Claiming Ana by Brynna Curry Page B

paused. “I hadn’t shifted yet, but I was well on my way. Scared. Hurting. I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t understand what was happening to me. Mom knocked on the bathroom door where I was hiding. She said, ‘Howl, sweetie. Are you alright?’ She always called me ‘Howl, sweetie.’ Just like that. I wanted my mom. I wanted her to make it better, to stop the pain.”
    “Oh, Howl.”
    “I was afraid that I would hurt her. I opened the door, yelled something to hurt her feelings so she would stay away. I didn’t know what was happening to me or what I might do. I lashed out at her with my hand, to scare her. I know I broke her arm, probably just below her elbow. I heard the sickening snap. I looked down at my hands. I had claws instead of fingernails. My arms were morphing and covered with thick black hair. I smelled her blood, the ripped flesh, ruined muscles and tendons from the compound break. She was my mom and I loved her more than life. She was my mom and I wanted to rip her apart.”
    “No.”
    “I ran after her, up the basement stairs, but she was scared and fast. Good thing for her, when I reached the top of the stairs, she slammed the door shut and locked it. I heard something heavy slide over the floor. I don’t remember anything after that. I must have been fully changed by then.”
    “They were gone the next morning, weren’t they?”
    “I woke the next morning and was human again. The door gave easily when I tried to open it. I looked through the house, but they were gone. I guess she had blocked it with the china cabinet and then moved it again once the sun rose. Yes. I ran. I didn’t know if I’d killed her, just hurt her or what, but I knew I couldn’t take the chance of hurting someone else I loved. I did love them. They raised me from a baby. They were the only family I had. She was a distant cousin of my mother’s.”
    “Did you ever try to find them and explain? If they loved you, maybe they would understand.”
    “No. Maybe if the curse can be broken, I will try. Until then, I won’t risk hurting them. The man hunting me is my blood cousin. From what I’ve been able to find out about my bloodline, there are two males born with the curse each generation. One is wolf, one is bane, and destined to kill each other. He found me that morning, announcing himself like a cheesy cartoon villain. I’m smart and fast. I’ve been running from place to place because I don’t want to kill my own blood.”
    “That’s part of the curse, fated to destroy each other. Will you change tonight? The moon wasn’t completely full last night and it won’t be tonight.”
    “I don’t want to take any chances with you. If it happened once, it might again, I think. I haven’t shifted out of phase before.”
    “I need to call my granny. She may be able to hold it off ’til the moon is full. She’s a powerful woman.”
     
    * * * *
     
    They lay snuggled under the quilt. Both of them loathed facing any reality outside the walls of her bedroom. “A vet in love with a werewolf. It’s almost surreal.”
    “Yeah, I love you right back.” Ana heard the self-satisfied smirk in his voice.
    “Much as I hate to, we have to get dressed and figure out what comes next.”
    “I need to get some clothes from the house.”
    “Sorry, I’d offer you something to wear, but I don’t keep men’s clothes on hand. I don’t entertain on a regular basis, if you know what I mean.” Her words lost their teasing tone and turned serious. “Will Van still be after you?”
    “No, he’ll assume I died before sunrise. My blood’s bound to be all over those woods. We have all the time in the world. At least until nightfall, that is.” Howl turned to her. His body made it clear just how he wanted to spend that time.
    “I need you, Ana. Right now. While there’s light enough to chase away the dark.”
    She knew they would have to leave the cocoon of her cabin sooner or later, but right now she was content to