She didn’t understand how he could feel so right. She’d just met him, and she wondered if her overactive hormones weren’t responsible. It had been a long time, after all, since she’d been with a man. Her heart screamed in denial. Her heart knew that he was hers and that she was his even if she didn’t want to admit it yet. She sighed and fell asleep within moments, snuggled against her new lover.
Anthony savored the feel of her soft curves pressed against his hard body, the smell of her like a siren’s call to him. Her soft, even breathing tickled the hairs on his arm. He wanted to enjoy every moment like this with her because when tomorrow came and he told her everything about him and what she was going to become, he didn’t know how she’d react. He knew his mate was strong and would be okay physically, and even though it was a little selfish, he couldn’t wait until they were on more equal terms strengthwise. He’d be able to make love to her any way he wanted without worrying about hurting her. He was mostly concerned how she would take the change mentally. Not wanting those thoughts to ruin this moment, he pulled Karen even tighter against him, nuzzled his nose deep into her thick hair, and, closing his eyes, allowed sleep to claim him.
Chapter Six
Her breaths puffed out in clouds as she ran through the woods. She felt free, unconfined, exhilarated, and peaceful. The tops of the trees were thick and blocked out the sun, shading the forest in deep grays. The breeze ruffled her fur as she ran through the white snow silently. Wait. Fur? What the hell was going on? A moment of unbound freedom suddenly turned to a fight between reality and something that wasn’t possible. She stopped and looked down at her hands, or at what used to be her hands. Paws and long claws now peeked at her. She’d seen those claws before, in the alley on Anthony.
Suddenly, she was human once again, and just as suddenly, a pain ripped through her and brought her to her knees. Something trying to get out tore at her insides. She grabbed her stomach and cried out in pain. She was scared. She was alone and in the woods. She was lost. How had she gotten there in the first place? She couldn’t remember. Panic numbed her muscles and a fine sheen of sweat broke out on her nude body even though she was kneeling in the snow.
“Karen. Come on, baby, you’re having a nightmare.”
A familiar voice floated through her unconscious brain, penetrating the walls of the dream, yet she continued to panic. She was terrified, but something told her to follow the voice and she’d be okay.
“Karen. Wake up, baby! It’s just a dream.”
Karen’s eyes flew wide and she found herself looking into Anthony’s face. He was holding her so tight that she could barely breathe. “Anthony. What’s wrong?”
“You were having a bad dream.”
He loosened his grip a little on her and she took several deep breaths. The nightmare came rushing back, and when it did, her arm started throbbing. She grabbed it and gasped at the pain, then gasped again when she looked down and saw that it was nearly healed. How could it hurt so badly when the wound was almost gone? Had it gotten infected? “Oh. Yeah, I guess I was.”
“We need to talk.”
She didn’t like the look on his face. He was about to tell her something dire, something she didn’t want to hear. A strange sensation crawled over her skin and made her shiver. It felt like a warning. A warning that she wasn’t going to like what he was about to tell her. She had an overwhelming urge to get off the bed and run as far and as fast as she could away from him. Thinking of earlier, she knew that wouldn’t be wise because he hadn’t had any trouble catching her before. “Wh-what is it?”
“You’re going to find what I say very hard to believe, but I promise you, I would never lie to you. So, please, listen to me, okay?”
She nodded, and he continued. “I know I scared you yesterday in the alley, and I know you thought I was some kind of stalker or something because I knew your name and where you lived. I’m not, though—a stalker, I mean. I know all about you because you are my mate.”
She began to speak, but he held his hand up to plead her silence and she remained quiet. “Just wait until I’m finished, and then you can ask me whatever you want.” She nodded again. “I know you are my mate because of your scent. Our mates have two unique scents. One that draws all of our kind and one that can only be detected by a mate. That is the reason why all the other pups were after you.”
What the hell was he talking about? She was his mate because he could smell her? What kind of crap was that? She was confused and had a feeling things were going to get even worse. “What do you mean your kind?”
“I mean my kind as in lycans.”
She laughed, and stopped abruptly when she realized he was dead serious. “You mean like werewolves?” He nodded. “Uh, I don’t think so.” Yet, now some things were making sense like the claws, the teeth, the glowing eyes, the sniffing. Holy shit! Could he actually be telling the truth? “No. This can’t be happening. I mean, the claws and all, that was just a Halloween costume right?”
“No, it wasn’t a Halloween costume, Karen. Don’t you remember last night in the club when you asked me why I wasn’t wearing a costume?”
“You told me you had your own built-in costume.”
“Yes. That’s exactly what I meant.”
“No. I don’t believe it. I must still be dreaming.”
Anthony shook his head slowly. “Well, it’s the truth and you better get used to it because when that bastard bit you he made you into one of us. You will change for the first time in about twenty-four hours, give or take.”
She sat up slowly and looked at him. She didn’t know if she wanted to laugh or cry or . . . what. “You have got to be kidding me. Are you playing some horrible joke on me or something?”
“Karen, I’m not joking and I’m not kidding. You are going to change for the first time soon and I’m sorry it happened this way. I know you know it’s the truth because I saw your nightmare. It’s your mind’s way of preparing you for what’s coming.” He put his hand up to stop her reply and cradled her arm between his palms. “Look, I know it has been painful for you so far. Had I been the one to change you, you wouldn’t have suffered at all. We aren’t supposed to change anyone but our mates.” He rubbed his thumb gently over the nearly healed bite mark marring her skin.
“So, you are saying that I’m going to be a werewolf and that you had planned to do this to me even if I hadn’t been bitten by psycho crazy boy in the alley?” She tried to pull her arm from him, but he held on to her firmly.
“Karen, I would have never changed you until I talked to you about it and you had agreed. I would never force you to do anything unless it was for your own protection. I am not capable of hurting you.”
He finally let her arm slip from his hold and reached for her. She evaded his hands and scooted to the end of the bed. She jumped off the thick mattress, darted for the bathroom, and slammed and locked the door behind her.
She pressed her cheek against the cool door. This could not be happening. This was not real. She kept telling herself that over and over, yet something deep inside her disagreed. The claws, the eyes, the sniffing, the dreams, her nightmare, they all were consistent with everything he told her. She couldn’t become a werewolf. Would she change every time there was a full moon? Would she want to kill and eat animals? Could she hurt someone while being a werewolf? She had so many questions. She was living and breathing her own real-life horror movie.