~ RIG ~There she is.If I had been in wolf-form my ears would have perked. Mack had sent the alert through the mindlink, and it was as if all the blood in my body rushed to my extremities.I’d caught Cara’s scent as we entered the building and hoped the others wouldn’t pay attention so I could disappear and hunt her down when we split up.I should have known Mack wasn’t going to give up that easily.A surge of protective rage made my breath come too fast, but I just turned with the others to follow Mack, prowling towards the cafeteria.We could all follow the scent, but a human couldn’t. So, as we entered the cafeteria, we had to make our progress through the large space look casual, greeting other friends and classmates as we went—and pretending not to notice the flirtations from the girls that wanted us to join their table.As we moved slowly closer, I watched Cara from the corner of my eye and my stomach got cold. Things hadn’t ended well the night before, but I’d smelled the desi
~ RIG ~ “Oh!” I jumped up to move feeling stupid. Mack howled with laughter as I slid myself off the bench and offered her a hand for balance—which she didn’t take.“Thanks for everything, Meg,” she said, her voice dead. “I’ll see you later?”“Do you want me to come with you?” Meg asked, getting to her feet.“No, no, it’s fine. I just have to go study.”Cara leaned in to hug her and every hair on my body stood up as she whispered, “Let me know if you find anything, okay?”“It’s probably going to take a week or more. The genome stuff it’s… tricky.”Cara nodded and murmured something grateful, then waved at us all before walking away.I didn’t even say anything to the others, I just darted after her as she stalked through the cafeteria. I caught her three tables away and made sure she’d seen me, her eyes cutting up to meet mine. But she didn’t smile.I slid a hand under the strap of her backpack. “Let me take that for you, so it’s not as hard with your crut—”I cut off, frowning.Cara
~ RIG ~“Did you bite her?” Charlie deadpanned, taking a potato chip from the bowl on the coffee table in the packhouse.“Hilarious,” I drawled. I had no idea why the human mythologies thought a human could be changed into a wolf through a bite. New wolves were only created through reproduction—which was why those in power focused so obsessively on breeding and the continuation of our lines. “But I’m serious, something’s happening to her. It’s got to be related to that thing that bit her. The question is, is it permanent, or temporary?”“Pretty sure only time is going to tell that,” Charlie said with a shrug. “Unless you’re planning on hanging around with her for twenty years… does it matter?”I gave him an unimpressed look even as my stomach clenched and a thrill raced through me at the idea of Cara in twenty years. Or forty. Hell, if we were lucky, decades more. I wouldn’t weaken until I was ninety or so. Modern wolves lived longer than our ancient ancestors—being apex predators wou
~ CARA ~I had left the library fully intending to call security to help me back to the dorm, but as soon as I got outside it was like breathing the night air invigorated me. I stopped just outside the doors and took a deep, cleansing breath—and caught a strange scent on the night air. Before I knew it, I was creeping down the path beside the library, every sense on the alert and my heart pounding—but with thrill, not fear.And that was crazy.I stopped on the path and looked down at my hands, opening and closing them to try and figure out what felt weird. Something was different. It should have been scary, but my body felt… strong. My knee had almost stopped hurting completely. I felt like if I needed to, I could run. Fast. I felt like if I walked, I could be quiet. And like… if I found a
~ CARA ~I sucked in a breath and raised one hand to fend the dog off. “Please, I’ll leave. I didn’t mean to—”But the animal licked its lips and dropped its ears, even its hackles went down.I blinked as it gave a tiny whine that reminded me of something, but there was no time to think as it dropped its head and tail and took a careful step toward me… submissive?I stared as it glanced up at me, then back down and took another step, then another, licking its lips.I didn’t move. Didn’t even breathe. But the dog just kept coming closer, still licking and making that whine again, until it stood at my side, then nudged its thick skull under my hand and went still.
~ RIG ~The following days were the most frustrating and most wonderful of my life so far.I had a mate. She was there and beautiful, and even knowing the danger, even vowing to myself every morning that I’d give her some space to breathe, I still found myself hunting her down at some point during the day, even if it was just to open a door, or give her a smile.She let me kiss her again, once… but the shadows of fear were back in her eyes.I wanted to do everything in my power to reassure her that I wasn’t playing games. But she turned down every offer of a date, claiming she was too busy with work and school. And besides, the pack and I were spending each night hunting for the Night Walker—though after our organized effort, it appeared the thin
~ RIG ~I stood in the middle of my room, arms folded, glaring, as Natalie greeted Charlie, then walked in like she owned the place.I closed the door—the only way to be certain our conversation wouldn’t be overheard. I’d had the room soundproofed before we moved in so I could have privacy—then turned to face her, my back to the door.“What?” I bit the word off.Natalie raised an eyebrow. “It’s nice to see you too.”“Cut with the crap, Natalie, why are you here?”“Your dad is getting suspicious,” she said promptly. “At the party this weekend we have to make it look like there’s something goin
~ CARA ~A few days later, I woke up feeling odd. In truth, I’d been feeling odd for days. Walking with Ralf the night before I’d finally recognized the feeling—why when I kissed Rig I didn’t freeze up the way I always had in the past.I’d been walking through the dark, my hand trailing on Ralf’s fur—because he still showed up every night to walk with me—and I’d realized I was just strolling. Enjoying the night. I didn’t feel afraid. Because I knew if anything happened, Ralf would take care of it.That had made me remember the thing Rig had said in the pet store that day.He’d been staring down at me, and for the first time I’d felt like I was seeing Rig Landon without the mask of flirty mischief. He