Running with Wolves - Cynthia Cooke

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then she was pressing her mouth to his, her stomach tightening, her breasts drawing in, her nipples hardening. Her lips moved over his as his tongue filled her mouth. She took his hand and placed it over her breasts and he rubbed and tweaked and massaged until she thought she would burst with need. She shifted, turning until she was facing him, her hands cupping his face as his kiss sent her soaring.

      He moved his hand behind her back, holding her close, and then finished the kiss. He pulled away from her and a small moan of protest left her lips. She tried to pull him back, but he moved farther and farther away, until he was off the bed and pulling the sheets up over her, covering her nakedness. “What is happening? Where are you going?” she asked.

      “You are changing. But don’t worry, the worst of it is over.”

      If it was over, then what was he doing over there and not back in the bed with her? “I am not a demon,” she insisted.

      “I know,” he said, his words breaking over her, the deep timbre of his voice skittering across already frayed nerves.

      “Nor will I ever be,” she clarified, in case that was the reason he was pulling away from her. Because there had to be a reason. Didn’t there?

      “I know,” he repeated.

      “But you said—” she cried out as another twinge grasped hold and twisted, ripping and pulling her insides. Not again!

      “The demon dimension was where we came from originally, but that’s not why the Gauliacho are after us and that’s not what we are now.”

      He gave her another piece of jerky. She ate that, too, and then another until at last she felt the wrenching pain subside. She pushed herself up against the headboard. “But what does that mean? And why don’t you come back to bed?” she asked when at last she caught her breath. Her body temperature dropped and her breathing returned to normal.

      “It means you are changing, leaving your humanity behind and becoming like us.”

      “Like you? What are you?” She looked up at him with blurred vision. “What am I changing into?” She had to know, all this pain, this suffering—if she wasn’t dying, then it had to be for something.

      He brushed the hair back from her face, and for a second she wondered if he would climb back into bed with her. His pale eyes locked onto hers. Eyes that looked so familiar, that almost looked like...

      “A wolf.”

      Chapter 5

      A wolf? She took several deep breaths, trying to still the panic in her mind. “How can you possibly expect me to believe that?”

      “Because you already know it’s true. The buzzing you’ve been hearing, the colors you’ve been seeing. You dream of the forest, of running free. You know it deep inside. It’s who you are. Who you’ve always been.”

      “It’s not possible,” she whispered, even as his words resonated deep within her.

      “It is. You’ve already gone through the first modification. Things are going to be different for you now. Your sight, your hearing, your senses. After this last adaptation, you will be stronger. And when you’re in wolf form, you’ll heal quicker.”

      “Wolf form? Like a werewolf?” She thought of the horror movies she used to watch as a teen where the actors’ faces stretched into grotesque misshapen monsters, their jaws and noses elongating into a wickedly sharp tooth-filled snout. And they sprouted hair. Everywhere.

      She shivered.

      Buddy whined, placing his head on the side of the bed. Jason smiled and patted Buddy, comforting him. “No, not a werewolf. More like a shape-shifter. We can change form at will, anytime. We are not ruled by the light of a full moon and we do not crave human flesh.”

      “Great. That’s the best news I’ve heard all day.” Not. “This is really too much to believe.” She tried to sit up and pull away from him, but a wave of dizziness broke over her.

      She fell back into the pillow and willed sleep to return. She didn’t want to hear any more, didn’t want to think or feel.

      He touched her head again, brushing his fingers across her hair in a soothing caress. “I would love to let you sleep the day away, but I can’t. After this latest change, your wolf scent is even stronger. The sun is almost up. We have to keep moving.”

      “Why?” she asked, her voice treacherously close to a whine.

      “The demons. Or have you forgotten them?”

      No. She hadn’t. She just didn’t want to believe him. No matter what he said. No matter what kind of wicked food poisoning she’d had. The next thing she knew, his arms were under her and he was picking her up, lifting her up off the bed.

      “Hey,” she cried in protest as he carried her into the bathroom and set her down on the toilet then turned on the water in the shower. She drew her knees to her, covering herself the best she could.

      “Get in and take a hot shower. You’ll feel better. Don’t take too long, though. Here are my keys.” He pulled his key ring out of his pocket and laid it on the counter. “When you’re done, put Buddy and your stuff back in the truck. I’m going to take a quick shower myself, then head over to the diner to order us breakfast. We have a long day ahead of us.”

      “How do you know I won’t take your truck and drive myself back home?”

      He stopped on his way out the door and turned back to her. “Because I trust you. And deep down, you know you can trust me. You know I’m right.”

      “Fine,” she grumbled as steam began to fill the room. “But don’t be surprised if I don’t eat. My stomach is still topsy-turvy.”

      “I’m not worried.” His smile was annoyingly confident as he turned and walked out.

      “Whatever,” she grumbled as she heard the adjoining door close.

      Apparently no more kisses for her. Or anything else. She sighed and stripped out of her underwear then stepped under the hot spray, and melted as the pulsating water massaged her muscles. A wolf. Ridiculous. All she needed was a hot shower and she’d be fine. Obviously, something she ate hadn’t agreed with her, that’s all.

      As she stood under the hot water, her stomach growled as she thought of a thick slab of ham covered with over-medium eggs, and topped with a side of bacon and sausages. The little link kind. It had been years since she’d had sausages. How could she be thinking of food now, after all she’d been through? But she was. As impossible as it was for her to believe, she was starving.

      In no time at all, she was out of the shower, dried off and combing her long dark hair when she noticed her arms did look different. She held them out and stared at them. They were suddenly well-defined. Muscular.

      You will be stronger.

      She looked away, brushed her teeth then put on a quick dab of lip-gloss and mascara. She wasn’t changing. She just didn’t feel good. She walked out of the bathroom, staying clear of the mirror as she dressed and repacked her duffel, then she and Buddy left the room for the parking lot.

      “Here you go, Buddy,” she said after he did his business. She poured some of his dog food into his bowl, put some water in a stray coffee cup rolling around in the back and placed it on the floor. “Everything is going to be just fine,” she lied as she locked him in the truck and walked toward the restaurant.

      The sky was beginning to show the first reddish-gold streaks of dawn across the horizon when she walked into the diner. She was surprised to find it already half-full with other patrons. She glanced through the long row of windows into the parking lot and saw several large diesel trucks. That made sense, especially if the diner’s breakfasts were as good as their burgers.

      The smell of coffee was strong and inviting as she dropped into the booth across from Jason.

      “You’re

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