Page 51 of Way of the Wolf

“It’s as necessary as the gas money.” He gave me a frank look.

I wasn’t sure the two things were comparable but said, “Okay,” instead of objecting further.

After he returned his gear to his van, he held open the passenger door for me with a deep bow. “We can continue our date now.”

“You’re weirder than I am, I think.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt that.” Duncan didn’t exactlyskipback to the driver’s side, but his body language promised he was enjoying the night.

Well, he was a better date than my ex-husband had been. No doubt about that.

As he drove farther from the highway, I mulled over the significance of the vision. I’d heard of people who experienced such things—the internet was rife with stories of such paranormal experiences. Supposedly, that was how witches, druids, and the like sometimes first learned of their potential to use magic. But werewolves didn’t havevisions. At least I didn’t think so. What if this was some ability that I’d been inadvertently suppressing, along with all my lupine senses, over the years with my potions?

Maybe, if I returned to Monroe for the pack hunt, I could ask my mother if anyone in the family had such experiences. Not that it really mattered. How often did I come in contact with magical artifacts?

I’d no sooner had the thought than the case from my bedroom came to mind. Lately, magical artifacts abounded around me.

17

On a dirt roada couple of miles from the freeway, the rumble of traffic having faded, Duncan stopped his van. He rolled down the window and sniffed into the night air. Hoping to catch the whiff of interesting animals to hunt?

Though I doubted I’d detect any animal scents while in human form, I rolled down my own window. The smell of loamy earth, decaying leaves, water from a nearby creek, and a promise of rain filled the air. If the musky odors of any animals lingered, I couldn’t pick them up.

Duncan inhaled deeply. “Invigorating, isn’t it?”

“It is.” I remembered him touching his ribs and asked, “How are your wounds doing? They won’t slow you down during a hunt, will they?”

“Certainly not. As I told you, I heal quickly.” Duncan opened his door and slid out. “I was especially fortunate to have the tender ministrations of a beautiful lady to help along the process.”

“I didn’t know my half-ass cleaning of your wound and handing you the bandage to wrap it yourself counted as tender.” Iwould have done more if we hadn’t been interrupted, but he’d seemed experienced at performing first-aid on himself.

“I refer to the gentle way you stroked me after the battle.”

“You remember that, huh?”

“I do. It was delightful.”

“Well, your fur was… lush.”

“As we’ve established.” Duncan drew his shirt over his head, tossed it onto his seat, then bent to tug off his shoes.

It made sense to disrobe, so your clothes didn’t disappear in the magic of the change, but I caught myself watching him instead of getting out of the van and doing the same. His powerful shoulder and back muscles shifted and flexed as he tugged off his shoes and socks. I’d thought I was long past caring that much about men or being interested in sex, but his appealing physique made me speculate about touching him.

Duncan looked up, catching me observing him.

Cheeks warming, I looked away.

“I can go into the woods to change and wait for you if you want privacy,” he said, not commenting on my gaze. “Or do you think it might take a while? I… can’t imagine not changing for decades. Or taking a drug to keep the call from coming over me.”

“Yeah.” I couldn’t disagree that it was an unusual choice for a werewolf. “It’s possible that after all this time, I won’t even be able to do it. Or there may be enough potion lingering in me to stop it.” I shrugged, but I believed I’d be able to turn into the wolf. These last couple of days, it had tried to surge up in me a number of times.

“I can bring you back some choice morsels from a fresh kill if you’re not able to hunt on your own.”

“Thoughtful.” I couldn’t imagine gnawing on a raw liver, or whatever he had in mind, in my human form.

“You’ve been kind enough to supply me with all those delicious squares of chocolate.”

Once fully undressed, he padded off the road and into the woods. The moonlight shone on his pale butt cheeks, and I almost laughed.

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