UnleashingtheAnimal (5 page)

She hadn’t spent much time thinking about what Shane had
told her that morning. But that was typical for her, she could easily block out
the things she didn’t want to face. However, she had a feeling Shane wasn’t
going to let this go.

She wondered if she would turn into a wolf like Shane. What
would she look like? How would it feel? How did she change when she wanted to,
like he did?

Knowing she didn’t have to face it alone was enough to ease
her mind. While she was setting the table her cell rang. Glancing over at the
screen, she saw it was her mother and she let it go to voicemail without a
second’s hesitation. Like she had the last four times she had called that day.

Turning dinner down low, she puttered around while she
waited for Shane. In the distance she heard the howl of a wolf and she couldn’t
resist a smile. He was coming.

They ate dinner, talking about nothing and everything. But
they steered clear of the topic that was foremost in both their minds. After
they cleaned up their plates, Shane took her outside to gaze at the lake in the
moonlight. They wandered together down to the shore.

The moon was full and bright in the sky and she felt a
strange prickling sensation as she stared up at it.

Shane seemed to read her thoughts. “It’s beautiful isn’t
it?”

“Yes.” It was a sigh on her lips. The moon had always
captivated her.

Shane came up behind her, his arms wrapping around her
shoulders. Leaning against his warm chest, she felt peace steal over her.

Blair turned in his arms, running her hands up his chest and
over his shoulders, liking the difference in size between them. She felt
protected with him near.

Shane stared down at her in the moonlight. She was beautiful
and her amber eyes glowed out here in the darkness. It was the first full moon
since she had been living here and he vowed to stay by her side and see the
wolf she would become.

She smelled so good, like shampoo and their dinner. But
there was something else there too. Something that called to the wolf and for
the first time in years he felt his control slipping.

He let her explore his chest as long as he could. Each
scrape of her nails through his shirt was a sweet form of torture.

He wanted to claim her, make her his for always. He wanted
to sink himself deep in all the places she had to offer until there was no
longer any doubt she was his. The thought of claiming every part of her body
had him hard and aching in seconds.

When he could take no more of her teasing, he stopped her
the best way he knew how. He kissed her. Stealing her breath away and dipping
his tongue into her mouth for a taste.

Her body sagged into his arms, her breasts flattening on his
chest, and he held her weight as if it were nothing.

Bracing with his legs, he brought his hands up to tangle his
fingers in her long hair. It felt like silk sliding through his hands and the
curls in it weaved around his fingers as if they wanted to be there. He didn’t
think he would ever get tired of touching her silky hair.

Abruptly Blair broke her mouth away and pushed at his chest.
He immediately released her somewhat, letting her pull back enough that he
could see her face. What was written there had sweat breaking out on his brow.

It was time. Finally he would know the truth. Her emotions
were running high and there would be no delaying the change now. Holding her
tight, he glanced around them. At least they were outside so she wouldn’t be
confined by walls.

He felt her slim body start to shake, her panicky face
staring up at him.

“It’s okay, Blair, don’t fight it. It will be over soon.”

His words penetrated her mind and she jerked out of his arms
and shook her head no as she backed up.

“No, Shane. I don’t want this!”

“I know, baby, but you don’t have a choice.” He tried to placate
her.

He could see her body trembling from where he stood several
feet away. The first time was always the worst and he wished she wouldn’t pull
away from him.

“Blair, take a deep breath and take your clothes off.”

“What?”

“Just do it!” He pulled his own shirt over his head and let
it drop. He could smell her animal and his wolf was roaring to be out. She
watched as he pushed his jeans down and kicked off his boots. He left his
clothes lying on the shore so he could find them again later.

“Blair, if you want to keep those clothes then take them
off!” He knew the fabric would be ripped to shreds by the time her body was
done changing.

But she stood there motionless as if she could no longer
hear him. She dropped to her knees and he saw the shimmer around her as she
fell forward on her hands. A low groan came from her throat and he heard the
material of her clothing start to rip.

Shane had never seen someone else change and he stood
spellbound as thick, dark hair grew before his eyes. A tail extended and her
clawing hands changed to paws.

