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  “What the fuck? Didn’t I tell you to strip and shift?” Her anger was almost palpable. She watched him with expectation written across her face. It morphed quickly into irritation when he didn’t move or respond. She stalked a little closer. “Look, either strip and shift or I will force it on you, and then you’ll ruin the clothes you’re wearing. This is non-negotiable.”

  Seth jumped when she threatened to force his shift. He didn’t know how that would work but he wasn’t looking forward to losing control. “Um, fine. But can you turn around?”

  “Why?”

  “Well, I’ve never shifted in front of anyone and honestly, I’m not all that comfortable being naked in front of people either.” His cheeks pinked with a blush but he stood his ground against her obvious irritation.

  “Fine, but hurry up. I want to make it to the creek at the back of the property and it’s going to take us a little bit to run there.” She turned her back on him and shifted again to her wolf. She shook out her fur and remained facing away from Seth.

  He turned his back to her and quickly stripped off his clothes. He could feel the blush coloring his face as it deepened, but he wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of forcing him to take his wolfy side. A cold breeze filtered through the leaves and raised goose bumps on his flesh as he finished undressing. At least in his animal form he wouldn’t feel cold.

  Emily tried to keep her eyes off Seth as he undressed. She really did. Curiosity got the better of her, though, and she slowly angled her four-footed self so she could watch the male. She was pleasantly surprised by the full package. His wide chest tapered down to narrow hips and a very delectable ass. He turned enough that she could get a view of the front and once again she was surprised. The sparse hairs that peppered across his chest thickened near his waist and pulled her eye down to an impressively erect cock. Well. Wasn’t that interesting? He was large and thick and absolutely scrumptious. Oops—was that a little drool dribbling from her mouth? Good thing she was in wolf form.

  When the energy of his shift ruffled her fur she gave in and turned fully to watch. Seeing shifters change forms was nothing new to her. Since her first shift at thirteen she’d seen thousands of transformations. This time was different. Her wolf self was so engrossed in watching the he-wolf that the world fell away. She breathed in the change of his scent from human to animal. It tickled her nose and teased her senses. Dragging his scent into her lungs did something to her. Her belly warmed and the urge to nuzzle him was almost overpowering.

  After only a few moments Seth stood on four paws, a large male wolf. He was magnificent. His coat was a blend of gray and brown with white rimming his eyes. Emily was completely taken aback by how beautiful he was. How could he ignore this side of himself?

  She approached him and nudged his shoulder with hers. There wasn’t much else to communicate other than “let’s go”, so she turned on her hind feet and darted off into the woods. The predator buried deep inside Seth would force him to chase her. She gave a little yip of excitement when she heard him start to pursue her. This was going to be fun.

  She ran through the trees as fast as she could, dodging rocks and branches as she raced through the forest. Adrenaline pumped through her system when she heard Seth behind her. She fought the urge to turn and attack him. If it had been any other male, that was exactly what she would have done, but she knew he needed his predator tempted. The instincts rode her hard but she tamped them down. She headed to the creek and almost hoped he would catch her. A snort escaped her snout. Letting him catch her was a bad idea, although being caught by Seth was appealing while she was in her wolf skin.

  They spent the rest of the afternoon running through the woods like two pups out on their first forage. Emily gave in and enjoyed the freedom and beauty around her. They chased each other and a few little prey animals. She made him sniff her out with a game of hide-and-seek. All in all, their time flew by as they both enjoyed being in their fur.

  Chapter Four

  “So what’s all this running around in fur supposed to accomplish anyway?” Seth was still sucking air from their sprint back from the creek. He wasn’t against exercise but to run flat-out for almost an hour was above his normal weekly regimen. They’d made it back to the cabin a few moments before, both breathless. Emily had shifted and donned her clothes in record time and now stood watching him dress with a speculative eye. He could feel the blush rising under his skin as his cock twitched under her scrutiny.

  “Well, my plan is to have you bring your inner beastie forward as many times as I can. I hope that with some communing between the two of you, some of your shifter traits will reactivate.”

  “And this will be a good thing why?” He tried to keep the anger and skepticism from his voice and knew he hadn’t done it well from the snort she gave him.

  “Seth, why don’t you like your wolf side? Don’t you realize that your wolf is a natural part of who you are?” She caught him off guard with her seriousness. “I mean, I understand not wanting to be involved in the pack. I hate it sometimes. But to ignore a part of your inner self just seems silly to me.”

  He pondered her question and for the first time tried to put his thoughts in order. He stared off into the woods, refusing to look at her as he discussed this. “My parents both died before my first change. I was raised by my aunt and uncle—well, my father’s half sister and her husband—who’re both human. They knew what my parents were and tried to explain what would happen to me, but being human didn’t really give them the insight they needed. My first time was terrifying. I was home alone watching TV when I felt this itching sensation just before the pain hit. I went through the transition in our living room, tearing out of my clothes, destroying the furniture and completely losing touch with my human side. When they found me I was cowering in a corner under our desk, whimpering. It took me hours to change back to my human skin.”

