“Is everything okay, Meg?” Marisa asked hesitantly.
I turned my focus on her with the intention on answering her and then realized that I couldn’t, not in this form anyway. I rushed away to make the change.
When my body had made the transformation I took a moment to catch my breath. The pain was something I would never get used to. I panted for a few moments while I lay naked on the cold grass. My left heel was digging into a patch of thistles, but I couldn’t summon enough energy to care. As Marisa and Nathan’s voices came closer, I decided my time of rest was over. I had no interest in them finding me sans clothing.
Once I was dressed in my cotton top and shorts, I emerged through the trees and met them on the path. They were staring at me, shock and awe clouding their faces. “You guys want some pizza?” I asked, as if I hadn’t just been a wolf and had scared the daylights out of them. “I was just heading to the cottage to order some.”
Instead of answering, they simply nodded and fell in step next to me.
The rest of the walk home was quiet, but I could see the two of them exchanging curious glances out of the corner of my eyes.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Game Night
“Where is everyone else?” Marisa asked as we stepped through the door of the cottage, breaking the awkward silence that had fallen upon us since we started our journey.
“Hunting,” I answered, as I picked up the portable phone and hit speed dial four.
While I ordered the pizzas Marisa sat down on the couch and Nathan perched on the arm of the chair next to the door. He was close enough to the exit in case he needed to escape.
“Why aren’t you with them?” Nathan asked when I hung up the phone after ordering.
He watched me as I went to the fridge and pulled out three water bottles. He was still watching me when I wandered back into the living room and tossed them each a bottle. I twisted the top off of mine, took a swig and then I answered. “Because I don’t enjoy eating raw meat.”
“But wouldn’t that be instinct when you’re a wolf?” Mari asked, the bottle still unopened in her hand.
I shrugged as I fell onto the plush chair opposite her, the cushion puffing out air around me. “It is, but my mind doesn’t like the idea of crunching bones and fur in my teeth.”
Mari winced and Nathan looked disgusted. A twinge of guilt twisted in my stomach. I shouldn’t have been so blunt when he was still getting used to the idea that some of his family members were werewolves.
“I’m sorry Nathan,” I said sincerely, as I twisted the cap back on my bottle and sat it onto the coffee table in front of me.
He lifted a shoulder dismissively and slid into the chair, his legs resting on the arm, his feet dangling in the air. His bottle was forgotten, wedged between the chair’s frame and the cushion.
“How are you doing with everything?” I asked, my voice edged with concern. “I know when I first found out about werewolves, I was upset, and that was just about Nate.”
Again, he lifted his shoulder, but this time he shoved his hand through his light blond hair. He was obviously still struggling with everything.
“But for me,” I went on, my voice as soothing as possible. “It was more that Nate had lied to me for so long. I was angry that he didn’t trust me.”
Nathan turned to face me; his lip twitched as if he wanted to speak, but changed his mind.
Mari was watching me from where she sat; her eyes were warm with agreement.
“Don’t get me wrong,” I continued with my conversation that had turned into a monologue. “The whole wolf thing freaked me out. But, when I realized that Nate was the same person I fell in love with, I finally got over it. As I’m sure you realize that Lauren and Nate are still your family, who just happen to grow fur once in a while.”
Nathan sighed heavily, his head falling back against the chair, his pale hair a contrast to the navy blue cushion. “I know what you’re saying,” he began, finally finding his voice. “But it’s hard to contemplate when you were just covered in fur and attacking me.”
I laughed and Mari giggled.
Nathan shot her a look that made her freeze, her dark eyes wide with uncertainty.
I fought the grin that just wouldn’t leave my face. “I’m sorry I scared you,” I giggled slightly. “But it was funny.”
He narrowed his eyes at me and scoffed.
“It was funny,” Mari interrupted, as Nathan was about to speak. “You should have seen your face when she knocked you down.” She started to chuckle, an endearing sound that was contagious.
