combined.”
“You really put a lot of trust in
your sister’s advice, don’t you?”
“Why wouldn’t I? We’re family and
stuck in this curse thing together. Just like you and I are.”
****
Hours later, under the cloak of moonlit darkness,
Valerie escaped the towered mansion with no interference from family. It wasn’t
like Dad to stay away, especially after her last escapade. She doubted she was
alone, but so far there was no sign of Uncle Hugh, nor even a hint of his
scent. Perhaps he’d been injured by the wolf attack more than he’d been willing
to admit and wouldn’t be joining her tonight.
The round, bright moon and its power, along with
Brian’s scent, drew her deeper into the hills. He’d been ahead of her since
she’d sailed over the terrace railing, but she didn’t know when he’d let her
catch up with him. Is he enjoying keeping
me at bay and guessing? It would serve him right if I veered off and lost him . It would l eave me free to embrace the night and drink in the feral sensations ,
she thought, enjoying the damp earth beneath her paws. Until her internal voice
cried out that none of it would be good without him.
Then, there he was in his proud, furry Alpha armor. He
growled, as if to ask, were you worried?
She gave him her lupine, sidelong glance, hoping he got
her go-to-hell message. Unfortunately, her wagging tail betrayed her real
feelings of relief and joy.
They covered several acres but the scarce
night-blooming flower was nowhere to be seen. When she was about to give up,
she spied a large growth. With a clawed paw, she jammed some into her mouth and
chewed quickly. Victoria was right. It tasted like raw spinach drizzled with
poppy oil.
She pointed her muzzle to another
large clump to encourage Brian to try some.
He tentatively chewed off a slender
stem.
She clawed the ground to remind him
they had to combine the promising temporary cure with the reversing,
mind-over-matter skill. Valerie concentrated and processed each step in
reverse. She curled her lips and counted backwards as agonizing pain radiated
through her body. With all of her strength, she fought the pain and the pull of
the full moon. Then all hell broke loose inside her. It was as though she were
trapped in an anticyclone with its high-pressure center with winds rotating and
spiraling in the opposite direction. Chilled and terrified, she let out a long
howl. Her eyes pooled with tears as the attacks of pain came in waves, each
surge sharper than the last. She curled into a fetal position, convulsed and
writhed upon the carpet of dried grass while she fought to hold back sobs.
Her Alpha wolf lay down beside her
and nuzzled her gently, as though to help her through her agony. She prayed for
God’s help, his mercy. Then, slowly, like Victoria said, the throbbing muscles
throughout her body began to relax and the pain lessoned. Valerie raked her
fingers through her wild, lemony mane. The swirling fog lifted from her mind
and her brain strained to gather its humanness. When her feral instincts eased,
she wanted to do a happy dance.
Brian growled as if going through
his own hell.
She couldn’t help but wonder what
the ability to control desires would be like between them. He was already
better at holding back emotions than she was. Maybe he was right that tight
control wasn’t always a good thing. But until that killer wolf was caught and
dealt with, she needed to stay in control.
Suddenly she caught the acrid scent of evil and knew it was the killer
wolf. An eerie feeling sent a prickle through the roots of her hair. Nude, half
morphed and womanly, she trembled as she watched the huge black wolf skulking
in on them, his belly low to the ground, his eyes glowing like hot coals. He moved
closer, silent as the night that pressed down on her. No, no,
not now. While caught in a vulnerable state of morphing they didn’t have a
chance. The chill that shot through Valerie had nothing to do with the breeze
coming
“You really put a lot of trust in
your sister’s advice, don’t you?”
“Why wouldn’t I? We’re family and
stuck in this curse thing together. Just like you and I are.”
****
Hours later, under the cloak of moonlit darkness,
Valerie escaped the towered mansion with no interference from family. It wasn’t
like Dad to stay away, especially after her last escapade. She doubted she was
alone, but so far there was no sign of Uncle Hugh, nor even a hint of his
scent. Perhaps he’d been injured by the wolf attack more than he’d been willing
to admit and wouldn’t be joining her tonight.
The round, bright moon and its power, along with
Brian’s scent, drew her deeper into the hills. He’d been ahead of her since
she’d sailed over the terrace railing, but she didn’t know when he’d let her
catch up with him. Is he enjoying keeping
me at bay and guessing? It would serve him right if I veered off and lost him . It would l eave me free to embrace the night and drink in the feral sensations ,
she thought, enjoying the damp earth beneath her paws. Until her internal voice
cried out that none of it would be good without him.
Then, there he was in his proud, furry Alpha armor. He
growled, as if to ask, were you worried?
She gave him her lupine, sidelong glance, hoping he got
her go-to-hell message. Unfortunately, her wagging tail betrayed her real
feelings of relief and joy.
They covered several acres but the scarce
night-blooming flower was nowhere to be seen. When she was about to give up,
she spied a large growth. With a clawed paw, she jammed some into her mouth and
chewed quickly. Victoria was right. It tasted like raw spinach drizzled with
poppy oil.
She pointed her muzzle to another
large clump to encourage Brian to try some.
He tentatively chewed off a slender
stem.
She clawed the ground to remind him
they had to combine the promising temporary cure with the reversing,
mind-over-matter skill. Valerie concentrated and processed each step in
reverse. She curled her lips and counted backwards as agonizing pain radiated
through her body. With all of her strength, she fought the pain and the pull of
the full moon. Then all hell broke loose inside her. It was as though she were
trapped in an anticyclone with its high-pressure center with winds rotating and
spiraling in the opposite direction. Chilled and terrified, she let out a long
howl. Her eyes pooled with tears as the attacks of pain came in waves, each
surge sharper than the last. She curled into a fetal position, convulsed and
writhed upon the carpet of dried grass while she fought to hold back sobs.
Her Alpha wolf lay down beside her
and nuzzled her gently, as though to help her through her agony. She prayed for
God’s help, his mercy. Then, slowly, like Victoria said, the throbbing muscles
throughout her body began to relax and the pain lessoned. Valerie raked her
fingers through her wild, lemony mane. The swirling fog lifted from her mind
and her brain strained to gather its humanness. When her feral instincts eased,
she wanted to do a happy dance.
Brian growled as if going through
his own hell.
She couldn’t help but wonder what
the ability to control desires would be like between them. He was already
better at holding back emotions than she was. Maybe he was right that tight
control wasn’t always a good thing. But until that killer wolf was caught and
dealt with, she needed to stay in control.
Suddenly she caught the acrid scent of evil and knew it was the killer
wolf. An eerie feeling sent a prickle through the roots of her hair. Nude, half
morphed and womanly, she trembled as she watched the huge black wolf skulking
in on them, his belly low to the ground, his eyes glowing like hot coals. He moved
closer, silent as the night that pressed down on her. No, no,
not now. While caught in a vulnerable state of morphing they didn’t have a
chance. The chill that shot through Valerie had nothing to do with the breeze
coming
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