Page 42 of Rogue Wolf

Instinctively she knew sex was a big part of expression for him.

And she… She needed to stop. She couldn’t indulge in hot daydreams and fantasies, not even to pass the time in the car. It distracted her, and what…what if they noticed?

Besides, vampires were out there wanting her blood, and she wasn’t about to let them have any—not even a drop. She would not be responsible for helping them evolve into something even stronger.

Ash muttered to herself and Tamaska eyed the computer, trying to discern what she was researching. That took her mind off how fast Kodiak was driving and how carsick Roan still looked.

The female shifter typed fast, and the screen shone dimly, even in the dark car. The light wasn’t enough for her to glean any information before her efforts worsened her headache. Still, Tamaska kept trying to read the words Ash typed and the information flashing on the screen.

“Don’t be so nosey,” muttered Ash. She angled the laptop away from Tamaska.

This is about me. I have a right to know.

Tamaska didn’t speak the words out loud, hard as that was. She’d caused enough ripples in the pack after letting Amdis corner her. She needed to think long-term, to get on better with the pack members—even if it meant being silent, being less domineering.

Still, that didn’t mean she would give up on trying to find more information. Instead, she would simply go about it more subtly.

Tamaska pretended to look out the window until Ash moved back to her original position, which made it easier to type. Once more, Tamaska tried to read the screen through her peripheral vision.

Wolf genes…ancestry…family tree…Lane…

None of the information she gleaned gave her any further insight. What it did give her was a more intense headache and increased nausea.

“Are you doing all right?” asked Roan from the front passenger seat.

“Yeah,” she lied, resting her head against the cool window glass and closing her eyes. There was nothing to be done for her medically. She had to endure the side effects of a blow to the head and suffer the consequences of a stupid decision.

“You know, you can ask me some questions,” offered Roan.

“About what? Transforming into a shifter?”

“No.” Roan paused, inhaling slowly. “General questions about wolf shifters and vampires.”

Tamaska’s eyes flicked open, immediately locking with Kodiak’s in the mirror. He nodded, giving his approval.

“Are they sworn enemies?” This could be a good time for her to see if there was any truth to the stories she’d seen in fantasy books, TV series, and movies. “Or is it just this particular lot with your pack?”

“Enemies all over. We want different thing to them.” Roan laughed weakly and she knew he was fighting the nausea. She felt it too, but for different reasons. “We want to be left alone, they want destruction. And they’re arrogant, they think they should rule, so we keep them from taking over the human world.”

“I thought so.” Tamaska fired off the next question. “How long can you be in human form?”

This she really wanted to know. All the questions about shifters pushed at her, wanting to be asked.

If they could control it, then maybe after she changed she could too. Maybe she could—

“As long as we want, depending on how disciplined we are,” Roan said. “Our wolf side gets more restless the longer we leave it, but it can be managed for months at a time if necessary.”

“What about your wolf form? How long?”

“A night, a day, a few days, max. Otherwise the wolf form will dominate, and the human will be lost. It’s also dangerous to be in our wolf form too long, because humans will kill us if they see us.”

“But you protect humans.” She already knew that basic information, but repeating it helped ease the restlessness rippling through her.

“Yes,” Kodiak muttered, “because we know how to kill vampires. It’s our duty.”

“How do you do that? Garlic? Holy water?”

Kodiak said softly, “If only. You know how, you’ve seen it. It’s as bloody as all get out, ripping them apart with our teeth or claws. Or you can stake them through the heart.”

---