Howl of the Wolf

saints had she done last night?

She forced her eyes open and blinked to help clear away the fog in her brain. No sudden movements this time as she assessed her body. She was lying partly on, partly off the sofa, her head resting against the arm, and not on one of the comfy pillows. And she was half naked.

Memory rushed back. The wolf. Arand. Hot sex.

What a crazy, realistic vision her meditation had created. She’d never had one where she’d stripped off most of her clothing before.

She pushed herself up and saw her panties and jeans in a heap by the wall. Cautiously, she padded over, picked up her underwear and slipped them on. She felt sticky between her thighs and her frown deepened. She didn’t bother with her jeans as she planned to get a quick bath and go to bed.

“What a night,” she muttered. She glanced over at the corner of the room and froze. Her wooden wolf was gone.

“How do you feel?”

The male voice so close had her shrieking and swinging around, leading with her right fist. He caught it easily and cocked his eyebrow at her as if to ask, “What next?”

She glanced down and heaved a sigh of relief when she realized he was wearing pants. Granted, they were tight leather pants that clung to his rock-hard thighs and emphasized the impressive bulge in the front, but they were pants.

“I can’t still be having a vision.”

He released her hand and put both of his on his hips, studying her. “No, you’re not. We need to make plans. I don’t think it will be long until we have company.”

Sabrina swallowed hard and forced herself to take deep, slow breaths. Otherwise, there was a danger she’d start hyperventilating. This was no lifelike vision. This was real. All of it—the wild ride on the wolf, the tinny carnival music, the hot sex. She rubbed her forehead. “Crap.”

“Does your head hurt?” He cupped the back of her head in his palm, and she felt a blast of heat seep through her skull and into her brain. The pain disappeared instantly.

She pulled away and stared up at him. “What did you do?” Amazement swept through her. She didn’t know whether she should hug him or run screaming from him. Her heart was racing, her palms were sweaty and she felt a little lightheaded.

He shrugged his massive shoulders, bringing her attention, once again, to his smoking hot torso. She shook herself and brought her gaze back to his face.

“I merely rid you of the pain in your head. My powers have not fully returned, but I can do minor healing.”

“What else can you do?” Sabrina was equal parts terrified and enthralled by Arand. If what he’d told her earlier was true, she was in a heap of trouble. She tried to remember everything he’d told her. None of it was reassuring. In fact, all of it was downright scary.

He put his hands on his hips, sliding his gaze over her bare legs. She held her jeans more securely in front of her. But that was sort of like closing the barn door after the cow got out. He’d already seen her all but naked.

“I can conjure clothes and weapons.”

“Weapons?”

A four-foot-long blade appeared in his hand, the metal gleaming in the light beam from the streetlight. Oh, shit. This was suddenly all too real.

Sabrina swayed on her feet and leaned against the wall for support. “All of this is real, isn’t it? The devil is coming for us.”

Arand slowly inclined his head. “He will come or he will send one of his minions to bargain with us. Or he will send demons to destroy us.”

A blast of anger gave her renewed strength. “What’s with the we stuff. How did I get involved? I didn’t ask for this.” And why had the evil been stalking her before she released Arand? Was it simply fate that she was the woman to release Arand? Was this entire situation something beyond her control?

No, she refused to believe that. The evil or Hades or whatever he wanted to be called might be urging her to do certain things, but she was still in control of her life, still had choices. She couldn’t believe anything else or she’d end up curled in a fetal position in a corner somewhere, too afraid to move.

He tilted his chin up and his jaw tightened. “No, you did not ask for it, but it is a fact nonetheless. You released me from captivity and now your fate is tied to mine.”

“Great. That’s just great.” She stormed past him, or at least tried to. Anger was a much better emotion then fear. He snaked out an arm, catching her as she went by.

“Let me go.” She curled her hands into fists. Honestly, she was ready to pop him one.

No, it wasn’t his fault that she released him from the curse. That was all on her. She’d just had to have the wolf. But he shouldn’t have had sex with her. He’d known that she thought all of it was nothing more than a vision.

“Where are you going? We must stay close.” Even in the dim light she could see the honest concern in his eyes. A little of her anger drained away, leaving her frightened and slightly lost. She had no idea what she should be doing.

“I’m going to get cleaned up and then I’m going to figure out what to do.” She glanced down at his arm where it was wrapped around her and then arched a brow at him. He slowly released her and she stomped off to the bathroom. She could feel his gaze on her all the way and cursed the fact she was only wearing panties and carrying her jeans.

She shut the door solidly behind her and leaned against it. “What are you going to do?” she muttered. She turned on the light and stared at her reflection. Other than her tousled hair and slightly pale complexion, she didn’t look any different from a few hours ago. But everything had changed, including her perception of reality.

She was in the middle of an honest-to-goodness war between a god and a goddess. It was crazy and would be absurdly amusing if it weren’t happening to her.

She desperately wanted to call Tilly or Jessica, but it was too early. Besides, what exactly would she tell them that wouldn’t sound like she was totally off her rocker?

She grabbed her brush from the vanity and attacked the tangles in her hair. When it was smooth, she braided the fiery mass to keep it out of the way. She longed for a shower but had no idea how long Arand would wait before knocking. And then there was the whole Devil and demon thing. If any of them showed up the last place she wanted to be was the shower.

She ran the water in the sink, got a clean cloth from the cabinet and got a quick wash. When she was done, she pulled her jeans on. Shoes, she needed shoes. And information.

Leaving the bathroom, Sabrina hurried back to the living room. It was time to make plans. No way in Hell was she waiting around for some demon to attack her. Okay, maybe she should scratch the word Hell from her vocabulary for the near future. No need to tempt fate.

She didn’t see Arand at first. He was standing in the shadows, looking out through her living-room window. She’d had enough darkness and turned on a standing lamp. A snarling wolf stared back at her, and she gasped.

Arand whirled around so fast he was nothing more than a blur. There was a reddish tinge to his eyes and his mouth was parted on a silent snarl. His gaze snapped around the room before returning to her. “What’s wrong?” He raised his head and sniffed at the air. “Do you sense something?”

She shook her head and walked toward him as if pulled by an invisible cord. “The tattoo on your back.”

He stilled as she got closer, his dark, fathomless eyes tracking her every movement. “You know I am the wolf and he is me. You saw me change.”

Yeah, but she hadn’t believed it was real then. “Your tattoo is a lot like mine.” Both wolves were black and gray in color. Hers was friendlier, more a guardian. His was more primal strength and cunning.

“You belong to the wolf.”

She could tell from the way he said it that he believed it. And she wasn’t sure she could refute him at this point. Everything in her life, every moment, every choice, had led her to this moment.