I couldn’t help the laugh that slipped out. “And when I licked his face,” I gasped through my giggles, which made Mari’s chuckle turn into full on laughter.
Nathan’s lips began to turn up almost against his will. Finally he chuckled softly, his eyes lighting with amusement. “Whatever,” he grumbled with a grin. “But I’m not the only one that was scared.”
Marisa’s laughter ceased, her face going blank. “What do you mean?”
“Who was it that screamed their freaking head off?”
I laughed even harder and pointed at her, a lock of hair falling into my eyes. I pushed it out as the laughter heightened.
She lowered her head with a small smile. “Well, it’s not every day that a wolf comes after you. And we weren’t sure if it was a real wolf or not.”
“Why did you do that anyway?” Nathan asked me, all laugher dissipating, his voice edged with apprehension.
“Because, I wanted to scare you.” When they both opened their mouths to protest, I lifted my hand to silence them. “For two reasons. One, because it was funny.” I grinned at them and added a wink. “The second was because you shouldn’t be lurking in the woods when we are in our wolf forms. It’s not safe.”
Fear marred both of their features. “You guys would never hurt us?” Marisa whispered breathlessly.
“Of course we wouldn’t,” I reassured her. “But like you said, most werewolves let their instincts take over. None of us would ever want to put you guys at risk, so just to be on the safe side, stay inside on full moon nights.” As if on cue; a howl rang out from miles off, followed by the answering calls of the rest of my pack. I was guessing they had taken down their prey.
When Nathan and Marisa’s faces went pale, I felt the need to make them feel better. “It’s just a precaution. I promise none of us would hurt you, but we just don’t want to take the chance that it might happen. We would never risk the people we love.”
They both nodded robotically as the doorbell rang. It was the pizzas. I could smell them and the deliveryman through the door.
Once I paid the guy and handed my guests a couple of slices, I finally dug in. I was famished. As I had been told so many times by both Nate and Adrian, turning into a werewolf takes a lot out of your body and you need food to replenish. I was fine with that. It was just the type of food that my friends and I disagreed on. I preferred my meat heated up and preferably without the fur. But hey, that was just me. I obviously wasn’t the norm, since I was the only werewolf here.
I clicked on a movie we could watch while we ate and before long Nathan was smiling and laughing at Marisa’s impression of the main character. It wasn’t until he finished his fourth piece that his smile faded. “Meg,” he began, his tone of voice heavy with curiosity.
I lifted my head, a large bite of cheese and dough stuffed in my mouth. “Mmm?” Was all I could manage.
“How did you take it when you found out Nate turned you into a werewolf? I heard that you thought it was Charlotte at first.”
I swallowed the food and placed my empty plate onto the table. “I will admit, I didn’t take it well. It was a while before I was able to forgive him.” I paused, thinking back to the dark time when I was shut up in my old bedroom at home in denial. “But, I think my reaction was partly due to the change. Becoming a werewolf wreaks havoc on your emotions. With some, they have to try to control the urge to kill. With Lauren, she fo
cused on other people’s problems rather than her own. And with me, I guess I just chose to ignore the issue. In my delusional mind, if I focused on what wasn’t important, like how I was turned, I wouldn’t have to deal with what I had become.”
Marisa made a small sound of comfort, but Nathan’s face was thoughtful. He was thinking my answers through. I could almost see the wheels turning. He opened his mouth to speak again, but was interrupted by the door. It flung open and all of my pack filed in, their faces glowing. The run and hunt must have been invigorating.
I knew that, for me, once I got over the pain of the change, I always felt rejuvenated afterward.
“Yum dessert,” Adrian said as he picked up a large slice of pizza with everything on it. He turned to Marisa, as he chewed. “What are you guys doing here?”
Both teens shifted uncomfortably in their seats. My fellow werewolves must not have noticed the scent of human and didn’t know how close these two were to danger. Since I had already given them a warning, I saw no need to expose their secret. “I called them and asked them down for pizza so I wouldn’t have to eat alone,” I lied.
