Page 17 of The Alpha's Arrangement
“Yes.” He’s never given me any reason not to. Even with the wolves, he proved his knowledge of them. There is definitely trust there.
The drive out to the field is quiet. I’m not sure if it’s me or him, but the tension is so thick. I hate it because it’s never been like this.
When he reaches over and squeezes my hand, I know it’s me. I’m the one feeding the monster.
I let out a huge breath and focus on the man beside me. His loving touches. The way he is with his family. The way he takes care of me. The way he helped me move in. The way he’s right about the wolves. How he says he’d die before anything happened to me. All of it flitters through my thoughts, causing a bit of the tension to seep out.
When we get there, he opens my car door, holding out his hand, which I take. We’ve sat in the same place every day. I find comfort here as Carter holds me and we look out over the field. No wolves in sight yet.
“Talk to me,” I whisper, cutting through the quiet.
He tightens his arms around me. “What I’m about to tell you cannot be shared with anyone. Ever. I’m trusting you with it.”
I nod in agreement.
“I’m a wolf-shifter.”
My body jolts as my mind skips a few times. “A wolf-shifter?”
“You know I’m not going to beat around the bush. I’m going to be straight with you. My family and I turn into wolves, and then back into human form. The wolf you’ve seen—the black wolf—that’s me.”
Shock doesn’t even cut it. So many thoughts roll in my head as I try to pull away from him, though he doesn’t let me, so I say, “Please, I need to look at you for this.” He releases me, and I turn so I’m facing him. “You want me to believe that you shift or turn into a wolf? Like the movies?”
He chuckles. “Those movies are shit. But yes, I can turn into a wolf.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, baby, I’m fine. The best way for you to know is for me to show you.” He begins to rise.
I swallow, knowing the next words out of my mouth are some of the strangest ever. “Wait, you’re going to change?”
Carter takes off his clothes, making me hot as he does, which is crazy considering he just told me that he shifts into a wolf.
I should run, right? I should take off and pray I get away.
The fear builds, but it’s like I can hear Carter in my mind, soothing me and telling me that I have to be fearless to keep their respect.
I fight to breathe and calm myself.
“I’ll never hurt you, Izzy. Swear it on my life.”
Stunned, all I can do is nod and watch.
Carter removes his jeans and underwear, and I gulp at what’s between his legs. I’ve seen it, played with it, had it in my mouth, but every time, it puts me in awe.
“Izzy, there’s no reason to be scared.”
That’s when it happens. He rocks my world on its axis.
Carter’s body changes. His face elongates as his nose forms a snout, his black covered furry ears standing up to attention. His body sprouts fur as he develops paws with very sharp claws and lands on the ground with a thump.
I jump up and back, not knowing what the hell to think. The black wolf—my black wolf— gets down on his belly, paws out in front of him, head down on his paws. He looks up at me, and that’s when I realize it’s Carter’s eyes staring back at me.
My knees crash to the ground. “Holy crap, you’re a wolf.” There isn’t fear there, just wonder and amazement.
Carter’s wolf crawls over to me, setting his head on my lap. Lifting my hand and putting it on his fur, he gives a low growl, but it’s the same one that Carter gives me when I do something he likes.
We stay just like this for a very long time, me petting my wolf, knowing that deep inside there is Carter. Knowing that the man I’m living with shifts back and forth between human and wolf. Not knowing what in the world I’m going to do next.
