It was the unbearable itching that roused Josie from her deep
slumber. It burned across her back and clawed at her flesh, as if
making the attempt to touch her bones. She moaned and rolled over.
The damp earth seeped into the thin cotton of her t-shirt and the
discomfort finally gave her the strength to open her eyes. Where was
she? Blinking against the sparkle of stars above her, she shifted her
head to the side and saw a familiar length of gold fur over muscle.
Reaching out, she stroked her fingers through the soft bristles
expecting to feel the steady rise and fall of breath, or at the very least,
a low growling rumble of pleasure.
She felt and heard nothing.
“Michael?” Her voice rang out across the still, silent night, bouncing
off some unseen obstacle before crashing back into her ears. Not
caring who or what heard her, she continued to caress the furred
back of the magnificent beast lying at her side, but none of her
strokes garnered any type of response. Real fear pushed her onto her
elbows and she leaned close enough to bury her nose in the scent of
wolf.
“Michael, can you hear me?” She whispered this time, knowing in
her heart of hearts that her words, no matter how loud, would not be
heard.
Josie snatched her hand away just in time to catch the sob that tore
from her lips. The sight of Michael’s lifeless body brought back all
the horrific memories of the last few hours: the fear, the flight, the
horrible sound of gunshots, the pain. Her survival instincts screamed
at her to get off her ass and find a place to hide, now. What if the
hunters came back? What if they weren’t satisfied with only one kill?
She was halfway to her feet when she realized she had never
changed out of her human form. If the hunters came back they’d see
a woman alone, not a wolf. The prospect didn’t add to her sense of
safety one bit.
Josie’s damp jeans clung to the back of her thighs, and her t-shirt
provided no protection against the chilly night breeze as she stood
and looked down at her best friend, lover, and mate while trying to
decide what to do. How would she survive without Michael? He was
everything to her. He had brought her into this world and she feared
her ability to survive a single day without him. What if the pack
expected her to take a new mate? How long would they give her to
mourn? That last question didn’t matter, because no matter how
long, it wouldn’t be enough.
The sound of distant voices and snapping twigs jerked Josie’s gaze
toward the horizon. The noises were coming closer and she
recognized them as the same ones that had interrupted her tryst with
Michael earlier in the evening. What should have been a private,
blissful encounter had turned into a frightful fight for their lives.
Dropping to her knees, she buried her face in Michael’s fur,
memorized his scent, and said a silent goodbye. “I love you,” she
whispered before pulling back. A hot tear rolled down her cheek, but
she swiped it away. There was no more time for grief.
With more tears burning in her eyes, she straightened up, sniffed the
air, and decided to head north. It was away from the approaching
voices and also away from the pack. She couldn’t fathom facing any
of them now. Not yet.
slumber. It burned across her back and clawed at her flesh, as if
making the attempt to touch her bones. She moaned and rolled over.
The damp earth seeped into the thin cotton of her t-shirt and the
discomfort finally gave her the strength to open her eyes. Where was
she? Blinking against the sparkle of stars above her, she shifted her
head to the side and saw a familiar length of gold fur over muscle.
Reaching out, she stroked her fingers through the soft bristles
expecting to feel the steady rise and fall of breath, or at the very least,
a low growling rumble of pleasure.
She felt and heard nothing.
“Michael?” Her voice rang out across the still, silent night, bouncing
off some unseen obstacle before crashing back into her ears. Not
caring who or what heard her, she continued to caress the furred
back of the magnificent beast lying at her side, but none of her
strokes garnered any type of response. Real fear pushed her onto her
elbows and she leaned close enough to bury her nose in the scent of
wolf.
“Michael, can you hear me?” She whispered this time, knowing in
her heart of hearts that her words, no matter how loud, would not be
heard.
Josie snatched her hand away just in time to catch the sob that tore
from her lips. The sight of Michael’s lifeless body brought back all
the horrific memories of the last few hours: the fear, the flight, the
horrible sound of gunshots, the pain. Her survival instincts screamed
at her to get off her ass and find a place to hide, now. What if the
hunters came back? What if they weren’t satisfied with only one kill?
She was halfway to her feet when she realized she had never
changed out of her human form. If the hunters came back they’d see
a woman alone, not a wolf. The prospect didn’t add to her sense of
safety one bit.
Josie’s damp jeans clung to the back of her thighs, and her t-shirt
provided no protection against the chilly night breeze as she stood
and looked down at her best friend, lover, and mate while trying to
decide what to do. How would she survive without Michael? He was
everything to her. He had brought her into this world and she feared
her ability to survive a single day without him. What if the pack
expected her to take a new mate? How long would they give her to
mourn? That last question didn’t matter, because no matter how
long, it wouldn’t be enough.
The sound of distant voices and snapping twigs jerked Josie’s gaze
toward the horizon. The noises were coming closer and she
recognized them as the same ones that had interrupted her tryst with
Michael earlier in the evening. What should have been a private,
blissful encounter had turned into a frightful fight for their lives.
Dropping to her knees, she buried her face in Michael’s fur,
memorized his scent, and said a silent goodbye. “I love you,” she
whispered before pulling back. A hot tear rolled down her cheek, but
she swiped it away. There was no more time for grief.
With more tears burning in her eyes, she straightened up, sniffed the
air, and decided to head north. It was away from the approaching
voices and also away from the pack. She couldn’t fathom facing any
of them now. Not yet.
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