Marisa and Nathan smiled gratefully, most likely not interested in all the lectures they would have received.
Nate moved toward me and sat on the arm of my chair, his scent luring me to him. “I told you I would have come with you,” he said softly, reaching out to brush my cheek with his fingers.
I leaned my head on his jean clad leg, allowing his touch to soothe me. “I know, but I thought Nathan could use some normalcy. I wanted to show him that even wolves eat normally and I thought we could have a game night or something.” As I was talking to Nathan, I realized he needed to see that we were just like him, if he was ever going to get over it. He needed to have a fun night with his extended family and not see us as wild animals that could rip him apart. And by the gratitude on his face when he glanced at me, I knew I was right.
“Woo hoo!” Lauren hooted. “Game night, lets kick some ass. Joe is on my team! He’s awesome at Scrabble.” I groaned inwardly, I hated scrabble, but for some reason Lauren loved it.
Nathan grinned, his eyes shining as he rubbed his hands together. “Okay, who’s on my team? I love to beat Lauren.”
His sister scowled at him, but I also noticed the glint in her eyes. Nathan had been guarded with her since he had found out and I knew she would be relieved to see him acting normal toward her.
“I’ll be on your team,” Marisa called out a little too enthusiastically. Her cheeks heated when she realized how she sounded.
Adrian frowned, a third piece of pizza poised in front of his mouth.
I clamped my lips together to stifle a laugh and noticed Sadie do the same thing. She sat quietly beside Marisa, giving pointed looks in his direction. Lauren loaded a plate with pizza and handed it to her. She smiled thankfully and took a bite.
“Okay, who else wants on the winning team? Meg, Sadie?” Lauren asked.
Joe sat down at the kitchen table. “No, we’ll take Nate; he’s older and knows more words.”
“Hey,” Nathan glared at Joe and then his sister. “Is that cheating?” he asked turning to me.
I laughed. “Ah…no. But, I don’t think it’s fair either.” I glanced at my husband and winked. “Nate, you and Sadie can be on Nathan’s team and Adrian and I will take pity on Lauren.”
“Hey, that means they get two old people. They know more than we do,” Lauren protested.
“Am I the only one offended by being called old?” Sadie asked, her gaze moving between Nate and Joe. They only smirked in answer.
I laughed, leaning over to pat her knee. “Sorry, but you should get used to it. I’m sure it won’t be the last time you’ll hear it.” I sat back and placed my empty plate on the end table. “But it is a good idea for you to be on the opposing team.” I smirked at Adrian. “It will give you a chance to whip Adrian’s butt.”
Sadie stood up, holding her plate in her hand. “Then I’m definitely in.” Her voice was playful, but I couldn’t help notice coldness in her eyes. Something happened out in the woods and I just hoped he didn’t screw up too badly.
For the rest of the night we played Scrabble, Pictionary and Charades. Meanwhile we ate all the pizza and four bags of chips I kept in the cottage for emergencies. The night turned out to be fun and we made a vow to end all full moon nights that way. I was happy to see Nathan punch Lauren playfully on the shoulder and when she stole a hug from her baby brother, she mouthed, “Thank you,” over his shoulder to me.
Once everyone left, leaving Nate, Sadie and I, the cottage felt empty and extremely quiet. When I asked Sadie what had happened with Adrian she promised to tell me later; she was too tired to explain. She left the two of us alone snuggled on the couch watching an old black and white movie. “Have you heard back from Henry,” I whispered softly, not wanting Sadie to hear.
He shifted his position so he could look at me. “No, not yet; but I also called Stephen, now that I know I’m looking for a werewolf.” Stephen was the werewolf pack leader. Yes, there was a pack, a very large one that monitored werewolf behavior to make sure they didn’t expose our secret. We didn’t belong to it, actually I had never met anyone who did, but Joe and Nate were friendly with their leader.
“What did he say?”
“That he’s never heard of him. But he said he would ask around the werewolf community.”
