Little Red and the Wolf

stayed low to the ground, crouched, trying to be smaller, less noticeable. It was pointless, she knew, she was utterly exposed.

A car door slammed and Maizie froze, heart pounding. Her gaze darted over the parking lot, five cars. Her ears twitched, she sniffed. Nothing. Muscles tensed, wanting to run, but she didn’t move.

“Maizie?”

She knew that voice, deep and rich, soothing like…

“It’s mwap…Gray. Mwap it easy, mwap mwap?”

Gray? Maizie followed the voice with her eyes. She found him standing next to a long black car parked by the forest on the other side. She watched him, his hands low, out from his body as though he meant to seem less threatening. Her instincts weren’t buying it.

She sniffed again and picked up only a hint of his scent when the wind shifted around, bouncing off the building. Mmmm…she knew that smell, earth and plants, the forest, but there was more. A hint of sweetness, human cologne. Maizie’s wolf-half balked at the odor, edging backward.

“No. Wait.” He stopped moving. “I mwap help. Let mwap mwap with you.”

Maizie knew the words, but couldn’t wrap her wolf brain around their meaning. He was human. She didn’t trust humans. She moved another step back.

“Jeezus, you mwap mwap beautiful animal. I know mwap, scared and you’re mwap mwap mwap half of mwap mwap saying, but mwap mwap be mwap mwap running mwap alone.”

Maizie took another step back. Why was she even out in the open like this? Where was she going? She couldn’t remember. It didn’t matter. She had to get away. She had to run, her instincts demanded it and they were too hard to ignore.

She turned, but something about the human stopped her. She looked back and saw his face contorting, changing shape. He stripped out of his shirt, popping buttons, throwing the remains to the ground. He moved to his pants, working his buckle and zipper even as he toed off his shoes. He was naked in seconds, his body shrinking, skin rolling as though his bones moved and reshaped beneath the flesh.

Thick silvery fur sprouted over his shoulders, rippled down his chest to his belly, hiding his penis and balls in an instant. He fell forward, his arms and legs changing to paws before they touched the ground. Just like that he was a wolf.

He snorted with a hard shake of his head, pausing as though he needed a moment to recoup. Then his pale blue wolf eyes focused on her and he sauntered forward. Maizie’s muscles twitched, the urge to run screaming loud in her head.

Yes, he was a wolf, but he was a male wolf. The apprehension remained, only the reasons for it had changed. This wasn’t her territory and she knew with a shift of the wind it was his. She’d detected his scent all over the forest. This place belonged to him and his pack. She was an outsider. If she were male, she’d likely already be dead. As a female there were choices-for him, not her.

He could attack, deciding he had enough females in his pack and dominating another wasn’t worth the trouble. Or he could take her now, possess her, claim her as his own. Either way, Maizie would have little to say in the matter. He was at least six inches taller at the shoulder and a solid fifty pounds heavier. His decision would be absolute.

A warm shudder tickled under her fur down her back. Even in wolf form the thought of him taking her was an erotic temptation. But until she knew his intentions, complete passivity could be fatal.

Maizie lowered her shoulders, her ears pinned back against her head. She growled, bared her teeth. Gray stopped his slow approach, his pale eyes fixed on her, judging her intentions just as she judged his.

He was too far away, his body language ambivalent. She’d have to allow him closer to be sure, close enough to strike. She couldn’t take that chance. Her wolf-half wouldn’t allow it.

Maizie spun, springing off her powerful back legs, pumping her front legs to propel her forward, away from the male aggressor. She didn’t know where she was going. It didn’t matter as long as she got away.

Her nails clawed at the blacktop, slipping when they couldn’t dig in. Gray’s nails clattered behind her, giving chase without hesitation. She glanced back, saw his body eating the distance between them, his pale blue eyes alight with fury. He’d overtake her in seconds.

Panic clogged her throat, hammered through her heart, pumped her legs harder, faster. She shifted her attention forward, ready to throw herself into the run.

Lights. Blinding. Two brilliant orbs barreling toward her. Thunder rumbled behind them, vibrating through her brain. Maizie gasped, a sharp high-pitched yip. She tried to stop, throwing her weight backward, her paws scrambling to slow her momentum.

Gray’s heavy body collided with her, unable to shift speed and direction any better than she. The impact knocked the air from her lungs, both of them tumbling off the blacktop onto soft grass. Maizie found her center and stopped her roll just in time to pull her nose out of the way of the minivan rolling up the driveway.

Twisting hard, throwing her head and neck, Maizie got her feet under her. Adrenaline surged through her body, giving her a dizzying high while she puzzled what to do next. Where was the male? Nothing mattered more.

A low growl turned her around, the sound so visceral it vibrated through her flesh and bone, stuttering the beat of her heart. She peered into the forest, trying hard to pinpoint the sound. Full dark made for a night blacker than pitch, even for her enhanced wolf eyesight. Straining, she managed to catch a subtle shift of movement behind a cluster of trees and focused her gaze as the soft glow of pale blue eyes broke the curtain of black.

Gray’s silvery fur caught the light. The chase was on.

Chapter Twelve

He’d saved her life, knocking her out of the way when her animal instincts froze in the headlights. Normally that should have earned him some points but Gray knew Maizie’s fevered wolf brain wasn’t up to the logic. Once her body manufactured enough antibodies to break her fever, she’d shift back to human form. Unfortunately, there was no way for Gray to know how long that would take.

Maizie crouched, ears pinned back, belly nearly touching the grass. She bared her teeth, growled at him, warning she’d fight or run if he dared to approach. Protecting her until her fever broke wasn’t going to be easy this way. They were animals now. No way to communicate except the way nature intended for the species. At least in that respect, Maizie was capable. She was more wolf than human for the time being.

Gray snorted with a hard shake of his head and stepped from the shadows. Maizie edged back, her brilliant green eyes fixed on him. She snarled, her voice louder.

Gray had the feeling she was more ready to run than fight if the opportunity arose. He couldn’t read her mind or her his, but they sensed each other, understood each other’s wants, desires and needs. A natural phenomenon created by an enhancement of the normal five.

With a small whimper, a submissive sigh, Gray lowered himself to the forest floor. On his belly, he edged closer, head cocked to the side, eyes downcast as much as possible. I’m not going to hurt you.

Maizie straightened, not completely but enough he knew she understood. Ears perked, her head twisted one way, then the other before she gave a curious yip. What do you want?

Gray continued the submissive approach, not really answering. I’m not going to hurt you. I’m not going to hurt you. He was almost to her, but Maizie was becoming antsy.

Her heart beat so hard he could see the subtle vibration of her fur. Her feet shifted, finding the best footing to launch into a run at a moment’s notice. Fear seasoned her body chemistry, the scent seeping through her pores, a bitter taste on the air. It was a risk for her to let him get too near. She’d know he could overpower her in seconds.

She stepped back, gave another yip, but this one was harder, laced with warning. What the hell do you want? Stay away. I will bring you down.

Another whimper, Gray edged closer. I’m not going to hurt you. Just a few more