Chapter 6 - I'm A Werewolf

Ryder kept glancing at Zoe as they walked.  He never believed in walking on air, but he did now.  His feet hadn't felt like they had touched the ground since she kissed him.  The sea breeze was cool but refreshing.  

 

"Now that we know you're a good kisser, what did you want to talk to me about?"  Zoe looked at Ryder from the corner of her eye and saw his face turn bright red.  She bit her lip to keep herself from smiling.  There was nothing better than making him blush.  

 

"You think I'm a good kisser?  I didn't know what I was doing,"  Ryder spoke quietly while looking at the sea.  Zoe stopped and made him face her.

 

"You're a fantastic kisser.  When two people are attracted to each other, the kissing comes naturally.  I'm glad to be the first one to experience it with you.  I don't want you thinking you have magic lips and going around kissing every woman you see, though,"  Zoe giggled when his face turned a brighter shade of red.  She would count that as a win.  

 

"You don't have to worry about that.  You're the only one I want to kiss."  Ryder looked into her big blue eyes.  She smiled that sweet smile that made his knees weak.  He knew he needed to tell her about being a wolf before they went any further.  He took her hand and led her to a small area that sat back from the water.  There was a large flat rock where they could sit.

 

"I feel like whatever you need to say will be something important.  You're not going to tell me that you're dying and only have three months to live, are you?"  Zoe shifted slightly so she could look at him.  Ryder took a chance and pulled her over to sit across his lap.  She put her arm around his back and rested her head on his shoulder.  Ryder put one arm around her but didn't know what to do with his other hand.  Zoe grabbed it and held it in her lap. 

 

"No, I'm not dying, but what I have to tell you is important.  Please don't run away when you hear what I have to say.  I promise everything I say is the truth."  Zoe raised up so she could see his face.  The worry she saw on it concerned her.  Was he going to say something bad?  She reached her hand up and stroked his cheek.

 

"It will be okay.  I'll hear you out."  She said softly, leaning up to kiss his cheek.  Ryder took comfort in her words but hoped hearing about him being a werewolf wouldn't change her mind.  He thought about different ways to tell her but settled on just coming out with it.  

 

"I'm a werewolf."  Zoe waited for him to start laughing or tell her he was joking, but he didn't.  Ryder stared at her, watching her reaction.  She didn't want to judge him.  Maybe it was some sort of game he played, and it embarrasses him to talk about it.  There was no way he was an actual werewolf.  They don't exist.

 

"Explain what that means exactly,"  Zoe said cautiously.  She felt Ryder relax slightly against her.  

 

"It means I can change from a human into a wolf."  He held his breath, waiting for her to start screaming or saying he was crazy.  Zoe stared at him as though trying to wrap her head around what he had said.

 

"How do you do that?"  Zoe asked.  Was she crazy for entertaining this conversation?  She knew she should leave, but everything inside her told her to stay.  

 

"It would be easier if I could show you, but we're a little exposed here.  Do you trust me enough to go somewhere private?"  Ryder asked.  He'd find another way to show her if she showed any fear, but it would be best to let her see him shift.  

 

Zoe didn't know what to do.  She trusted Ryder despite what he'd said so far, but it didn't mean she wouldn't be careful.  She looked into his eyes and saw nothing that concerned her.  

 

"We can go somewhere private."  She answered.  They walked back to where they left their shoes.  Ryder led her to a dark blue truck parked at the diner.  After helping her in, he got into the driver's seat and turned to her.

 

"Zoe, I appreciate you not freaking out and telling me I'm crazy, but if you have any apprehension, you don't have to do this.  What I said is the truth; I am a werewolf."  Zoe gave him a small smile and took his hand.  

 

"I'm not going to lie; part of me wants to call the police and tell them to 5150 you into the psych ward at the hospital.  However, a bigger part of me wants to believe you and see what you're going to show me.  So let's go somewhere you can do a little show and tell."   Ryder raised her hand to his lips.  The shiver that ran through her body certainly made her feel as though he was something more than an average man. 

 

Ryder drove to a nearby forest where there were trails.  After parking, he helped Zoe out of the truck, and they started walking.  She kept hold of his hand the entire time, which encouraged him that she was at least giving him the benefit of the doubt.  

 

Once they were about half a mile down the trail, he pulled her through the trees.  She wasn't exactly dressed for hiking, so he picked her up and carried her.  

 

Zoe studied Ryder's face being so close, and couldn't help smiling.  He really was a handsome man.  She wrapped her arms around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder as he walked.  When they got to a small clearing, he gently sat her on top of a boulder and stood in front of her.  

 

"I have to take my clothes off when I shift.  So I'll go behind those trees, and when I come out, you'll see my wolf, Axel.  Don't be scared.  He's big, but he won't hurt you.  Just think of him as a big puppy."  Ryder almost laughed when he heard Axel growling in his head.  Zoe shook her head.

 

"I don't want you going behind the trees.  I want to see you change into a wolf.  Unless you don't want me to see you with your clothes off."  Zoe raised her eyebrows at him and let her eyes slowly travel down his body.  Ryder felt like he was already naked with how she was looking at him.  He swallowed as his mouth suddenly felt dry.