  He jumped when her palm came to rest on his arm. Her gaze held nothing but sympathy. He had to continue before he lost his courage. “Every month after that I fought the change, terrified that I wouldn’t get back to my human skin. I tried everything from drugging myself to drinking myself into a stupor. I became so paranoid around the full moon that my aunt actually wanted me to see a shrink.” He laughed but it held no humor. “Right, like explaining I was a wolf shifter to a human psychologist was going to help me. They would have just thrown me in a padded room. So I started hiding my feelings around them. I suffered through the change each month but didn’t allow the beast out any other time. Eventually it stayed quiet and only reared its ugly head the day of the full moon.”

  Seth turned to find an odd look on Emily’s face. He wasn’t sure how to interpret it so he let it go. He shrugged. “So that’s why I don’t like my wolf side. Although today has proven that it can be fun to be in fur.”

  She grinned in response. “I’m glad you told me about your history. Let’s take our stuff inside and eat something, then we can go for another run later.”

  He groaned as his muscles screamed. He grabbed his bag and tromped toward the cabin, following behind his own personal drill sergeant. If they were going to run again today he’d better pop a couple of ibuprofen. His eyes fell to watching her sweet, tight little ass sashay as she walked up the steps into the cabin. The urge to pinch those luscious cheeks was almost overwhelming. Visions of her naked body stormed his brain, forcing blood to rush below his belt. His wolf yipped inside his head and he groaned. This wasn’t the time—or the woman—to get those types of thoughts.

  He was pulled from his thoughts by a chuckle. He looked up to find Emily grinning at him. Yep, he’d been caught ogling her ass. Shit. He felt a blush color his cheeks again and he damned his emotions. He felt like a schoolgirl around her, and wasn’t that just an emasculating thing?

  At least when he was in his wolf skin he didn’t get so flustered around her. He’d actually fought the urge to chase her down and grab her by the neck, pull her to the ground and mount her. In
wolf speak that would be great if she were submissive, but trying to do that to Emily Prescott would be like signing your own death certificate. He’d heard the stories about the other males she’d ripped apart when they’d tried those same moves.

  “Come on, wolf boy,” she called from the porch. “Let’s get settled. Oh, and a word to the wise, stop watching my ass. I find it funny now, but won’t if you continue doing it.”

  She turned and walked into the cabin without another word. He shook his head and stomped up the stairs. She was an amazing woman but definitely not the type you tried to date. He wanted to keep his cock and balls right where they were, and functional.

  * * * * *

  Emily watched Seth wander the cabin with a mixture of amusement and trepidation. She could feel her wolf’s wants growing and that wasn’t good. If her wolf had her way they would be belly-up under him in a heartbeat, panting and whining. She could feel the heat rising under her skin as she pondered the sexy view she’d had a few moments ago of a very naked Seth. As the strongest female of their pack, she just couldn’t understand her bitch’s need to submit to him. He was weak-willed, weak-bodied and just not her type. She scolded her inner wolf and grabbed her bag. There wasn’t much she could do about her reaction to the male. She just hoped that they didn’t do something stupid during the weekend that they’d both regret come Monday.

  She dumped her bag on the bed in the master bedroom and wandered to the French doors. She loved this cabin because of the two-story deck. The view was breathtaking and peaceful. She could hear Seth moving around in the other bedroom and actually enjoyed knowing someone was there with her. Being a loner and constantly on guard wore her down. She longed for someone to keep her company who wasn’t her father and wasn’t trying to dominate her. Other females were tough to be friends with because every male they ran into attempted something with Emily. Jealousy and hatred had marred more than one relationship with females. Males all tended to treat her the same way. They either avoided her or tried to “tame” her. Being here with Seth was relaxing in a way she hadn’t even known she’d missed.

  She walked silently through the connecting bathroom and leaned a hip against the doorjamb. He moved with animal grace even if he didn’t want to accept his inner beast. The T-shirt he wore was once again too big for his frame, but it clung to his back when he bent to open a drawer. His jeans were well-worn and fitted him perfectly, outlining his ass and thighs in scrumptious perfection. Every time her eyes were drawn to his ass she fought the urge to fall to her knees and bite him. She usually wasn’t all that impressed with butts. Wide, muscular chests were more her thing, but the heavens had been generous when crafting Seth’s ass. Maybe because his shoulders and chest weren’t sculpted and hard she’d had time to look over his other assets. She snorted at that thought and watched him whip around and glare at her. She loved keeping him on his toes.

  “When you’re done unpacking, or whatever it is you’re doing, come back downstairs. We’re going to eat quick sandwiches and go back into the woods.” She smiled at the scowl he threw her way and turned to go to the kitchen. She spun around quickly when the vibrations of a growl moved through the air and into her body. She arched a brow at him. “What did you say? Did you just growl at me?”

  Seth jerked back and shock rounded his mouth into a perfect “O”. She grinned at him and patted herself on the proverbial back. Getting him into his furry self was definitely going to pull some of his wolfy side out. She waved off his stammering and skipped down the stairs. Just call her Emily the shifter psychologist, she scoffed to herself.

