Shadowed Instincts by Wendi Wilson

familiar whine pulled her from whatever
trance her anger had put her in. She glanced down and saw those dark brown eyes
she loved so much.
    She dropped to her knees and threw her arms around Ace’s
neck as she asked, “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
    “He’s fine,” a somewhat familiar voice called out from
nearby. “We were just doing a little sparring.”
    Melanie looked toward the sound of the voice and froze in
shock. Declan stood there, panting heavily, a large bruise blooming across the
left side of his torso. A torso that was bare. It was bare because he had
shifted where he landed and stood buck naked in the bright light of the sun.
    Ace moved quickly to block her view and barked at Declan.
Melanie closed her eyes and leaned into his side, dropping from her knees onto
her butt. Her face was red again, this time from embarrassment instead of
anger. She heard footsteps retreating toward the house as Declan walked away.
    Oh my God, she thought as she squeezed Ace tighter. I
saw my first naked man. Oh Lord, I saw my first naked man and it was Declan! Oh, God.
    She was mortified, but that quickly turned to anguish when
she realized what she had done. She ran into the yard like a madwoman and
kicked the crap out of the beta’s son. She had probably embarrassed Jeremy,
too, making him think that she didn’t believe he could take care of himself.
    “Jeremy,” she whispered into Ace’s neck, “I’m sorry. I don’t
know what came over me. I’m so, so sorry.”
    Ace pulled away and gave a little yelp before licking her
face until she fell over in a fit of giggles. He jumped on top of her and
continued the torture. When he wouldn’t stop, she grabbed him around the neck
and jerked so that he rolled off and landed with a thud beside her.
    Melanie turned her head to look at him. He lay on his side
beside her, panting heavily and licking his chops. She scratched him under the
chin, then let her hand drop. She turned her eyes back to the sky.
    “I love you, Jeremy,” she whispered.
    Ace gave a light whine and a chuff, then nuzzled his snout
into her neck.

Chapter 11
    “I don’t know how I am going to do this.”
    Melanie was pacing in her bedroom, wearing a track in the
dark beige carpeting. Her father had tapped on her door a few minutes earlier,
calling out that dinner would be served in half an hour.
    She was a nervous wreck. Not only was she going to be
meeting several new people, but she was also going to have to face Declan and
his parents. She had no idea what to say or how to act after that spectacular
display of nudity in the back yard.
    “Chad. Willow. So nice to see you again. By the way, I saw
all your son’s goodies earlier,” she mumbled. “Oh God, I can’t do this.”
    There was a light knock on the door and in her distraction,
Melanie called “Come in,” without thinking. The door opened and there stood
Declan in all his angelic and, thankfully fully clothed, glory.
    “What are you doing here?” Melanie asked in an accusing
tone.
    Declan took one step inside, but left the door open behind
him. He looked around the room, his eyes shooting from one object to the next,
looking everywhere but at Melanie. He cleared his throat then caught her eye.
    “I just wanted to apologize for earlier. You know, for the
whole shifting and being nak-”
    “I know what you meant!” Melanie said, cutting him off.
    “Yeah. Well, I wasn’t really thinking. You attacked me and-”
    “You attacked Jeremy!”
    “Melanie, we were sparring. He said he needed to shift and
stretch his legs, so we went for a run and it got competitive. You’ll
understand, once you go through the change.”
    “Okay. I get it. I’m sorry I overreacted.” She rubbed her
hands up and down her arms and shifted her weight from foot to foot.
    “No need to apologize, Mel. Can I call you Mel?” At her nod,
he continued, “We all know what it feels like when you approach your first
shift. We all experience the crazy emotions. The