Page 2 of Cursed Wolfsbane

“Shift!” a deep voice commands from behind me. The fur on my back bristles at the order, and a shiver skates along my spine, but nothing else happens.

At least to me.

Xander instantly starts changing back into a human. His fur recedes, and his body realigns in a series of snaps. It’s a relatively quick process that takes just seconds. When he’s finished, he’s no longer covered in golden fur. Instead, Xander’s completely naked. My eyes wander across his tanned skin, wolf tattoo on his defined pec, ripped six-pack, and down to his dick.

As soon as I see his cock, I yank my gaze back to his face, feeling guilty about checking him out when he’s injured. Fortunately for me, he’s not looking at me.

If no one saw me do it, it didn’t really happen. That’s totally how it works.

Once he’s shifted back, Xander groans. “Fuck, man. Getting shot hurts like a bitch.”

I chuff out a wolf laugh at his complaining, thankful beyond belief that he’s still here to complain.

My gaze jumps from his now forest green eyes to the bloody wound in his shoulder. It’s ragged and torn, and it’s still oozing blood. But it’s not over his heart. Thank the good lord above that the goon wasn’t a good shot. Otherwise… well, I don’t really want to think about the alternative. I’m not sure if shifted wolves can cry, but I’m about to find out if I keep thinking about losing him.

Malachi crouches in front of me. “I need you to shift back, baby girl. My dad and his men are on the way. We don’t want anyone to know you can shift yet,” he says, drawing me out of my depressing thoughts.

My eyes briefly dip to his crotch. I’m not sure if I’m relieved or disappointed he’s wearing gray sweats.

Malachi slowly reaches a hand toward me. When I don’t move away, he runs his fingers through the coarse fur on the top of my head. He then trails his fingers behind one of my ears, giving me an affectionate scratch.

Ooh, ear scratches feel good. I can see why dogs like it now.

That’s… not something I ever thought I’d say. I can focus on the weirdness of turning into a forest creature later. Right now, I have more pressing concerns—like figuring out how I can get back to my human form.

How do I shift?I ask the voice in my mind.

“Just inform me you would like to shift. I will release control over your body. Do you want to shift now?”

Yeah, I guess so. What should I call you?

“You can call me Elissa or Dido, child,”she whispers in my mind.

My eyes widen in surprise. Dido, liketheDido? From the Aeneid?

That’s not possible. There’s no way I have the legendary Queen of the Phoenicians chilling out in my brain.

Before I can ask her about it, I feel like I’m falling again. I close my eyes as my stomach lurches. After a few seconds, I stop feeling like I’m on a Tilt-a-Whirl. Cracking one eye open, I see Malachi gazing at me in wonder.

My eyes widen as I realize I’m probably naked too. That seems to be what happens after a shift. Darting my gaze down, I see that I’m still fully clothed and kneeling on the ground. I breathe out a sigh of relief that I’m not naked in the bank parking lot. That’d be awkward for everyone involved.

“What?” I ask him as he continues to stare at me.

“You don’t shift like a normal wolf, Briar,” Malachi informs me.

“What do you mean?” It would be just my luck to be a defective wolf. Patrick probably messed up something with the wolfsbane. Now I’m a freak of a wolf.

Great.

“You shift in a swirl of blue light. One moment you’re a wolf, the next you’re human. Every other wolf I know shifts in a breaking and reforming of bones and joints. Shifting also shreds our clothes. Yours are still here.” Malachi tosses a pair of sweatpants over Xander’s groin as he talks. While he’s still naked, at least the important bits are covered now.

“Um… is that a bad thing?” It doesn’t sound like I’m a deformed wolf monster with six legs or something. That’s good at least. I’m also totally fine with not ruining my clothes every time I wolf out. Clothes shopping is the worst. I’m glad I won’t have to do it any more than normal.

Malachi chuckles, the sound rumbling across the mostly empty parking lot. “No, baby girl, it’s not a bad thing. It’s just different.”

“Your wolf’s beautiful, Briar,” Xander says from behind Malachi. That’s probably the nicest thing he’s ever said to me.My heart only feels like it’s pierced by a small arrow at the compliment. He clearly likes my wolf more than me.

But I’ll take what I can get with him.

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