  Chapter Five

  They ate in companionable silence, both stuffing themselves with sandwiches and chips. Shifting always made her hungry, and going on a long run didn’t diminish her need for food either. She liked the fact that he could put away as much food as she could in a sitting. That was one of the few things that made her self-conscious around other shifters. She ate a lot—much more than most females. She’d always assumed it was because she spent so much more time in her fur than most shifter females. Being the Alpha’s daughter required her to stand in during disputes, which usually ended up in chases through the woods.

  Seth cleaned up without a single word, tossing the paper plates and washing the glasses. As their meal progressed, his anxiety and fear ramped up. The scent tickled her nose and she wondered again about his past and how she would have dealt with the same circumstances. Maybe that was something she could change for him. Yes, he’d been shifting to his wolf for years, but maybe giving him the First Run ritual would help him deal with his wolf.

  “Seth, do you know what the ritual is for a shifter’s first shift?” She watched his shoulders clench and fought the urge to soothe him.

  “No. I know that it’s important. My aunt and uncle told me that my parents were excited about the idea of my first run.” He turned a blank stare on her but he couldn’t hide his emotions from her nose. “Why?”

  “Well, I was thinking about it, and maybe we could give you that ritual tonight.” She waved away his argument before he could speak. “I know you’ve been shifting for years, but sometimes the ritual and the preparation are just a good way to become friends with your inner beastie.”

  “All right, so what do we do?”

  “Let me think.” She walked the room, chewing on her lower lip. “I will act as the Alpha and your parent. Usually one of your parents would present you to the Alpha of the pack to be acknowledged as an adult. I can do that without much trouble. By acting as your Alpha I’ll be tied to your mind until you shift back to your human form. Any thought you have, I’ll be able to read. Then there’s a clearing not far from here that we can use for the ceremony.”

  “Wait…what? You’ll be able to read my thoughts? Really?”

  “Yep, it’s another one of those Alpha things. I won’t keep us tied once you shift back, though, I promise.”

  “So what do we do during the ceremony?” His fear was escalating, flowing over her skin in sickening waves. If she could see auras she would swear his would be mustard or puke colored. The scent of fear was so thick that she wanted to plug her nose.

  “Look, don’t worry about it now. Your wolf will know what to do.” She sighed. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. “If you don’t want to do this, let me know. Maybe it’s too much too soon.”

  He looked affronted and scowled. “What, like I’m too delicate or something? Christ, I would’ve gone through this when I was fourteen if my parents had been alive, right? I think I can handle it.”

  “Fine, then let’s go. It’s a lot cooler if the moon is directly above us when we do the ceremony.” She headed for the door but stopped and turned to face him with a mischievous grin. “Oh, and you have to be naked when we start. Might as well strip in here and come out onto the lawn when you’re ready.”

  She laughed at his indignation before closing the door behind her. She needed a minute to access the power to connect with Seth. She’d done this a few times but wanted the experience to be good for him. Her father could slip into others’ minds without them feeling a thing. She wasn’t so good at it. She walked into a small patch of moonlight and closed her eyes, centering herself and stoking the power flowing through her blood. She loved using her powers—it always left her exhilarated.

  Seth’s heavy footsteps brought her around and the sight before took her breath away. He was naked, bathed in moonlight, standing angrily at the bottom of the steps. His body was magnificent, washed a pale cream by the filtered light. A statue of a Greek god wouldn’t hold a candle to the glorious male standing in front of her. She couldn’t help but stare. She knew it was making him embarrassed but she just couldn’t tear her eyes from him. How had she ever thought he was physically weak? She forced her eyes to his and cleared her throat.

  “Okay, let’s get started.” She turned and stepped onto the lawn, finding a patch of moonlight to stand in. She closed her eyes and could feel him approach her. She reached out her min
d to his. She wrapped her power around his mind and lightly pressed into his thoughts. Once the connection was made she started. “Seth Seymour, as your first act as an adult you have been brought forward to share your First Run with your pack and your Alpha. You have come in front of me in your human form, devoid of clothing to symbolize your agreement to remain open and accepting of pack law. Do you accept these words I have spoken?”

  “Yes.” His voice was rough and deep.

  She didn’t dare to open her eyes, afraid to see what his face looked like. She continued. “I, Emily Prescott, will act as the Alpha in this ceremony. Within the confines of my act I have connected my mind to yours. We will share thoughts and emotions throughout this First Run ritual. I will act as your compass and your protector until you have completed the ritual and returned safely to this place. Do you accept these words I have spoken?”

  She could feel that he had stepped closer to her. His whispered words moved softly over her lips. “Yes, I accept them.”

  She opened her eyes to find him standing close, staring at her with a very male look in his eyes. She bristled and forced herself not to take a step back. “To seal the pact we have just accepted, you will transform yourself into your wolf form and present yourself to me.”

  Seth stepped away from her and closed his eyes. She could hear him calling his wolf forward in his mind and marveled at the connection they now had. The change within her was so normal, but to feel it in someone else was amazing. She could actually feel his mind change and lose the confining human emotions. With the shift, thought patterns became more defined—only concrete feelings survived the shift. She gasped as lust and possessiveness became the main thoughts of his wolf self. They flooded her mind with warmth. She almost laughed, because she could feel him acknowledge her in his mind and still he allowed her to sense his thoughts.