Or wolf. Could it be… ?
Just then, a sharp pain gripped her stomach. Clutching her middle, she gasped, managing to stifle a cry. Maybe it would pass, and she didn’t want to scare Aric. But a second pain followed on the heels of the first, this one radiating to every limb. Her legs folded and she hit the floor with a thud, but that didn’t hurt an ounce compared to the knives stabbing her arms and legs.
“Aric!” she cried, tears welling. Curling into the fetal position, she grabbed her stomach.
“Rowan, what— Oh, shit!” The can of soda went rolling as he dropped to his knees and scooped her into his arms. Quickly, he laid her on the bed and started checking her for injuries. “What happened, baby? Where does it hurt?”
“All over,” she whimpered. “I—I’m being stabbed.”
“Where?”
“Arms and legs. It hurts!”
“I’ll call Melina.” He started to get up, but she grabbed at him.
“Don’t leave me! Just hold me, please,” she begged. Never had she been so needy. All she wanted was Aric. “I’ve never felt anything like this.”
“Is the pain better?” he asked anxiously. Sitting on the bed, he moved her into his lap, holding her protectively in the circle of his arms.
“Some. But I’m tingling and I don’t feel good. Sort of sick, like I ate something bad.”
He fell silent, rubbing her back. When he spoke again, he was much more calm. “Sweetheart, this is exactly the way I felt right before my first shift. And it was about two weeks after I’d been bitten.”
“Same as me.” As she looked into his face, sweat popped out on her forehead and her fear increased. “I don’t know if I can do it,” she whispered. “Not if it will always hurt like this.”
“It doesn’t, baby, I swear. Just the first time.” He kissed her, slow and soothing.
“I don’t know what to do.” She hated the whiny tone in her voice. Hated feeling weak.
“Okay, let’s see.” He thought for a second. “Try opening your mind to your wolf. Let her in. Do you feel her?”
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and concentrated on relaxing. Wasn’t easy with the pain still twisting her limbs, but she reached down with her mind. “I sense something. A presence?”
“I’d bet that’s her,” he said, starting to sound excited. “Do it again, and try not to think so hard.”
“Easy for you to say.” But she tried, delved deeper. This time, an image of a wolf came to mind. Sable, like Micah, but smaller. She gasped, and the image vanished. “Was that me? I saw a brown wolf!”
He grinned. “You’re getting there. You have to call her, and make her obey. Want me to shift? It might help.”
“Okay, let’s try it.”
She watched as Aric rose from the bed and began taking off his clothes. Lord, he was gorgeous and she was the luckiest woman alive. Naked, he knelt on the bed, his green gaze holding hers, auburn hair flowing over his shoulders. His full mouth quirked and his eyes smoldered. The man knew full well she loved what she saw, how he affected her.
He shifted slowly, and she figured that was for her benefit, so she could study the process in a way she never had before. His face reshaped, his nose becoming a muzzle, red hair becoming fur, ears tufting. His arms and legs became canine, his chest rounded. His tail was plush and wagging playfully as the change was completed, tongue lolling.
“You’re beautiful,” she said, rubbing his head. She laughed as he butted under her hand, obviously wanting a scratch. “I don’t know if I can do it…”
She’d barely finished that thought when her stomach turned over. The tingling under her skin became a swarm of bees. Inside, her wolf growled, making its presence known at last. She stared at Aric and saw concern. Encouragement, too, as he licked her face.
Then suddenly, she had no choice any longer. She yelped in alarm as the first of the changes jerked her body. A picture of Pinocchio came to mind as her face elongated, particularly her nose. Fortunately, her muzzle seemed the right size when it stopped growing. Then her arms and legs began to thin and fur sprouted. Her hands became paws, her torso reshaped. And something was sticking out of her ass… She turned as best as she could to see her brown furry rump, with a tail standing up like a flag. Giving an experimental wag, she found it worked just fine.
A happy bark brought her attention back to Aric. Her mate danced around her on the bed and nipped playfully at her butt. She nipped back at him, but then her attention was caught by her reflection in the dresser mirror.
Oh, my God!
But the words came out as a bark. Looking back at her was a sable wolf, smallish, just like in her vision. Her coat was full and shiny, her face delicate. She’d never been delicate in her life, so this was a nice change. I make a darned pretty wolf if I do say so!
You bet you do, beautiful! And you’re all mine.
She spun around to face Aric, stunned. You can hear me?
Yep. Kira and Jax can communicate like this, or so they’ve said. I didn’t know whether it was true, but apparently we can, too. Cool, huh?
Yes! I can’t believe this. I’m a wolf.
Pretty shocking for a big-city cop.
And then some.
Try out your doggie legs? He jumped off the bed and jogged to the door, waiting.
Here goes. She leapt, hit the floor and wound up in a heap. Aric’s laugh echoed in her head and she scowled. Or tried to. Don’t laugh at me, buddy. See if you get any tail, so to speak.
Hey, no need to get cranky.
Trotting over, he pushed his body into hers, encouraging her to get up. She stood on shaky legs and followed as he led her out, down the hall, and into their living room. For a while they simply walked around, letting her get used to the new form and moving on four legs instead of two. She did fairly well, and he began to nip and play again, wanting her to join him.
Throwing herself into the spirit, she nipped back, growling, faking being the baddest wolf. He snarled, showed his huge teeth and she yelped, taking off, jumping the coffee table, scrambling onto the sofa, and leaping over the back of it. He was right behind her as she sprinted in circles around the living room.
Fierce joy overflowed as they ran. She’d never been so free. She loved this man, her wolf, and was loved in return. He caught up and jumped on her, taking her to the floor, but he didn’t hurt her. He was very careful, even as they roughhoused. She enjoyed every second, thinking everybody nearby must hear their barking and growling.
Finally, they tired and lay on a rug, panting. Slowly, her mate shifted back and propped his chin in his hand, smiling.
“Okay, your turn. Shift back. Same way you did before, in reverse. Call to your human half.”
After the agony of the first impending shift, returning to human form was surprisingly easy. She imagined herself as Rowan, with human features. It worked, and the change happened smoothly, in seconds, leaving her naked and with an armful of horny mate.
“God, you’re beautiful.” He kissed her hard, and deep. “I could just eat you up. In fact, I think I will. Roll onto your stomach.”
“Bossy.”
“You love it.”
He had a point. She did as he said, and he spread her legs wide, crawling between them. She felt him lying down, the puff of breath on her sex. They almost made a daisy chain—well, one with only two links. That’s all there ever would be.