I reached out and touched his cheek, then moved my finger upward to brush a piece of hair off his forehead. “I hope you find what you’re looking for.”
He made a low sound in his chest. “I’m sorry,” he muttered.
“For what?”
“For obsessing. I should be giving all my attention to my new wife, not some name that I don’t know the meaning of.” He snuggled me in closer with his arm. “But I just can’t let it go until I get answers.”
“Don’t worry about me. I understand.”
He smiled and focussed once again on the movie.
We were silent for a while, both of us watching the TV screen. “So, what happened when you found Nathan and Marisa in the woods?” he asked, breaking through the quiet.
I had been drifting, the sound of his breathing right next to me, lulling me to sleep. The sudden sound of his deep rumbling voice startled me. “What do you mean?” I whispered, surprised by his question.
“I followed your scent trail home, while the others took a different route. They didn’t notice the extra scents.”
I shrunk guiltily into the couch cushions. “I’m sorry I lied. I just didn’t want to put them on the spot and have everyone interrogate them. I taught them a lesson and told them to stay away on full moon nights and that it was too dangerous to be curious. I got my point across, so there was no need for any further feedback from you guys.” My words came out more defensively than I had meant them to.
His lips quirked upward. “I wasn’t going to chastise you. I’m glad you handled it the way you did. It was good to see Nathan having fun again. Will told me he’s been brooding ever since he told him the secret. You showed him that nothing important has changed.” I leaned my head on his shoulder again, breathing in his familiar leather and pine scent. “What do you mean; you got your point across?”
“I growled at them in my wolf form and then pounced on Nathan, knocking him down.” I sat up and met his gaze. “I hovered above him and snarled, showing my teeth.”
His brows went up. “Why?”
I grinned. “And then I licked his face and stuck my tongue out.”
A laugh snuck out of his lips, his face a stern contradiction. He attempted to look annoyed by my behavior, but he couldn’t hold the expression. A smile brightened his features and he began to laugh. “How did they react?”
“Marisa screamed bloody murder. I’m surprised you didn’t hear her.”
His laughter ceased as he leaned forward, his lips touching mine before pulling back again. “I might have heard something, but I was too focussed on the b
uck we were hunting. What about Nathan, did he scream like a girl? I would have liked to have seen that.” His soft laughter was one of my favorite sounds.
“No he didn’t, but he looked like he was about to pee his pants.” I couldn’t help but laugh as the memory of their expressions crossed my mind, reminding me of the eerie laughter I thought I heard. The laughter faded with that added thought and the feeling of apprehension returned. “Did you hear or sense anything strange out there?”
A line creased his forehead. “No. Why?”
I couldn’t give him a reason. Yes, I was sure I heard the laughter and felt something odd out there, but I also could have imagined it. “I shrugged, planting a smile on my face. “No reason, never mind.”
His grin returned as he leaned forward, his face hovering inches from mine. “Have I told you how much I love you lately?” he whispered in my ear as he leaned closer, his hot breath sending chills over my skin.
“No, but talk is cheap buddy. Why don’t you show me?”
Before I could process what was happening, I was in his arms as he carried me to the bedroom, all negative thoughts disappearing from my mind.
Chapter Twenty-Three
The work out
The next day I was on my way to my car, heading for my weekly Saturday workout at the gym, when I was bombarded by Sadie and Marisa. I hadn’t noticed Sadie wasn’t at the cottage. Nate had gone in to work for a couple of hours and with him gone I thought I’d head to the gym. I had only been back once since we returned from Sacramento. Adrian was at the shelter helping to get the addition done, so we could get it finished before Fun Day, which was scheduled for next week. Since Adrian hadn’t been working out in the last six months he wanted to get back at it. He was planning to meet me there after a few hours of work.
“Can we come?” Sadie asked. I had just noticed they were wearing workout clothes, both in matching tank tops and yoga pants. I myself was wearing the same, but my yoga pants went to the knee, with a bright pink strip along the waist that wasn’t visible under the hem of my tank.
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