Page 22 of Midlife Wolf Captured My Heart

He thought she sounded disappointed, but he didn’t know what to say. There was no way that he could assure her that he would be back before then – he didn’t want to lie to her. Once he left town it might be years, if ever, before he returned.

Their breakfast came and she dug in as though it had been weeks since she ate. They chatted about the weather and other generic topics. She didn’t act any different than she did before they slept together. There wasn’t any awkwardness and she didn’t feel the need to talk about it. He was relieved.

The drive back to Angel’s Creek was relaxed. They talked about how much the place did and didn’t change over the last thirty years. When they got close to town Sadie said, “Why don’t we go to the mountain, shift, and get a little exercise?”

He was quiet for a minute trying to think of some kind of excuse he could give her. Finally, he decided to tell her the truth. “I’ve never been a strong shifter. Sometimes it takes me a while and even then, I don’t shift completely. I might end up with wolf ears and a tail but nothing else.”

Sadie put her hand on his arm. “Practice makes perfect. If you keep working at it, you might get better. It’s just us and I won’t tell anyone. I really might giggle though if you end up with cute furry wolf ears on that sexy body of yours.”

Dakota hesitated for another minute and then agreed. “What the hell? What’s the worst that can happen?”

“You could end up with furry wolf ears and a wolf tail on a human body and not be able to shift back.”

He growled at her. “Thanks for jinxing me.”

Dakota and Sadie walked to the spot where a lot of the shifters changed. It was a good place to shift because there was a tree with a knot that was perfect for storing clothes. It was secluded and off the beaten path, so they were unlikely to encounter mortal humans in the area.

Before they undressed, they inspected the trees carefully, looking for any signs of cameras, drones, or anyone who might be lurking in the area. Once they were satisfied that they were safe, they undressed, folded their clothes, put them in plastic bags, and hid them in the tree.

Dakota focused on shifting. It took him a couple of minutes, but eventually, he was able to shift completely. It was the quickest he had been able to transform himself completely in a long time. He felt as though he was drawing energy from Sadie and she gave him power.

A bear immediately appeared where Sadie had stood. They wandered around the mountain, stopping by the little oasis in the middle of the forest next to the river. The summer flowers had faded away but the place was still heaven on Earth.

Sadie put a paw into the rushing water and pulled it back out, shaking it off. Apparently, grizzly bears weren’t fond of cold mountain water in the fall. After a while, they walked back to the area where their clothes were hidden. After a quick inspection of the area, they shifted and got dressed. He was able to shift back to his human form easily. That had never been a problem.

“Did you have fun?”

Dakota nodded. “I did. It’s been a long time. I had forgotten how much freedom there was in being a wolf. You really get to see the world from a different perspective. Plus, you get a chance to see parts of the mountain that ordinary humans don’t.”

“I love it. I hate that there are people who make me afraid of shifting and exploring the world.”

“There will always be people like that, I’m afraid. Humans have a tendency to hate what they don’t understand.”

Sadie’s stomach grumbled. “Right now, I hate the fact that I’m hungry and need to be fed.”

“This is a constant thing with you, isn’t it?” Dakota teased. “Haven’t you seen the signs in all the forests that warn people not to feed the bears?”

“This bear needs to eat regularly or she gets rather grouchy. Breakfast was six hours ago. Feed me, Seymour.”

“Little Shop of Horrorsfan, huh?”

“Yep. It’s a classic.”

“Fine. I will feed the grizzly bear, but that better not make her start raiding people’s picnics and camping sites. How doesHowlers’sound?”

“Perfect. Sean has food there. And as for the other, since when did you become Ranger Rick?”

Dakota grinned. “What kind of bears were Yogi Bear and Boo-Boo?”

“Hungry ones.”

He loved the fact that they could have silly conversations. Dakota couldn’t remember the last time he felt so relaxed with someone that he could be goofy and have such a good time. Sadie was an absolute joy to be around.

They walked hand in hand intoHowlers’and managed to find a table even though the place was busy, as usual. Jade waved to them as they came in and they waved back. A waitress stopped by to take their drink order. They ordered their food at the same time.

Sadie sat back in her chair and sighed. “This was a very busy weekend. I can’t remember when I packed so much activity into two days. Touring Albuquerque, the exhibit, drinks, hanging out with you, and then shifting.”

His lips twitched at her reference to their sexual encounter. “It was pretty busy. I think I’m going to sleep well tonight.”

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