gav? I thought you were going to show me around the place and we’ll both get a little exercise. All you’ve done is get all growly and nip me.” She headed down the steps as she said the last words. Now she was ready to run and waiting wasn’t on the list.

  Looking both ways, she headed off down the road. She heard a faint scrape on the wood, but didn’t look back. She jogged at a steady pace on the dirt road. The wolf ran up beside her. Gavin nudged in front of her, his big, furry body leaning in to hers, turning her. She stopped running before she ended up falling on her face.

  “Which way, since up the road is out of the question.” With a hand on her hip, she stared at him. She resisted the urge to call him fuzzy from sheer annoyance.

  He turned and took a few steps in almost the complete opposite direction. Just based on the direction, it looked like he was going to take her across the field toward some trees. As soon as he saw she was going to go with him, he moved. Not at a full run, she knew she didn’t have a hope of keeping up with him there.

  Since she was keeping near him, he wouldn’t be winded from it. She enjoyed running. He knew it. She’d talked to him about it. It was one thing they had in common, although they’d never managed to find time to do it together. She’d never envisioned their first run quite like this.

  She jogged along beside him through the field. As they neared the trees, she looked for a path. She kept her attention mostly on the terrain in front of her. He knew where they were going, but she wasn’t so sure that some of the local wildlife might not be out to foil their fun. She didn’t want to step on a snake during their run. Gavin suddenly swerved in front of her. His body blocked her and she didn’t have time to stop or avoid him. That furry body offered a lot more of an obstacle than she expected.

  When her knee hit his fur and solid muscular body, she pitched forward over him. Her hands flew forward to help break her fall. Sharp pain slamme
d into her left wrist as she rolled. She frowned as she rolled onto her side. Anger and confusion fought for prominence inside her. Gavin circled around her again. A low growl rumbled through him. The hair on the back of her neck rose at the menacing noise. She could almost feel the vibration of the deep sound.

  She slowly pushed herself to a sitting position and tried to see what had Gavin so upset. The wolf’s lips pulled back, revealing sharp, white teeth. He was definitely agitated and aggressive. She didn’t know what was wrong. She couldn’t hear or see anything to draw that reaction. The wolf’s ears pricked forward and his muscles tensed. She had no idea how to read wolf body language.

  He could be thoroughly pissed for all she knew and she wouldn’t be able to tell. He’d positioned himself between her and whatever was in the trees in front of them. The protective stance stunned her. She didn’t have a clue if he was being territorial, possessive or if there was something dangerous there. Right now, she didn’t care. The pain throbbing in her wrist made her irritable. She barely resisted the urge to snap out a few choice words.

  When she was beginning to think that he might have had some wolfy impulse to play with her that had gone wrong, she heard a definite rustling in the thick bushes. Her tongue swept over her lips and she eased back a little. She didn’t have time to wonder what was there. Three wolves burst out of the trees and ran straight for them.

  She jerked back and gasped, trying to get to her feet. In her rush, she used her injured hand to try to scramble to her feet and crumpled back to the ground. Gavin growled low and they veered away before stopping. They stared at him for a moment. She could only describe that look as stunned. She guessed they hadn’t expected to see anyone here.

  He continued growling. He looked ready to jump at them. They backed away, their heads down, their tails down between their legs. A larger, dark gray wolf came out of the forest. He looked at Gavin, but made no move to advance. The wolf walked over to the other wolves and began herding them away. He looked back at them and she could swear he nodded.

  Diana blinked and shook her head. That was a little surreal. She did wonder if she was imagining it. When they walked away, Gavin relaxed. He turned back to her and seemed to notice that she was hurt. He nudged her a little.

  She cradled her wrist closer to her body. “I think this is enough of a run for today, Gavin. A little more excitement than I expected. I’m ready to go back to the house.”

  His wet nose touched her cheek and she felt his tongue swipe. She felt oddly comforted by the gesture. Slowly, she rose to her feet and glanced back the way they’d come. It looked like it was going to take an eternity to walk back. It was the only real option. There wasn’t any way she could stand running with the way her wrist already hurt.

  “If you want to keep running, I can walk back on my own. It probably only needs some ice and pain medicine.” She knew he hadn’t even really been winded by their little jog. Even as she made the suggestion, she knew he wouldn’t take it.

  His eyes locked with hers and his lips pulled back from his teeth. She guessed that was a “no”. She had to offer because he’d looked trapped earlier. He kept pace with her as she walked back to the house. When she opened the door, he moved in ahead of her and changed from wolf to man. It wasn’t what she imagined. She’d expected something like contorting flesh, crunching bone and fur slowly receding into skin. It was so smooth and fast that she almost missed it.

  “I’m sorry. Let me see your hand.” He reached out and his fingers gently gripped her elbow.

  She shut the door and let him draw her over to the table. He urged her into one of the chairs and pulled another across from her. She hissed as he touched her wrist. His gaze rocketed up to hers.

  “It was an accident, Gavin. You couldn’t have known what was in the trees. You were trying to keep me safe. I didn’t think there would be anyone out running either. From what I understood, other than the people in the houses around us who are going to watch and protect, we were the only ones here. I especially didn’t expect young people running around in wolf form when in only days we expect someone to come after you.” She didn’t want him feeling guilty about it.

