Page 13 of Twisted Howlidays

“Is any of that stuff real? Or am I hoping some old legend can fill in what might be missing in my life?”

Across the clearing, a flash of brown fur moving on the edge of the forest caught her eye. Adjusting the zoom and focus of her camera, she zeroed in on a pair of grizzly bears. Amazingly, the bears strode confidently toward the cabin. Approaching the creek, they majestically walked through the steam drifting off the spring. Surprisingly, they playfully slapped the bubbling water and hopped through the deep snow drifts. The snowy mountains provided the perfect background for her photos.

After nearly an hour, the bears wandered off. Shortly after, she spotted the now familiar white wolf running back to the cabin.

“I don’t know how you did it, but that was amazing. You pushed those bears right to the cabin and they were perfectly relaxed,” she said.

“Did you get some good pictures?”

“Tons. Thank you.”

“Well, maybe you’ll get even better ones tomorrow. This calls for a celebration!”

“Celebrate? How?”

“With a run. I bet your wolf could use a good stretch. Besides, there is something I want to show you,“ he said with a playful smile.

Kendra cocked her head. “How can I resist?”

CHAPTER EIGHT

Kendra noticed how Ryan seemed to be unable to pull his gaze away from her while she shifted into her wolf. Quickly joining her, the two wolves playfully danced around each other until Ryan’s wolf suddenly bolted away. Thanks to Kendra’s speed, she quickly closed in on him and the pair continued their run, side-by-side.

Then it happened. The feelings she’d been suppressing washed through her. It was something so incredibly new.

And her wolf was quick to let her know. “I bet you can feel it now! Can you sense how we’re drawn to each other? It’s an unstoppable force. This is what I’ve felt since the day we first saw him, and what I’ve been trying to tell you.”

It was her human side’s turn to stay in the shadows and listen. She could no longer deny that there was something magical between them. And that magic called to her soul. Kendra had no idea what to do with the flurry of thoughts and emotions charging through her body.

The further they ran together, the stronger the mystical energy seemed to grow.

Reaching the precipice of a canyon, the wolves stopped and took in the panoramic view of the canyon floor and the seemingly endless line of rugged snowy mountains in the distance. She knew they’d reached the edge of Twisted Tail’s territory.

They doubled back, racing toward the cabin. Reaching the steaming pool of the hot springs, they shifted back to their human forms.

“Thanks, that was great. My wolf really needed that.”

“All part of the custom guide service package.”

“Oh, is that right? I guess I didn’t realize what a great deal I got.”

“But wait! There’s more. Look in the pool.”

Kendra peered down through the steam and could see two wooden benches submerged in the pool. “What are those for?”

“Nothing like a soak in the naturally healing waters of these springs after a long run through the snowy mountains.”

“Uh, sure. But I didn’t bring a swimsuit. A good guide would have advised me to have brought one.”

“A swimsuit? Sorry, Tree Hugger, there’s only one way to dress for a soak in the spring. And that is, you don’t,” he said, unbuttoning his shirt.

It took a few seconds for things to register. Seeing his muscular torso bared and his hands shifting to his belt, the lights suddenly blinked on. “Slick move, daring me to jump in that pool naked with you.” Sweet Jesus, was he serious right now? Kendra chewed on her bottom lip, wanting nothing more than tear her eyes away from him, but she couldn’t.

Ryan shrugged. “If you’re shy, remember we’ll be concealed by a cloud of steam. And I can turn around while you get in. Anyway, it’s completely normal. Calder wouldn’t have installed underwater seats if it wasn’t,” he said, unbuttoning the fly of his jeans.

Kendra tried to shift her gaze to her feet, to the pool, anything but him. But no matter what, her eyes kept returning to him as he ditched one article of clothing at a time. It was almost as if he was teasing her.

A wry smile formed on her lips when she remembered the trail camera she had strapped to the trunk of a nearby tree. And unbeknownst to Ryan, it was taking full-frontal pictures of him in all of his glory. She’d have to examine those closely, later.

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