Shadow of the Wolf

stubborn.”

He couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m stubborn?” He stroked her cheek. “What is the worst that could happen, Alannah? You fall in love with a man completely devoted to you, who will never cheat on you or leave you. A man willing to lay down his life for you if need be.” She had that deer in the headlights look again. He stroked his thumb across her full lips, teasing them both with the promise of a kiss, hoping to soothe her. “Give me a chance. Learn me, get to know me. I may surprise you, despite the fact that I’m a wizard.”

“A wolf wizard.”

He frowned, his heart sinking. Had she lied about it not bothering her? “I thought that didn’t bother you.”

“It doesn’t, not really. But it’s a part of you I’ll need to get to learn if I’m going to go through with this.”

“Do you want to see me change?”

She blinked. “Here?”

“Well, we could take it upstairs…”

She was glaring at him again. “Here’s good.”

He raised his voice. “Mrs. Evans?”

“You can call me Annabelle, Christopher.”

“Thank you. Would you mind staying in the kitchen for about ten minutes?”

Silence. “Only ten?”

“Grammy!” Lana buried her face in her hands but not before he caught sight of her reddening cheeks.

He took pity on her. “Lana wants to meet my wolf.” There was a difference between that flight in the woods and what Lana wanted now. She needed to meet the wolf, touch him, possibly bond with him. It would be another rite of passage for both of them.

“Ah.” Annabelle’s voice was knowing. “Very well then. I’ll have another cup of coffee.”

“Thank you, Annabelle.”

“You’re welcome.”

He tipped Lana’s face up. “Are you ready?”

She nodded.

Christopher stepped away and made sure that the windows were covered. Satisfied, he began stripping. He chuckled when Lana turned away. “You’ve already seen, touched, and felt everything, Lana.”

“Don’t remind me, wolfman.”

He stepped out of his pants, fully nude. “You can turn around now.” He waited for her to be fully turned before calling his wolf to him.

He hated the word summon. It implied that his wolf did his bidding. It was more than that; it was a blending of souls, a partnership where each met the needs of the other. So he called his wolf and invited him in.

His wolf answered. They flowed together, the change overtaking his body, the wolf becoming dominant. He opened his eyes, almost afraid of what Lana’s reaction would be.

She fell to her knees in front of him, the wonder on her face easing most of his fears.

“You’re beautiful.”

He tilted his head into her palm, eager for her touch. She stroked him, running her fingers through his fur, scratching behind his ear. He sighed happily and licked her cheek.

“Ew. Dog breath.”

He growled playfully, his tail wagging back and forth. He held on to the desire to pounce on her. His wolf wanted to play with their mate.

“Gee, grandpa, what big teeth you have.”

He shook his head and stepped back, beginning the change again. He had the urge to run, a need he always had when his wolf was dominant. A need he couldn’t indulge in South Philadelphia. And the thought of Lana taking him walkies on a leash?

Hell to the no.

He reached first for his underwear, slipping it back on. “So we’re agreed that we’ll stay here until Cole finds us.”

“But in separate bedrooms,” she added quickly.

He rolled his eyes and reached for his pants. “Fine. We’ll have separate bedrooms.”

“Don’t sound so grumpy. Next thing you know you’ll be whining and giving me puppy dog eyes.”

He gave her his best sad-sack face. “Can you resist puppy dog eyes?”

She bit her lip. “I hereby exercise my fifth amendment rights against self incrimination.”

He chuckled softly. “I like you.” He stroked her hair away from her eyes, lingering in its silky sweetness. “Maybe some day soon you’ll like me too.”

Her expression turned serious. “I hereby exercise my—”

He kissed the rest of the sentence away, forgetting where they were, forgetting everything but the taste, the scent of her.

When his lips left hers she sighed. “I am in so much trouble.”

Chapter Five

Grammy had insisted that Chris call her Annabelle. And he did, striking up a relaxed conversation over ham and cheese sandwiches and barbeque potato chips, sitting in her kitchen at Grammy’s comfortable ebony stained banquette. He’d even offered to sit on one of the long benches behind the table, his back to the wall, leaving the chairs for Lana and Grammy. He was calm, polite, a total gentleman.

She wondered what he was up to.

“So it’s all right if Lana and I stay here, at least for a little while?”

She tuned back into the conversation to find Grammy nodding. “Of course you’re both welcome to stay here. Do you have any idea why Cole is so eager to hurt you and Lana?”

Christopher frowned and rubbed at his forehead. “I have no idea. There’s some bad blood between us, but nothing that would warrant attacking Lana.” He cleared his throat.

“Last I heard he was happily ensconced in Pittsburgh along with his family.”

Lana watched Chris gulp, his face turning pale. He discreetly pushed his plate away.

“I need to do a little research, find out exactly what he thinks I’ve done this time.”

“This time?” Lana watched Chris take a sip of soda, wincing before he put it back down. Something wasn’t right. He was flushed, then pale, and he was beginning to shake.

Every instinct she had sat up and began screeching. She pressed her hand against his forehead. “Chris, you’re burning up.”

“Too soon to get sick from the rain.” He coughed into his napkin, his body wracked with shudders.

“Looks like you’re wrong about that.” She stood and pulled him from the bench. She staggered, his full weight hitting her, nearly dropping them both to the ground. “Whoa!

Steady, Chris.”

“Not wrong. We don’t get sick like this.” He coughed again, his voice hoarse. She winced in sympathy at the wet sound.

“Grammy? Blue room?” At Annabelle’s nod, she steered Chris through the kitchen towards the stairs at the front of the house. “Most people would catch cold after being out naked in the rain.”

She took hold of the banister, pausing when he grabbed hold of her wrist. “Not like this.”

She bit her lip, narrowing her eyes at him. “You think this is magical?”

“Yes.”

She pulled him up the stairs, one dragging step at a time. She agreed with him, and that scared him. It had come on so fast. “You think I did it?”

He looked horrified. “No! Cole.”

“Damn. We really need to figure out what you did to piss him off.” She pushed