Page 23 of Curvy Girl and the Mountain Man Wolf
I run. Through pristine snow that comes to my chest in places, through the silent forest where birds call warnings of my passing, up ridges and down valleys that I know as intimately as my own body.
The exertion burns away some of the tension that has built over the past days, but not all of it. Not today. Because even in this form, I cannot escape thoughts of Lois. Her scent lingers in my consciousness, her voice echoes in my memory. My wolf wants to return to her, to circle the cabin, to guard her and her child from any threat.
After an hour of hard running, I find myself circling back toward the cabin, drawn there as if by some invisible force. I know I should stay away until I've shifted back, put on clothes, resumed my human disguise. But something compels me forward, some reckless impulse I haven't felt in years.
As I approach the clearing, I catch her scent on the wind—fresh, immediate. She's outside. My pace quickens, caution warring with desire.
And then I see her, standing on the porch in the early morning light, a steaming mug cradled in her hands, watching the sunrise. Alone. Lily must still be asleep inside. Lois's hair glows like fire in the golden light, her breath forming delicate clouds in the cold air. She's beautiful in a way that transcends the physical, a quiet strength evident in the set of her shoulders, the tilt of her chin.
I should retreat. Should disappear back into the forest, return only when I'm human again, when the mask is firmly in place. That's the safe choice, the right choice.
Instead, I step into the clearing, moving slowly into her line of sight.
She sees me immediately, her body tensing, mug frozen halfway to her lips. But this time there's no fear in her expression. Surprise, yes, and caution, but not terror. Not the panic most humans would display when confronted with a wolf the size of a small horse at their doorstep.
"Hello again," she says softly, setting her mug down on the porch railing. "You're back."
I move closer, drawn by her lack of fear, by the strange sense that some threshold is being crossed. Lois watches me approach, her green eyes steady, curious.
"Kane said you wouldn't hurt us," she continues, her voice calm. "He seems to know you well."
If only she knew how well. The absurdity of the situation would be comical if it weren't so pivotal, so dangerous. I stop a few yards from the porch, sitting back on my haunches in the snow, watching her. Waiting.
"You're not an ordinary wolf, are you?" Lois asks, and the question sends a jolt through me. "You're too big, too... aware."
She's piecing it together, this perceptive woman. Connecting the dots between my absences and the wolf's appearances, between my knowledge of the beast and its behavior. Not to the full truth, not yet, but her mind is working, testing possibilities.
If there was ever a moment to reveal my truth, it's now. To show her what I am and let her decide if she can accept it. If she can accept me.
It's reckless. Dangerous. Against every rule I've lived by for eight years. But the need to be known, truly known by this woman, overwhelms caution.
I stand, shaking snow from my fur, and take another step toward her. Lois remains motionless, watching. Waiting.
And then I let the change take me again. The reverse transformation from wolf to man. It's faster this time, my body eager for the shift, bones cracking, fur receding, paws becoming hands and feet. In seconds, I stand before her in human form, naked in the snow, the cold air raising goosebumps on my skin.
Lois's eyes widen, her lips parting in shock. She takes a step back, one hand gripping the porch railing for support.
I cover my cock with both hands, ice trickling down my chest that has nothing to do with the temperature and everything todo with the fear of her rejection. Of her horror. Of watching her gather Lily and flee from the monster I've revealed myself to be.
"Now you know," I say, my voice rough. "Now you understand why I live alone. Why I can't be around people."
Chapter 9 - Lois
"Now you know," he says. "Now you understand why I live alone. Why I can't be around people."
I stare at him, frozen in place, my mind struggling to process what I just witnessed. The massive wolf that had been sitting in the snow moments ago is gone, and in its place stands Kane—naked, shivering, his hands covering himself in a gesture of modesty.
What the hell just happened? He's a wolf? That can't be real. I must be dreaming, hallucinating from the altitude or stress or lack of sleep.
I rub my eyes, half expecting the scene before me to dissolve, but when I look again, he's still there. Still very real. Still very naked, with droplets of melted snow trickling down his muscular chest and abs, catching in the dark hair that trails down his stomach.
"What..." My voice comes out as a whisper. I clear my throat and try again. "What are you?"
Kane remains where he is, maintaining his distance, as if afraid a sudden movement might send me into a panic. His eyes—the same eyes I saw in the wolf—watch me warily.
"Can we talk inside?" he asks quietly. "I'll explain everything, I swear."
My instincts scream at me to run, to grab Lily and flee this impossible situation. But where would we go? Into the mountains, in winter, with no transportation and miles from the nearest town?
