“And how about–”
“All right! Time to go,” I interrupted. If she was going to list everything I’d ever broken or messed up while shifting we’d be there all night. I crossed the distance between us and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “See you in the morning, Ma.”
She squeezed my arm and gave me one of her Mom smiles. The kind that was like warm chocolate chip cookies, a big hug, and eternal acceptance all rolled into one.
“Have a good night with your pack. Be safe, please.”
I shot her a thumbs up over my shoulder and walked out of the house before I actually did shift in there and broke something. It was clear from past experiences that I’d never hear the end of it and Mom didn’t need any more ammo.
I broke into a jog as the sun dipped below the tree line. The magic that made my body transform into a wolf every month ran rampant through my veins as I got closer to the clearing behind the lodge. But it wasn’t just the moon’s magic that was lighting me up like a live wire.
I was also going to see Callie.
My legs pumped harder as I raced toward her.
I knew I was supposed to be keeping my distance, but this was one circumstance where I really couldn’t. I needed to shift into a wolf and that wolf was going to want to run through the woods with the rest of his pack. It was inevitable I’d see her, so I wasn’t fighting it like I had been for weeks.
And what a rough couple of weeks it had been.
I barely knew her, and I’d hardly spent any time with her, but I missed her. I missed seeing the corners of her mouth twitch when she was trying not to smile at me. I missed the way she was funny without really trying. I missed her rants about the environment, and the Panthers, and Taylor Swift, and whatever else she felt strongly about.
I missed just being in her presence.
I’d done my best to push those thoughts aside, but now with the full moon on its way and my wolf so close to the surface, I was through denying myself.
As the clearing came into view, so did my packmates. Most of them were naked already or barely wearing anything and I felt overdressed in my jeans and flannel. I came to a stop near a pine tree on the outskirts of the clearing and started stripping.
When I was done, I strode into the clearing to greet my pack. I shook hands, bumped fists, and patted a few backs as I walked through the crowd, but my eyes were peeled for one person in particular. I finally found her and her sisters just as the sun dipped below the horizon and the magic burst to life within me.
The vibration started low in the pit of my stomach but rapidly spread to every finger and toe. My bones cracked and shifted in place as my wolf surged to the surface. Moments later, I was standing on four legs instead of two with only one thing on my mind.
Callie.
Even without my sharpened vision, I’d have been able to easily find her. She was the beautiful gray wolf with the pale blue eyes that called to me no matter how far away I was. I stood rooted to that spot as I watched her interact with her family.
She was magnificent. Beautiful, and graceful, and strong, and wild. I couldn’t look away.
Finally, she looked up, and our eyes met for the first time since the day we met.
The Earth tilted on its axis, erasing everything else in that clearing but me and her. Callie’s pale eyes widened slightly as she took a single step toward me. It seemed like she was hesitating for some reason, but my wolf had no such issue.
I leapt forward and broke into a run, headed straight toward her. I felt every foot that separated us like it was miles instead and knew I needed to eliminate the distance as quickly as possible.
She was still frozen in place when I reached her, stopping just inches away. I breathed in her rose scent, letting it fill my lungs and cloud my brain in a way only she could. We were silent for a long time, our eyes locked. I didn’t know what was going through her head, but mine was completely wrapped around her. Completely drunk on her.
Finally, she spoke inside my head.
“You’re here.”
I nodded. “I’m here.”
Her wild blue eyes narrowed. “Where have you been?”
It seemed like all pretenses were out the window. Which was a problem for me with the secret I kept hoisted on my shoulders.
I didn’t know how to answer and knew saying something stupid like, ‘I’ve been around’ wouldn’t cut it. This was Callie we were talking about. I hadn’t known her long, but I knew enough to know that kind of half-assed answer wouldn’t fly with her.
Finally, I took a deep breath and said, “Keeping my distance.”
It was the most honest truth I could give her, but the second the words were out, I regretted them. Callie winced and leaned back, like my words had been a physical blow and not just a whisper in her mind.
“Why?”
I swallowed past the dry lump in my throat and looked away. I couldn’t stare into her fathomless eyes and think straight, and it was clear what we had hinged on what I said next. I also knew I’d said I needed to keep my distance, but that all changed the moment the sun set.
“I thought I was doing the right thing.”
More truth, despite how pathetic it might sound.
“I… don’t understand…” she
