Read Online Rivals (Shifter Island #2) by Carol Davis - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Carol Davis
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walls that held the wolf at bay.
The shift was never painless. This time was worst than most, because he was afraid he’d open his eyes to find that Abby had run away.
His bones and muscles contorted and reshaped themselves. Fur emerged from his skin.
He was a beautiful animal, he’d been told. Graceful, powerful, golden-eyed. Only the fur on his back and head was dark; the rest of it was blond, almost white. He was long-legged, for a wolf, with a thick, expressive tail. He’d never been injured, had no ragged ear, no scars, no missing toes. Most of the time, he was proud and confident. He had no reason not to be.
He opened his eyes, thinking he would find himself alone, but Abby was kneeling on the ground only a few steps away. She seemed ready to coax him to come closer.
I’m not a dog , Abby, he thought.
“Can you understand me now?” she asked.
He nodded.
“You just can’t speak.”
He shook his head. Then he flared his nostrils, searching for her scent. There was no fear in it. No arousal, either. Just… curiosity.
After a minute he padded over to her and gave her a warning look, a sternly cocked brow. He supposed her natural instinct was to pet him, to scratch him behind the ears. That would feel good to the wolf, because he trusted her, had bonded with her, but it would be a mistake to relax like that now, to let down his guard.
“I don’t know what to think,” she sighed. “This is—I keep thinking I’ll wake up, and I’ll be back in bed at Dolphin Cove.”
Aaron stepped back and pulled in a deep breath. A minute later, he was a man again.
“Dolphins?” he said. “There are no dolphins here.”
Abby sighed. “It’s the resort I was at. Maybe they figured they wouldn’t get as many customers if they called it Shark Cove, or Funny Ugly Fish Cove. I don’t know. I live on a street called Elm Crest, and there aren’t any elms there. All the elms died fifty years ago. People do stupid things. They give things stupid names. It’s all about the PR.” Shaking her head, she looked past him in the direction of the settlement. “Are you still you?” she asked. “When you’re… like that? The wolf?”
“Mostly.”
“Do you still…”
She cut herself off. Suddenly, she looked wistful, like the little girl who’d been told long ago that there would be no more car trips with her mother.
“Do I what?” Aaron asked.
“Do you care about me? When you’re that… other?”
“With every beat of my heart,” Aaron said.
He listened for the beat of her heart, the sound of her breathing. No, she wasn’t afraid. She truly wasn’t afraid—not here, now, with him. Grateful for that beyond words, Aaron leaned in to her and kissed her softly.
Then, so suddenly that it made Aaron’s heart leap in his chest, Daniel’s voice interrupted them.
Daniel, saying Aaron’s name in a growl.
When Aaron looked up, the watcher was standing there, with Caleb and Mason behind him, and several of the younger wolves behind them.
There was no mistaking their intentions.
“Come away from the human,” Daniel said. “Do it now.”
Nine
“I won’t,” Aaron said. “She’s not threatening me, Daniel. She’s not threatening anyone.”
Something had changed, Abby saw. The elders had been stern before; now they were angry. Threatening. And Daniel—the very sight of him made her flesh crawl.
She’d seen enough movies and TV shows, and had witnessed enough real-life encounters, to know that if Aaron didn’t obey Daniel’s instructions quickly, there’d be hell to pay.
Almost holding her breath, she turned toward Aaron to see what he’d do, hoping she was misunderstanding the whole situation.
“Leave her,” Caleb said.
“And what happens to her then?” Aaron demanded. “What do you intend to do with her?”
He moved to his haunches, taking a position between her and the elders, so that she was looking at his back. She blinked a couple of times, unsure of what she was seeing:
The shift was never painless. This time was worst than most, because he was afraid he’d open his eyes to find that Abby had run away.
His bones and muscles contorted and reshaped themselves. Fur emerged from his skin.
He was a beautiful animal, he’d been told. Graceful, powerful, golden-eyed. Only the fur on his back and head was dark; the rest of it was blond, almost white. He was long-legged, for a wolf, with a thick, expressive tail. He’d never been injured, had no ragged ear, no scars, no missing toes. Most of the time, he was proud and confident. He had no reason not to be.
He opened his eyes, thinking he would find himself alone, but Abby was kneeling on the ground only a few steps away. She seemed ready to coax him to come closer.
I’m not a dog , Abby, he thought.
“Can you understand me now?” she asked.
He nodded.
“You just can’t speak.”
He shook his head. Then he flared his nostrils, searching for her scent. There was no fear in it. No arousal, either. Just… curiosity.
After a minute he padded over to her and gave her a warning look, a sternly cocked brow. He supposed her natural instinct was to pet him, to scratch him behind the ears. That would feel good to the wolf, because he trusted her, had bonded with her, but it would be a mistake to relax like that now, to let down his guard.
“I don’t know what to think,” she sighed. “This is—I keep thinking I’ll wake up, and I’ll be back in bed at Dolphin Cove.”
Aaron stepped back and pulled in a deep breath. A minute later, he was a man again.
“Dolphins?” he said. “There are no dolphins here.”
Abby sighed. “It’s the resort I was at. Maybe they figured they wouldn’t get as many customers if they called it Shark Cove, or Funny Ugly Fish Cove. I don’t know. I live on a street called Elm Crest, and there aren’t any elms there. All the elms died fifty years ago. People do stupid things. They give things stupid names. It’s all about the PR.” Shaking her head, she looked past him in the direction of the settlement. “Are you still you?” she asked. “When you’re… like that? The wolf?”
“Mostly.”
“Do you still…”
She cut herself off. Suddenly, she looked wistful, like the little girl who’d been told long ago that there would be no more car trips with her mother.
“Do I what?” Aaron asked.
“Do you care about me? When you’re that… other?”
“With every beat of my heart,” Aaron said.
He listened for the beat of her heart, the sound of her breathing. No, she wasn’t afraid. She truly wasn’t afraid—not here, now, with him. Grateful for that beyond words, Aaron leaned in to her and kissed her softly.
Then, so suddenly that it made Aaron’s heart leap in his chest, Daniel’s voice interrupted them.
Daniel, saying Aaron’s name in a growl.
When Aaron looked up, the watcher was standing there, with Caleb and Mason behind him, and several of the younger wolves behind them.
There was no mistaking their intentions.
“Come away from the human,” Daniel said. “Do it now.”
Nine
“I won’t,” Aaron said. “She’s not threatening me, Daniel. She’s not threatening anyone.”
Something had changed, Abby saw. The elders had been stern before; now they were angry. Threatening. And Daniel—the very sight of him made her flesh crawl.
She’d seen enough movies and TV shows, and had witnessed enough real-life encounters, to know that if Aaron didn’t obey Daniel’s instructions quickly, there’d be hell to pay.
Almost holding her breath, she turned toward Aaron to see what he’d do, hoping she was misunderstanding the whole situation.
“Leave her,” Caleb said.
“And what happens to her then?” Aaron demanded. “What do you intend to do with her?”
He moved to his haunches, taking a position between her and the elders, so that she was looking at his back. She blinked a couple of times, unsure of what she was seeing:
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