UnleashingtheAnimal
Page 7
When the tears subsided she pulled herself up off the kitchen floor and went to bed. But sleep didn’t come easily. She was already missing his arms around her and his warm body next to her.
Her cell phone rang and she let it go to voicemail, promising that she would call her mother back in the morning. She couldn’t listen to her ramblings tonight. She was more determined than ever to stay and prove her words true, that she really could take care of herself and she didn’t need anyone. All she needed were a few blank canvases and some paint.
She was ashamed of hitting him with the low blow about her social scale. She had never fit in with her parents’ friends and she couldn’t believe she had said that.
Slowly her eyes got heavy and just as she was dozing off she heard the distant howl of a wolf. But this time she was sure a wolf could be sad.
Shane howled at the unfairness of life, the pain of it pouring out long and deep. To have her, claim her as his and then have her be ripped from his grasp.
He knew he had hurt her and she had just been lashing out. But what if she really meant it? Just the thought of it had a sharp pain spearing into his chest, right where his heart was.
His travels had put him in more contact with other Shifters than most and he had spent time enough with them to know that mating with another breed was dangerous. He had heard terrible stories of people falling in love and then turning on each other when they were in their animal forms.
But besides that it wasn’t accepted by most to live with someone outside of their own species. A cat couldn’t live with a dog and a bird couldn’t live with a cat. It was just the way it was. Why couldn’t she just have been a wolf?
He didn’t understand. But as he ran through the trees, anger and desperation driving him on, he realized he really didn’t care what was accepted or not. He loved her enough for that not to matter.
But then he thought about children and what would happen to them, or if they could even have them. Would their differences affect any children they might have from being healthy? He needed some answers because he was going to make Blair his, damn the consequences. But he needed to at least know what they would be facing.
Taking off for home, he dressed quickly and, jumping in the truck, he headed for the city. He knew the answers were out there, a person just had to know where to look.
Blair awoke with the birds despite her nocturnal activities. Her newly finished painting of the wolf drew her gaze and she knew what she needed to do. Throwing on a jacket and grabbing her painting, she took off across the yard and to the path that led to Shane’s.
She had to apologize. If he didn’t want her then she would learn to live with it, but he was still a friend and she didn’t want the last thing she said to him to be what had passed her lips last night.
He had helped her through the most amazing thing to ever happen to her and she owed him. They were still neighbors because she wasn’t going back. This was where she belonged.
Reaching the field, she paused, more nervous than she wanted to admit. She was committed now—he might have already seen her. She continued walking until she reached his door. Knocking several times, she didn’t receive a response. Sitting on the step, she waited an hour for him but he didn’t show.
Leaving the painting propped against the door where he was sure to find it, she went home.
Desperately she waited all day for him to come over. Night descended and called to her. Even though she was worried about doing it alone, she let the change take her and ran through the forest until she was too exhausted to think.
She was slowly learning how her cat body worked and she was learning how to use her other senses. Shane was always in the back of her mind and she hoped she might run into him while she ran the forest. But he never showed himself.
Showering and climbing into bed, she waited for the call of the wolf but it never came.
Blair waited for him the next day and then the day after that. Slowly she realized it really was over between them. Making a trip to town, she made her days busy, doing anything that kept her mind off Shane.
But at night she ran, her cat body slinking through the trees. She always looked for him but he was never there.
She threw herself into her painting. The two completed projects were some of her best yet. But both of them had a black wolf in them, peering at her from between the trees or standing proud at the lake’s edge.
Glancing around her, all she saw was him, staring back at her out of his green eyes. She missed him but this was too much.
She stood abruptly and started turning the paintings around until all that was left was the back of the canvas staring at her. Taking the half-finished canvas off her easel, she set it aside.
Blair got back to work, painting the lake in the moonlight, the exact view of what she could see from her window. Even though she thought about her wolf and that one night that had changed her forever, she didn’t paint him.
That night she stayed in. Wrapping up in a blanket in front of the fireplace, she decided she couldn’t stay here. But she wasn’t going home either.
Thanks to Shane and the cat side of her, she was confident she could go and find the perfect spot to live and paint.
She looked around sadly at her little cabin. She did love it here but Shane had been here first. This was his home and she didn’t want to invade his territory.
It would only take a few hours to pack—she could leave tomorrow afternoon.
The next day she had her last cup of coffee on her little porch. She had already talked to the realtor and it wasn’t going to be a problem to put her little cabin back on the market. Her stuff was packed, her paintings safely stowed away in her jeep.