  “I just reacted.” He shook his head as he eyed her swollen wrist. “We’re going to have to get a doctor to look at this.”

  She cupped her right hand over his cheek and waited until he looked at her. “This could as easily have happened with me tripping over a rock. I love running on the more scenic trails, but I hardly ever do. To put it simply, I have a tendency to trip, fall or run into stationary objects.”

  His lips twitched, but he didn’t look as if he believed her entirely.

  “Did I ever tell you about the time that I ended up in the fountain in the park not far from my apartment?” She tilted her head and raised a brow. She had a long series of near accidents, minor scrapes and bruises she could list if he didn’t believe her.

  “You can tell me about it some other time. I’m going to call Evan now and get you an ice pack. Stay here.” He rose to his feet, grabbed his clothes from the chair and walked out of the room.

  Her eyes lingered on his backside until he was out of sight. She heard him talking moments later and realized he must have fished his cell phone out of his pocket. She didn’t hear much of the short conversation, merely murmurs and the sound of a door being opened and closed. He said goodbye as he walked back out of the kitchen. His shirt hung open on his wide chest and he’d put on his pants while he was in the kitchen.

  “Well, what did Evan say?” She kept her hand curled close to her body, trying not to move it.

  She knew someone would have to come get them, since they didn’t have a vehicle here. That bothered her. She felt as if she was backed into a corner. She wanted to have a vehicle ready just in case.

  “One of the people here will take us to the clinic. He thinks another trip out here this soon might be risky if they’re watching him, although they’ll probably wait until I’m due in to work tomorrow to really begin looking for me.” Gavin walked over and drew a chair over next to hers.

  “And they’ll be here when?” She took slow deep breaths, trying to control the pain in her wrist.

  “They’ll be here soon. Just stay still. Seems that we’re not having much luck lately with injuries.” He finished dressing and slid back into his chair. His fingers clasped around her good hand and stroked slowly over her knuckles.

  “Oh, hell, I didn’t even think about your wounds when I suggested a run. Are they okay?” Her eyes widened and she looked over at him. She didn’t see any blood on his side or his arm. That was a little reassuring.

  “I’m fine. We heal fast, and although running wasn’t as comfortable as it normally is, the stitches held up. In fact, the shift probably helped heal me a bit faster. And you should know from earlier that moving isn’t going to harm me.” His mouth kicked up in a grin.

  The way his eyes slid over her body in a slow, suggestive sweep left her in no doubt he was remembering the romp when they woke. A surge of desire shot through her, but the pain curbed the feeling. Considering that and how good he looked and acted since she’d seen him at the clinic, she’d probably be in more pain than he would.

  The man’s metabolism and constitution must be remarkable. Maybe that was because he was a werewolf or part of it could be his determination not to accept anything else. Luckily, she probably wouldn’t be sidelined long. She was almost sure that her injury wasn’t too serious, maybe a sprain.

  Chapter Eight

  She could get used to waking beside Gavin; Diana smiled as she stretched a little. Her wrist ached and last night definitely hadn’t gone as well as the morning before. Although she had strained the muscles in her wrist, it wasn’t as bad as they’d first thought. The medicine for the pain had put her to sleep. The warmth of Gavin’s body pressing against her back made her want to linger, but she knew it was almost time to get up and get dressed.

  Her hurt wrist wouldn’t get in the way of a little morni
ng cuddle with the gorgeous man behind her. Turning in his loose hold, she found him awake and smiling at her. The lamp glowed on the nightstand behind him. Her eyes fell on the large dresser across from the bed. The cream and chocolate color scheme wasn’t quite her taste, and with the big, dark wood furniture, the room felt a little on the masculine side, but she was comfortable with it.

  “Morning.” She snuggled close to him and rested her forehead on his chest for a moment and inhaled. The exotic, musky scent never failed to make her want more.

  “Good morning, babe. How did you sleep?” He waited until she looked up at him and brushed his lips across her forehead. She smiled as he cupped her cheek and then feathered a soft kiss over her lips.

  “Like the drugged. I didn’t feel anything.” She smiled as she reached up with her good hand and pulled him down for a more thorough kiss.

  “How’s your hand?” He held back and looked at her hand.

  She looked down at it. It had colored up rather dramatically overnight. Her skin felt a little tight from the swelling. Deep purples and blues covered her hand and wrist. She tried moving it and winced. It wasn’t as bad as yesterday, but it still hurt.

  “It hurts, but I think regular painkillers will take care of it.” Edging closer to him, she drew her fingers over his shoulder. She didn’t want to give up these moments with him. They seemed stolen, as if they weren’t meant to be hers. “Kiss me before I decide to push you onto your back and do naughty things to your body.”

  Her lips brushed and clung as she gently ate at his mouth. Her tongue traced the outer edge. His fingers speared through her hair and cupped the back of her head. She didn’t even try to resist the urge to get closer to him.

  Hooking a leg over his, she wriggled close. The movement scraped her already hardened nipples back and forth across his chest. Tingles streaked straight to the tightening ball of need low in her stomach. Even as she slowly deepened the kiss, she wondered how everything got so out of control so fast.