Resurrection by Anita Cox

tried to figure out to what he was referring. She hadn’t heard a thing and great hearing was a benefit to being a Lycan. “What is it saying?”
    He shook his head. “No. It’s vulgar. I’m not repeating it. But I think someone is about to bond. Probably a Lycan.”
    She started to snicker at the thought of him hearing what her own inner wolf had to say. “Have you ever talked to your wolf side?”
    “My what?”
    She laughed again. “Don’t you have a Centaur side? A being inside you that you can converse with?”
    “I sure as hell hope not. The Centaur form is our natural form. We blend by being able to shift into human. The Lycan in me comes from my mother.” He scratched his head. “You…have another voice inside your head?”
    Trying to hide her amusement at what certainly had to be his wolf acting like hers, she smiled. “Seems like you do too, and he’s a naughty little wolf.”
    He laughed and shook his head. “If only you knew.”
    She put her hand on his forearm. “Don’t worry. My wolf is just as bad. Had me counting to see if I was going into heat.” She snickered and rolled her eyes. “She actually suggested taking you for a spin…like we were test driving a car.” Realizing how bad she must have sounded, she shook her head and held up her hands. “I’m sorry, she’s really out of control right now. So if I burst into laughter for no reason, you’ll know why.”
    She saw him tense, his shoulders rising. He sat a little stiffer.
    “What’s wrong?”
    He shook his head. “I’m getting control of the situation.”
    “No, please. Just relax.” She shook her head. “If I come to work here, we will be around each other a lot. I want you to relax around me. I’ll figure out how to ignore it. Really.” She tried to reassure him even if her sexual urges were driving her mad.
    “So the wolf, I wonder why I’ve never heard him before?” He brushed a blonde curl out of his face.
    “Probably because you don’t spend much time in wolf form. Honestly, for a Lycan, our wolf is our closest confidant. They think differently than we do at times, which give you great introspection. They can be baser animals at times…sex, mating, procreation. Mine is going crazy because my sex life has been non-existent for many years.” She silently cursed herself for blurting yet another intimate detail.
    He rubbed his face. “Wendy, I’m fighting every urge I have right now. You can’t say things like that.”
    Her smile quickly relaxed as she studied him seriously. “You know…it’s not a bad idea.”
    “What?” He leaned back, his eyes wide.
    “You know, trying each other out. Clearly there’s some attraction here, but my natural instinct is to find a Lycan mate.” She shrugged. “Maybe I’ve been looking in the wrong direction.”
    “Look at you, being so bold!” Her wolf mused. “Good girl!”
    He sat silent; staring at her for a moment then smiled and shook his head. “Is this what they call informed consent?”
    The thunder of her heart was nearly deafening in her ears. Her wolf was right. She’d never been this bold with anyone. “We’re both adults.”
    He stood, holding out his hand. “It’s time for me to take you back. Why don’t you consider this when there is some distance between us?”
    Doesn’t he want me? “Oh, yes. It’s getting late.”
    She grabbed up her purse, throwing it over her shoulder. She picked up the glass of wine and tossed it back. “Ready when you are.”
    The walk back to the others was a quiet one. She was afraid she’d either offended him, or come across as crass. Either way, she couldn’t wait to get back to the comfort and safety of her cabin. She’d never been so bold, so forward before. Whether it was his powerful hormones or the duration of her unplanned celibacy, she didn’t know, nor did she care. It was time for her to take control of her life. Zoltar and Colin had both made the same point. She always took care of everyone else.