“I'll be fine,” I promised, pushing off his paw and pulling off the shirt I'd worn to bed. I put my arms in my bra and did that, then pulled my pink thermal shirt over the top. “That wolf is unlikely to attack the site in broad daylight, especially now that he knows you're around. And I promise I won't go anywhere else without you. I know you won't be far from me if I need you.Josh looked at me for a few moments, then slowly shook his head.- Good boy. I scratched behind his ears. Josh stood up and swayed his body down. I admired the toned muscles in his legs, the beautiful shape of his jaw, the powerful slope of his back. Even in wolf form, he was an impressive creature.I opened the flap and a blast of cold air hit my face. Josh left, his beautiful tail flying behind him. I watched as he bolted towards the bushes.“Josh? I poked my head into the frigid air. He turned his head, those big green eyes swimming in my vision. - Be careful.Josh nodded and walked away, his tail disappeari
This thing was getting too dangerous. My father had told me that there were other packs who wanted the caves and paintings to remain hidden. The alpha of Bleddyn's pack wanted to marry my grandmother, but she chose my grandfather. If they knew the caves had been discovered, and my grandmother's paintings brought to light, they might come here to claim the territory they thought was rightfully theirs.And then there would be the wolves who wanted to act on behalf of shifters everywhere in order to keep the true origin of the paintings a secret. It wouldn't take long for an archaeologist or a reporter to uncover the local legends about the caves, and then stories of werewolves would appear in every tabloid across the country. There were packs that would kill everyone involved to stop that from happening.Dad, I wish you were here. I fell under a tree, feeling defeated. I licked my skin, cleaning off some of the mud that had dried there . I don't know what to do about all this. Now it's
PietraFFrances had completely abandoned work on the Neolithic cave. I was almost relieved. The thought of going back to cataloging fox bones and stone chips after everything that had happened filled me with dread. Instead, she and Ruth spent most of the day in the caves, delicate brushes in hand, cleaning dirt and dust from the paintings, ready for the university's professional photographer, who would arrive tomorrow. The cave was narrow and couldn't accommodate more than two people at a time, or so Ruth had happily explained when she'd ordered me to stay behind at camp.Fine by me. Rain clouds rolled over the forest, sending enough water to restart a biblical flood. Instead of walking through the cold caves, I sat in the trailer, wrapped in a wool shirt, scarf, and gloves, reading Heinlein while sipping my third hot tea of the day.It was my job to talk to the Daily Post reporters, who would arrive later that morning. Meanwhile, I was enjoying one of the rare downtimes on the site.
JoshDreams assaulted me in technicolor, the frantic images of past hunts, of running with my father from rangers and hunters, of hiding in caves and hollow trees. Always in movement,always running from something, my father's face always closed and sad.Beep-beep.Something shrill woke me from my dreams. I shook myself awake, looking around for the source of the noise. Pietra's cell phone. I tapped my muzzle in a vain attempt to shut him up. One of the downsides of being stuck in my wolf form… no opposable thumbs.“Urrrgh. Pietra rolled over, throwing one arm out and hanging up the phone without opening her eyes. I felt a flash of shame at myself. I fell asleep. I was supposed to be guarding Pietra, but I was so exhausted from the night before and all the running…but Pietra was fine. She was still alive. That was all that mattered. I swore never to let my guard down again.Pietra stroked my cheek.“Hey Josh.His voice sounded hoarse with sleep. The eyes fluttered open, the long lashe
Pietra“ Pietra—” Josh tapped on my car window. I knew he'd followed me back to the Mini, but I was too upset to turn around and look at him. Annoyed with him, yes, but also irritated with myself. I couldn't believe how I acted earlier, falling into Josh's arms as soon as he touched me. I shouldn't do this. I was supposed to yell at him until he understood that he couldn't treat me like his property. But one look into his green eyes and I melted like ice cream in the Brighton sun.Embarrassed, I looked down at my jeans and turned the key again.The damn car picked a good time not to start.“Pietra! Josh snarled. “Open this door so we can talk.- Not now. “I kept my head down. I didn't want him to see how red my face was. “Take Caleb back to camp."And just parade it around in front of everyone?" What do I say to Frances?“Tell her he's her long-lost werewolf cousin who tried to kill her last night and wants me to fuck him, even though I've never seen him. I don't know Josh. Do somethi
- No. I walked away, my head over my shoulder. I pulled hard on the steering wheel. Josh backed away as the Mini bounced across the rutted road, dangerously approaching the wide ditch. At the last second, he straightened and I stumbled towards Crookshollow, Josh's abandoned face haunting me in the rearview mirror.Fuck him with his caveman attitude . I couldn't believe the way they were acting, fighting over me like I was the last piece of steak on the barbecue. I thought the best way to solve their problem was to have them work together to protect the family legacy. Besides, it would be good to distance herself from Josh now that he was human again. My body still throbbed with desire for him. I wanted nothing more than to walk around the car and go back to him, begging him to take me hard over the hood. But then I was just telling him that acting this way was completely normal, and it wasn't.I was just starting to gain control of my life after Dad and Ben. I wouldn't let anyone take
Derek chuckled and went into the kitchen. I heard the kettle start to boil and the clink of wineglasses.I stretched out on the couch and kicked off my shoes, like I always did when visiting Derek's cramped apartment. Living with three other guys, no one would ever notice the smell of my thick wool socks.“I was just wondering if you could help me with some research."Absolutely," Derek replied. "Is it about the cave paintings?" - How do you know that?“They're all over the news. It's quite an exciting discovery. I bet Ruth must be thrilled.“Ruth?“You know, being the first person to discover the paintings. Derek cleared a space on the table and set down a steaming cup of tea and a brimming glass of wine. “I bet she gets her name in all kinds of archeology textbooks now."I'm the one who found them!" I yelled, banging my head on Derek's couch in frustration. Derek chuckled and pushed his wine glass towards me."I can see you need this more than you need the tea." Not that you're bitt
Article by Misty SharpePietra Sinclair, 22, the girlfriend of climber Ben Brownstone, who died horribly when he fell off a cliff in Crookshollow Forest five months ago, wasted no time in getting back into the carefree lifestyle. We interview Sinclair at a remote site in the same forest, where she is working with a crew on a dangerous cave treasure hunting expedition. When asked if the caves were dangerous, Sinclair exclaimed excitedly that there were slipping and falling hazards and lamented that a local park ranger was making them follow safety guidelines.Adrenaline junkie Sinclair took us to see the newly discovered cave paintings, despite neither this reporter nor her photographer wearing proper shoes. She dismissed our concerns about the safety of the caves, saying she wouldn't let something like her boyfriend's death stop her from living her life. She then asked us not to print that specific statement…No. My throat closed up. This can not be happening.I scanned the rest of th