She still had to stuff her clothes in the backseat but she couldn’t resist a break to sit on the front steps one last time.
She saw him the second he stepped from the trees. Her heart stopped and her hands got sweaty.
Her eyes greedily devoured him as he came across the yard toward her. His dark hair was standing on end and his eyes were weary. He looked as if he had slept in his clothes and his boots were untied.
He glanced up suddenly and he stopped when their eyes locked. Then he started toward her again but he didn’t break the eye contact. Standing and stepping off the stairs, she was pulled to him.
They stopped when they were only a few feet apart.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hey,” she mimicked.
She glanced away then and she heard him sigh. “Look, Blair I wanted to…” His voice trailed off when he noticed the jeep doors open and the boxes on the front porch.
“What are you doing?” he demanded.
“I’m leaving.”
“What? Leaving? For good? Running home, Blair?” He took another step closer.
Her eyes narrowed at him. She had foolishly though he had come to make amends. “Yes, I’m leaving but no, I’m not going home. Not that it’s any of your business.”
“Then why are you leaving?”
“You were here first and I’m invading your space.”
“I like you invading my space.” He gave a rueful laugh.
“You didn’t a few days ago. I assumed you wouldn’t want to share your space with a cat,” she answered.
“I know I acted like an ass. That’s why I came. I wanted to apologize and thank you for the painting. You didn’t have to do that.”
“You’re welcome,” she answered quietly.
Running a hand down his face, he paced away and then paced back. “Look, I know I made some mistakes and I hurt you. But I don’t want it to end like this.”
Blair bit her lip to keep from yelling out that he was the one who left. But she didn’t want it to end nastily either and she didn’t want the last words she ever said to him be the horrible things she had said the other night.
But then he stepped closer. Close enough that she had to tilt her head back to see his face.
“Blair, I don’t want this to e
nd at all,” he whispered. “I tried to walk away but I can’t, I’m in love with you and I think we could be happy together if you were willing to give us a chance.”
“I don’t know, Shane. One minute you say you care about me and the next you are running in the opposite direction. How can I ever trust you?”
“Give me a chance to try to gain your trust, please.” His eyes were pleading and he reached for her hands.
She wanted to fall into his arms and tell him she would love him forever, but she needed him to know she wouldn’t sit idly by while he changed his mind every two minutes.
“You hurt me, Shane, and I want you to know I won’t let you do it again.”
He smiled at her then because he knew he had won. “I have every faith that you will hold me to it. I love you, Blair.”
His hands came up to cup her face and Blair felt the tears spill over and run down her cheeks.
“I love you too, Shane,” she choked out.
He smiled as his mouth came down on hers.
“Wait,” she stopped him. “What about the whole cat and dog thing?”
“I went and did some research, it’s where I was this week. I found out that it’s not unheard of. Shifters of different species have fallen in love before and it’s worked out just fine and our kids will be fine too. So, apparently I was wrong.”
“Our kids?” she said in surprise.
“Yeah, our kids,” he said with a smile as he tried to lower his mouth again.
“So it wasn’t that you didn’t want me, you ran because you thought it would be dangerous?”
“Is that what you thought? How could you ever think I didn’t want you? You are beautiful and sexy and smart and have amazing talent, anyone would want you.”
While she didn’t believe him, it was still nice to hear. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his chest, squeezing her against him.
Pushing out of his arms, she stood with her hand on her hip. “And you didn’t feel the need to let me know where you were going?”
He looked a little sheepish at that. “Sorry,” he said with a little grin.
“How did you find all this out?” she questioned.
“You just have to know where to look. But there will be plenty of time for me to teach you all I know about Shifters.” Bending down, he wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her to twirl her around. She giggled and cradled his head as they kissed.
Suddenly Shane pulled back and stared down at her. “Since you are already half packed why don’t you just move your stuff to my place? I can’t think of a better way for you to learn to trust me. What do you think?” he asked. Blair thought about it but didn’t get a chance to answer because behind them a car door closed and they heard someone clear her voice.
Blair turned to look over her shoulder. “Oh shit,” she whispered.
“Who is it?” Shane asked, gazing at the woman staring at them.
Shane set her back on the ground when she pushed against his arms. “It’s my mother,” she whispered.
“Hello, Mother,” Blair called out as she went over to kiss her mother’s cheek. “What are you doing here?”
Her mother looked perfect as usual, not a hair out of place and her designer suit neatly pressed. Blair was suddenly very aware of her jeans and paint-stained t-shirt.
