He let his tail thump the ground again as he watched her move. What did she mean no one had to get hurt? She walked past the pitchers, then reached down, coming back up quickly with a rifle in hand. That, he hadn’t expected.
Being a wolf shifter had its perks, like fast healing, but even he couldn’t survive getting shot in the head. He took a moment to assess the situation from his position on the ground. Her body was tense, but not terrified. The look in her eye was one of curiosity, not bloodlust. If he had to wager, he’d guess that she didn’t want to shoot him. Thank fuck. If she did, she’d have cocked the gun and lifted it to her shoulder already. As it was, she stood there staring, ready to move if need be but somewhat calm.
Rather than startle her and try to run, he whimpered again and rolled onto his back, exposing his belly and rubbing his fur into the grass and dirt. From his upside-down position, he saw the slight tipping of her lips in a small smile.
“You’re just an overgrown puppy, aren’t you? Who in their right minds would domesticate such a beautiful creature?” she finally asked.
Three
Maple couldn’t take her eyes off the hulking beast rolling around in the dirt. Sure, she was a little afraid—the wolf was huge, after all—but the thing was playing like it was a little pup. With his tongue hanging out of his mouth, and what she could only describe as a smile on its furry face, she didn’t think she was in any real danger.
His coat, healthy and thick, covered what looked like a strong body. She could only imagine that he was well fed. And if that was the case, she wasn’t likely to become his lunch…or supper, as it were. Still, she wasn’t foolish, she wouldn’t turn her back on it, just in case.
Already itching from the soap drying on her skin, she poured the water from the pitcher she’d brought out as spare in case her makeshift shower ran out down her body. She gasped at the shock of cold water on her sun-heated skin. Her muscles tensed and her nipples pebbled into hard peaks. “Crap, that was cold,” she told the wolf when he rolled onto his belly and looked at her with his head tipped to the side again.
Something about the beast was familiar. The white markings on his face, the way his gaze pierced her. She tried to remember the furry friend she’d made her last summer at the cabin before they’d moved to the city. Grandma had been furious when she’d found out she’d befriended a wild animal—more than furious. She’d forbidden her from ever going near it again. Then two weeks later, they’d up and moved.
She’d watched a documentary a few years back, and she was pretty sure wolves didn’t live that long in the wild. A decade, maybe, but not two. As much as this one resembled the one from her youth, it couldn’t be. From the same pack? Maybe. Who knew.
The wolf stayed where he was, looking up at her with big, intelligent amber eyes.
“I think I met one of your ancestors once,” she told it, then laughed when he tilted his head to the other side with his ears perked up as though he was intent on listening. “It was almost twenty years ago now. And he was just as handsome as you.”
The wolf gave a little yip as though agreeing with her.
“If I come closer, you won’t bite me, will you?” she asked. She took a step, watching for any signs of stress or aggression from the animal. “I want to see how soft you are.”
His tail smacked the ground as he wagged it.
“No, you won’t bite me.” She came a few steps closer, waited, then moved again until she was within arms reach. “Can I touch you?”
The wolf brought his head forward slowly, sniffing her hand. With trembling fingers, she reached for the top of his head, ready to leap back if need be, but the animal wagged his tail harder and then turned his head and gave her arm a long lick.
She laughed and scratched behind his ear. “Okay, peep show is over. I have to get dressed and make my dinner. I’ll see you around. Hopefully, tomorrow my shower will be fixed, and you won’t get to see quite so much of me.”
Maple straightened again, ready to turn away, when he got to his feet. She’d forgotten how big the creature was. Her heart raced as it looked at her. It took a slow step forward, then before she could figure out what he was doing, his furry muzzle was pressed up against her crotch.
“Woah, hello,” she said as she took a quick step back. It followed her, but when it tried to sniff her again, she turned. Undeterred, it went to her ass, smelling her there. “Okay, Mr. Frisky. That’s enough of that,” she scolded as she swatted him away.
The wolf looked at her again, its eyes shining bright and a funny expression on its face. Just when she thought she’d have to make a dash for it, or risk getting another sniffing, the wolf licked her from the bottom of her right ass cheek to the top of her hip. It made a soft growling sound, then, without warning, rushed off into the brush and out of sight.
“What the hell?” She stared at the spot where he’d disappeared for a full minute before bursting into laughter. “That was the most action I’ve seen in three years, and it wasn’t even from a man. Figures.”
Shaking her head, she walked to the front of the cabin.
***
Strung tighter than any bow, Jaxon’s body vibrated with excitement. Maple had grown into a fucking goddess with all the curves he could ever dream of. And her