It was over quickly and as the last of her clothing fell
away she stood before him as a panther, the colors in her fur as strange as her
hair color. Instantly his mind rebelled. She was his mate and should be a wolf!

But she wasn’t. She couldn’t be his. But as he stared at
those golden-amber eyes he still wanted her.

He could control his own change no longer and he let the
wolf come ripping out.

Blair looked around her through her cat eyes and was shocked
how well she could see in the darkness. The moon had moved behind some clouds
and the night had become pitch-black.

Shane’s change was even quicker than hers had been and she
stared at him in his wolf form. Before she could stop it, a long hiss came out
of her. She was a cat and he was a dog. Instincts took over.

All the new sensations running rampant inside her swelled
and she hissed again when he growled, his lips curling back to reveal long,
pointed teeth.

Everything was so confusing. The cat within her told her he
was the enemy. But she fought hard against it, bowing her head and dropping her
body to the ground. An obvious display of submission. Shane was not her enemy.

Shane paced in front of her and then slowly moved forward
when she remained still. He growled again and she crept closer to him until she
was inches away. She felt as if their relationship was just now starting, right
at this moment, and she didn’t want to lose him.

Looking up into his deep-green eyes, she saw the pain and
anger there. But she didn’t understand. Suddenly he turned and took off in the
trees. She wanted to scream at him to come back, not to leave her, but all she
could do was let out pitiful mewls of distress.

Blair waited several minutes before turning away when he
didn’t reemerge. Walking stiffly in her new body, she padded silently in the
opposite direction.

It wasn’t long before the swift need to run overcame her and
she shot off in a sudden burst of speed. She was clumsy at first but she
quickly got the hang of having four legs. Now she was more thankful than ever
to have moved where the people were few and far between and she had acres to
run free.

She didn’t know how long she ran but she only stopped when
she could go no further. Turning around, she headed for home at a leisurely
pace, her senses intensified with each step. Everything sharpened into focus
and not just her senses, her life.

Far in the distance she heard a long, mournful howl and it
reminded her of the first night she had come here. It had been barely a week
and yet if felt like a lifetime ago. She was different, stronger than she ever
gave herself credit for.

She had Shane to thank for that.

Tired from running in her new body, she sat on the shore and
simply stared at the water. It was strange to look down and see fur where her
pale skin had once been but it felt right. Like being with Shane felt right.

Damn him for walking away from her anyway. He was the one
who started all this and he didn’t have the right to just walk away. She wasn’t
going to let him.

Making her way back to her cabin, she strolled right up to
the porch before she realized she couldn’t open the door as a cat. And she
didn’t know how to change back.

Unexpectedly the door was jerked open from the inside and
she leapt from the porch in surprise.

Shane stood in the doorway, incredibly tall as a man from
her perspective. He came out of the cabin and stomped down the steps but Blair
held her ground.

“I thought you might need some help. You know, changing
back,” he said grudgingly as he stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

He cleared his throat. “Well, umm…just concentrate on your
human form and breathe deeply.”

She did as he said and she slowly felt the cat recede and
she watched as her paws went back to human hands and arms.

When the change was complete she collapsed naked in the
dirt, breathing deeply. She remembered what it had felt like to be a cat
slinking through the trees but it was more like a dream instead of reality.
Hearing Shane sigh, Blair saw him reach for her. He scooped her into his arms and
carried her into the cabin, kicking the door closed behind them.

He stood for an indecisive moment just inside the door,
staring down at her. For once in her life Blair felt sexy and confident as she
lay naked in his arms. She might not understand exactly what was going on
between them but her body craved him anyway.

Carefully she stretched out a little bit, arching her back
so her rigid nipples thrust toward him. His gaze lowered and then he let out a
big breath.

“Blair, don’t. I’m trying to do the right thing here and you
aren’t helping.” But his eyes were still zeroed in on her breasts.

“Why are you trying to back out now? We’ve already done
this.” Honestly, the man was exasperating! Seemed he couldn’t give her a
straight answer if his life depended on it. He always had her confused. But her
body wasn’t confused, it wanted Shane.

