Page 25 of Wolf Forgotten

I already knew non-humans existed, but hadn't known wolves were part of the equation. When your best friend and her boyfriends jump in the water and their legs shift into tails, nothing is that surprising anymore.

But me being a wolf? I never thought I was anything but human. Is that why Riley and I had become instant best friends? Had we subconsciously sensed the otherness in each other?

There had to be a cure. I wasn't born this way, was I?

Cole slowed until I was walking next to him. His scent overwhelmed me and I held my breath for as long as I could. Everything smelled different and more... potent. Some things didnotneed to be smelled, that was for damn sure.

He stayed about two feet away, but his nearness still made my stomach swirl with something I didn't have a name for. I clenched my fists, and he rolled his eyes.

“You're different.” As if I needed someone to tell me that.

“No shit. You think? I’m a wolf. Or having a hallucination from a brain injury. Maybe I’m in a coma?” I was rambling and talking to myself. If he hadn’t thought I was crazy before, he might now.

I kept my eyes straight ahead, willing myself not to look at what he was packing in the front. It had been a while since I'd been with a man, and Cole was attractive. The urge to look was strong.

"The truck that made us crash. Who were they?" I hadn't pissed off any men recently, so they weren’t after me.

"The other pack. They are also the same two that attacked the helicopter."

Well, that was just perfect. On top of worrying about myself turning into a wolf, now I had to worry about if other people would too... and then try to kill me.

Oh sweet wolves, was someone going to try to hump me and do that wolf knotting thing I'd read about?

The house came into view and I realized Cole wasn't just a volunteer helicopter pilot. Had he known all along I was a wolf and just gotten a job to scope me out? Did it even matter?

Now that I wasn't running for my life, I saw the house in all its glory. It was two stories with large windows and columns of stone and wood along the front. There was a porch that looked like it was perfect for drinking coffee and watching the world come alive in the morning.

The garage was in between the house and another building that was more industrial looking with roll up doors on the front. It was obscured by trees, but it was large.

Cole noticed where I was looking and lifted his chin in that direction. "That's where the pack meets and works out. They are going to want to meet you."

"Meet me?" I made a noise of disbelief. I was not about to walk into a building and meet a bunch of wolves. Wolves were wild animals, and sure I'd shifted into one, but I could stop it from happening again. Hopefully. "Are you under some delusion that I'm staying?"

He stopped just as we got to the steps leading onto the porch and turned to face me from two steps up. My eyes widened, and I looked to my left at a bush that was growing small buds.

He wasn't growing any small buds, that was for sure.

"I can take you to get some things from your house, but yes. You're staying here." He crossed his arms over his chest, and I looked back up at him. "Wolves can't live within the limits of Arbor Falls."

"I lived there for eight months and had no issues untilyoushowed up! I'm not even a wolf. It was an optical illusion. I moonlight as a magician." I walked past him, bumping into him. "As soon as I get dressed, I'm going home."

"You are a new wolf that doesn't know how to control yourself. How do you plan on getting to your house? You've tried to leave twice now and look how far you got."

I was being a complete idiot and walking right back into the house where I had been locked in a cage. Right then, it seemed I had little choice. As soon as the time was right, I would escape andnotget caught. Then I'd go straight to the hospital and have myself evaluated.

The tension I had felt gnawing at my insides lessened the second I stepped foot inside, despite my brain screaming to turn and run. My body had a different idea though, or maybe it was the other being lurking under the surface of my skin.

The entire living room and kitchen was decorated with warm shades of browns and creams, with stone lining one wall from floor to ceiling. The ceilings were high with dark wood beams, and a large light fixture made of wood that looked like antlers hung from the ceiling in the living room. One wall was all windows looking out at the forest.

Too bad there were cages in the basement.

“I have a room set up for you upstairs. Come on.” My attention was ripped away from the beautiful view out the windows by Cole on the stairs.

"Uh, maybe I should go up first, so I don't have to look at all that." I waved my hand in his direction while looking away as I walked past him.

He chuckled. "You don't like the view? I could have sworn I felt your eyes searing into my ass cheeks on the walk back here."

I like the view too much, that's the problem.

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