Page 89 of Step Alpha

“Come on.”

I follow him out, looking around. “I don’t understand.”

“We’re going to take a little walk,” Wilde says.

I look around again. There’s not even a path. We’re going to be bush-whacking through the wilderness. I don’t think the surprise is sex.

How sad for me.

I follow Wilde through the brush for a solid twenty minutes. I’m confused as hell, but I don’t try to ask any more questions, since he’s obviously not going to answer them.

Eventually, we come out to a cliff’s edge, and then I understand. Wilde knows this place from his full moon runs. He doesn’t usually park a Jeep and hike in. He’s running here on four paws from below.

I mean, it’s cool and everything. I don’t know if he thinks it’s romantic. I definitely would’ve preferred a repeat of the cabin experience.

“What is this?”

“We call it ‘the ledge’. It’s a meeting spot for the full moon runs.”

Right. Something I’ve never experienced and never will.

“Oh.” I’m still not getting it. Not at all.

Wilde tugs my shirt off over my head.

Um…okay? Why here? And how? I mean…there are prickly things around. And the ground looks hard and rocky. I’m not sure I’m into it at this moment.

“Take off your jeans,” he commands.

“Why?” I demand.

He ignores the question and unbuttons the jeans himself. I comply with his efforts to get my jeans off, which of course, requires kicking off my shoes and getting my socks all dirty.

And then Wilde picks me up and tosses me up into the air.

Over the side of the cliff.

I scream on the way down.

Wilde plunges down next to me, yelling, “Shift. Rayne–shift!”

Betrayal takes a back seat to downright terror. My vision tunnels and then goes dark.

I pass out completely before I hit the ground.

* * *

Wilde

Fuck!

It failed.

Rayne doesn’t shift mid-air as I’d hoped, and I can’t risk her hitting the ground. She may have healing abilities, but I don’t know if they’re complete.

I contort my body to land on my feet and catch Rayne before she hits the ground.

She’s passed out cold.

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