“Well, I see why you haven’t been answering your phone,” her mother said as she gave Shane a once-over, shock coating her words.
“I was going to call you,” Blair said as a vain hope to please her.
“Well, you didn’t and I have been worried sick about you!” It was the same voice she had used when Blair had been twelve.
Blair quickly decided she was done with this. “I am an adult and I am sorry if I worried you but I need the space to live my own life.” Her hands clenched into fists. “So if you can’t give me that space then I can no longer be a part of yours.”
Her mother blinked back at her, surprised at her outburst. “Is that really how you feel, Blair?”
“Yes. It is.”
“All you had to do was say so. Contrary to what you may think, I do love you and just want you to be happy.”
“Really?” It was Blair’s turn to be surprised.
“Yes, of course. That’s all any mother wants.”
Blair hugged her mother without warning and after a surprised second her mother hugged her back.
Pulling back, Blair motioned Shane over to them.
“Mom, I want you to meet Shane,” Blair said as he came to stand next to her.
“Mrs. Sanford,” he said he stuck out his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you too, Shane,” she said as she shook his hand gingerly.
There was an awkward silence until her mother noticed the boxes on the porch. “Blair, are you moving?”
“I, umm…” Blair stumbled.
Shane put his arm around her, making her feel stronger just by being close. “Yeah, I am moving in with Shane, Mom. He lives in the next cabin over.”
If Shane was surprised he didn’t show it but his face broke out into a grin.
“Blair, do you think that’s wise? You haven’t known him for very long and you know how your father and I feel about living together out of wedlock.”
“Mom, really, no one believes in that anymore.”
“Actually, Mrs. Sanford…” Shane cut in, “I can try to take care of that for you right now.” He dug in his pocket and pulled out a ring. Blair felt the color drain from her face.
He dropped to one knee before her and took her hand. “Blair, I love you and I know we are meant to be together. You are the one I have been waiting for all this time. Please, marry me and invade my space for the rest of my life.”
Blair stared down at him in shock. Was he asking just to ease her mother’s mind? Or was he asking because he thought he should, because of the whole mate thing?
He just looked at her with that little smirk on his face as if he was waiting for her to say something and she wasn’t going to disappoint him.
“I’ll not be a pushover and say yes just because you think I should. You might think it’s fate and all that but I want the real thing! If you are asking me because you think you have to then forget it!” She was spitting mad now and she meant every word.
“There’s that feistiness I was waiting for.” He said it quietly but Blair and her mother both heard him. “I mean it, Blair, I want you for you and for nothing else, now, tomorrow and all the days after that. Please, marry me.”
“Fine, but you better keep your word.”
He slid a platinum ring on her finger and she realized he had already planned this out. He stood and she threw herself in his arms, tears of happiness running down her face. She kissed his cheeks and his nose and his ears, whatever skin she could reach she lavished kisses on.
She had forgotten all about her mother until she said, “Well, it looks like you have everything under control, Blair.” Tears were softly falling down her cheeks.
Shane released her and she went to her mom, hugging her again. “I really will call you, Mom.”
“I know, honey. All right then. I’m off. Take care of my daughter, Shane.”
“I will, ma’am.”
They watched from the porch as she drove away and Blair knew that she had really gotten what she wanted. To have a fresh start and the chance at a different life. It might not have been exactly what she expected but it was better.
Shane gave her a devilish grin as soon as the car was out of sight. Scooping her off her feet, he tossed her over his shoulder.
“Let’s go get naked. Then I’ll help you pack the rest of your things. We are sleeping in my bed tonight and I know just where my ties are,” he said as he carried her inside and closed the door.
Blair’s delighted peal of laughter rang out across the water and then all that could be heard was the gentle lapping of the waves.
About J L Taft
J L Ta
ft believes that variety is the spice of life. The love of a good man is irreplaceable and that determination will get you anywhere you want to go.
She lives in upstate New York with her husband, daughter and two dogs. She has a large extended family that provides her with a constant source of amusement and inspiration.
She spends her days glued to her laptop with her head in the clouds. When she isn’t writing she can be found reading, gardening, listening to Trans-Siberian Orchestra and enjoying great Finger Lakes wine.
J L welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email addresses on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.
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Unleashing the Animal
ISBN 9781419945212
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Unleashing the Animal Copyright © 2013 J L Taft
Edited by Beverly Horne
Photography and cover design by Syneca
Additional Photo: Lakov Filimonov/Shutterstock.com
Model: Georgio
Electronic book publication March 2013
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