 

"I can do it here,"  Ryder answered.  He could feel his face getting hot.  He'd never taken his clothes off in front of a woman.  What if she didn't like was she saw?  He took his shirt off.  When he looked up, he saw Zoe staring at him.  

 

"I saw you at the accident without a shirt, but I didn't get to appreciate how good you look.  Can I touch you?"  Zoe reached her hand out with her mouth watering.  She saw a smirk on his face at her reaction.  

 

"Touch all you want,"  He walked over to her, and Zoe ran her hands over him eagerly.  He was so bumpy and hard yet smooth and soft.  

 

Ryder closed his eyes, trying to stop the moan from leaving him.  Her hands were so warm, and the sensations running through him made him hard.  When he felt her mouth on his chest, his eyes flew open, and she looked up at him with a smile that made his erection grow.  When she kissed his chest again, he moaned.  Zoe giggled.

 

"I want more, but I want to see your wolf first.  You're incredible, Ryder."  He looked into her eyes, and before he could stop himself, he leaned forward and kissed her.  Zoe wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer.  He didn't hesitate to slide his tongue against hers when she opened her mouth.  Ryder wrapped his arms around her and put one hand into her silky hair.  As their mouths moved against each other, he became breathless and had to pull away.  Putting his forehead against hers, he closed his eyes.

 

"I'm sorry.  I shouldn't have done that.  Feeling your hands and mouth on me just made me lose all reason."  Zoe stopped him before he could say more by bringing his mouth back to hers.

 

"Don't apologize.  I wanted it just as much as you did.  I want more than just a kiss, and from the large bulge in your pants, I think you do too."  Zoe tilted her head to the side with a smirk when his face turned red.

 

"I thought we were out here so I could show you my wolf.  You're distracting me."  Ryder ran his hands up and down her back over her shirt.  

 

"I wanted you to know that no matter what happens out here, I have strong feelings for you.  This is more than just an attraction for me.  I feel like we belong together or something.  Is it strange that I feel like you're my other half?"  Zoe hoped he didn't think she was the one talking crazy now.

 

"It's not strange at all.  I felt the same way when I first saw you.  Let me show you, Axel, and then, if you're okay with him, I've got a lot more to tell you."  Ryder gave her one last kiss before stepping away.  

 

He was embarrassed about how hard he was when he pulled his pants down.  When Ryder heard Zoe gasp, he looked up.  He threw his pants and boxers on the boulder beside her, but she wasn't moving.  Her face was red, and she was staring at what he had hanging between his legs.

 

"Are you okay?"  Ryder asked, feeling extremely exposed.  Zoe licked her lips before bringing her eyes to his.

 

"I've just never seen one that big.  It scares me a little."  She answered, looking up and down repeatedly.

 

"Why does it scare you?"  Ryder asked.  He liked seeing her flustered for once.  

 

"I don't know how it's going to fit inside me."  Zoe grinned when she saw the redness on his face.  Another win.

 

"Oh, uh, I,"  Ryder couldn't speak anymore.  The thought of having sex with Zoe made all words leave him.  When she started laughing, his eyes met hers.  

 

"I'm messing with you.  I'm sure it will fit just fine."  Zoe burst out laughing again when his face froze.  She'd be lying if she said she wasn't ready to lay back on the rock and tell him to take her, but she needed to meet his wolf.  

 

"You can introduce me to Axel now.  We have plenty of time to figure out everything else.  You don't have anywhere you need to be today, do you?"  Ryder shook his head.

 

"No, I don't need to be anywhere other than with you.  Remember, when you see Axel, he won't hurt you."  Ryder stepped back, and Zoe held her breath.  She didn't know what to expect, but seeing Ryder in front of her one second and a large black wolf the next wasn't it. 

 

Her instinct was to run away screaming, but the large wolf sat down and stared at her.  When Zoe looked into his eyes, she saw the same stormy grey eyes looking back at her, only they were a little darker.  She relaxed and smiled.

 

"Hi, Axel.  I'm Zoe.  Can you understand me?"  She felt foolish talking to a wolf and asking it questions as though he could respond.  Axel walked over to her and put his large head on her lap.  Zoe lifted her hand so she could rub his soft fur.  

 

"You're beautiful.  I don't understand all this, but I'm going to let Ryder explain it to me.  Axel, I think I'm falling in love with him, but that's ridiculous because I've only known him for a few hours.  I'm usually cautious about moving too fast, but I just want to jump straight into the deep end with Ryder.  I've never felt more alive than I do with him.  What if he doesn't feel the same?"  Zoe continued petting Axel's head as she closed her eyes.  When he lifted his head, she opened her eyes and realized Axel was no longer in front of her; Ryder was.

 

"I do feel the same because I'm falling in love with you too,"  Ryder didn't care that he was naked; he took Zoe in his arms and kissed her.  They held each other desperately, both feeling like they had found something they were missing.  When he pulled back, they smiled at each other.  She knew about his wolf and didn't run away.  Now he wondered how she would take finding out about them being mates.