Blair arched her back a little more, tempting him. Her
nipples were starting to be uncomfortable waiting for him.

“Damn it, Blair!” he said as he marched to her bedroom and
tossed her on the bed. “You want to do this? Fine, then we’re doing it my way.”
He started pulling his clothes off as he was talking.

“That’s fine by me.” And it was. Anything he wanted was fine
by her. She felt different, stronger and more desirable. No doubt it had to do
with her finding her inner animal.

“You say that now,” he said as he stood on one foot and
tugged his jeans off.

“Do you think I might change my mind?”

He shrugged. “But you can, all you have to do is say so.”

What was he trying to say? She wanted him and she wanted to
be done talking. “Okay, Shane.”

Just by watching Shane take his clothes off she was wet
enough that her thighs were sticky. It was a totally new experience to want
someone so desperately. He stood looking down at her, fully naked now, and she
stared, greedily memorizing his body.

His chest was smooth and his stomach looked like something
out of a magazine. It was so perfectly shaped even if it did have those fine
white scars. She especially loved the deep lines on his hips that pointed
straight to his large…cock. Because penis didn’t come close to describing it
properly.

She held her arms out to him in need. He was on her in an
instant, his mouth covering hers and his hands wandering all over. She
maneuvered her legs until she could wrap them around his waist and lock her
feet together. She wasn’t letting him go.

Grabbing his head with both hands, she pulled him down so
she could run her tongue along the shell of his ear. He groaned and ground his
hips against her. All that warmth down there was driving her crazy. This time
instead of licking his ear she nipped on the lobe with her teeth.

“You’re not playing fair,” he grumbled. “But that means I
don’t have to either,” he said as he lifted up on his arms and grinned down at
her devilishly.

Sitting up on his knees, he moved away and she sat up,
reaching for him. “Where are you going?” she asked as she clasped his arm.

“I’m not going anywhere, relax.” He pushed her back down on
the bed and settled between her legs. Gently he placed his hands on her knees
and spread her legs apart farther, leaving her feeling exposed and vulnerable.

Kissing his way to the top of her thighs, he hovered over
her hair-covered mound and she waited, holding her breath, for his next move.
His tongue found her clit and he flicked it up and down, gently at first and
then faster and harder, driving her to the edge in no time.

Her body tensed, she was so close. But he pulled away at the
last second, leaving her hanging.

“See, I told you I wasn’t going to play fair,” he mumbled as
he kissed her belly, dipping his wet tongue in her navel.

Blair gulped in several breaths as the pumping of her blood
slowed and she slid away from release.

“I’m going to be inside you when you come, Blair.” He dug
out a condom from his jeans and slipped it on. Then he leaned down to kiss her,
hard and insistently. His teeth grazed over her lips and his tongue invaded
deep inside.

Suddenly his hips thrust and he slid home within her,
impaling her on his hard cock all in one move. There was a little pain as he
stretched her out but he restrained himself from moving, his shoulders tense
and his arms trembling.

The pain receded quickly and she wiggled her hips, letting
him know she was ready. He pulled all the way out, leaving just the head in and
then thrust hard back inside her. She moaned when he did it again and then
again before moving faster.

This time was different. He wasn’t as gentle with her as he
had been before. She felt as if he were trying to make her his. Or he was
saying goodbye. But she refused to believe that.

But then he growled deeply above her and picked up the pace
to plunge within her even faster and all she could do was let him sweep her
away. Her brain shut off and she gripped his biceps harder to keep herself from
sliding up on the bed.

Her breasts bounced up and down in time with his thrusts.
Her hands came around his ribs to grip his back, her nails digging in as she
felt her body tense up again.

She exploded around him unexpectedly, a mindless cry
escaping her parted lips. The crashing inside her continued as he slowed his
movements. Gradually he stopped but she was still quaking as her body relaxed
down into the blankets.

Grabbing her legs, he flipped her over onto her belly. His
hands ran up over the backs of her legs, cupping her cheeks and then rubbing
her lower back. She purred as he continued the trail up and down several time
before stopping at her rear.