Page 32 of Isabel and the Werewolf Beast

Isabel rolled over from her supine position of lying on her stomach reading a book. “I believe my collection on witchcraft is useless.”

“About as useful as the ones on vampires. I thought your library held expert knowledge, but these books are decoys.”

“We’re powerful. Why would we share the secrets of our powerswith others?”

“Secrets. Lies. Diversions.” I stood and paced around the twisted branches of the tree.

Isabel’s eyes followed my movements. Even if I wasn’t watching her, I’d sense the touch of her look. The interest behind her study. She closed the book and stood.

“We need a break and you need to learn how to shift into a wolf.”

“How will you teach me that, you’re a vampire?” I paused my pacing near her. Always drawn by her scent. Her beauty. Her very presence.

“Let’s walk to the corpse of trees.”

“So, they can attack us too.”

“Good point,” she said. “But wolves love forests. It will give your inner animal a sense of home and you might be able to call upon your other form easier.”

“Okay, but if the trees attack us, then I get to tell you I told you so.”

“Deal.” She laughed.

She walked toward the pond. The skin on the back of my neck rose into a prickle of unease. I didn’t want to go near that hell spawn in the pond. Isabel neared the pond then shook her head and walked a large circle around it. In the distance, a dark grove of trees stood out in the moonlight. Every step closer, the pine scent wafted in the breeze. Deep inside my body a sense of peace washed over me. Maybe Isabel was right about the forest being home. She slipped between two trees and disappeared into the shadows.

“Isabel,” I called and ran forward.

Her laughter rang through the trees. “Find me wolf.”

“This isn’t funny.” I lifted my nose to catch her scent, but the pine overwhelmed her aroma.

“You’ll need your wolf nose to track me.” Her voice arose from a short distance away.

I ran in that direction but she was no longer there.

“Stop hiding. What if the trees attack you?”

“Then you need to hurry.” Her voice emanated from further away.

My stomach churned. I needed to get to her and drag her from the forest before anything bad happened. I ran toward her voice, but I couldn’t find her scent. Nothing. No shadow even. She’d vanished. Panic engulfed my system. This was bad. So bad. If the trees ate her, then what? Trees couldn’t eat a vampire. Yeah, right like the bush couldn’t poison a vampire.

“Isabel,” I roared into the forest.

“Dante.”

A piece of fabric floated from the tree above my head. I caught it in my hand and scanned the treetops. Isabel sat in a tree above my head.

“Get down.”

“My you can be so bossy and dominant sometimes.” She tossed back her hair.

I scowled. “How is this helping me turn into a wolf?”

She jumped to the ground in front of me and poked me in the chest. “It’s in here. Your power. Embrace it. Now use your wolf to hunt me down.”

“I can’t hunt in here. The pine is too strong.”

“Your wolf can.”

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