The Calling (15 page)

Her pulse leaped and her heart slammed against her ribcage when she saw the wolf standing behind the tree she'd been leaning against. Her knees went weak. She'd been that close to the thing and hadn't even known it?

She watched it and poked Jacob in the back when he did nothing but stand there staring. When the wolf stepped out from behind the tree and Jacob's body relaxed, she realized it must be Garrett.

Jacob turned and said, "It's Garrett," and walked away without another word.

The sun hadn't set completely and unlike the night before in the darkened, derelict cabin, Rayna could see Garrett clearly now. The hair covering his body was jet black and shined in the light making it appear almost blue in places. It looked soft and thick and those amber eyes glowed eerily out of the wolf's darkened face. He walked closer and her gaze covered every inch of him. He was impossibly tall, his legs bent at the knees as if he were stooping but she could tell he wasn't. His arms were long and his hands still looked somewhat human. Well, aside from all the hair and the very sharp looking claws. The face, however, didn't look human. It resembled more of a wolf's. His mouth was elongated with a maw she was sure held razor sharp teeth. His ears were long and laid slightly back, relaxed, on his head. He was watching her and still as death. Nothing on him moved and she found it more terrifying than if he'd been moving. Anything that could remain that still wasn't natural.

Well, hello. Werewolf. Not exactly natural, now is it?

"I'm not going to hurt you."

She jumped, startled, when he spoke and her heart resumed racing. His words were somewhat garbled but she still understood him. The fact he was talking to her at all while looking like that was mind numbing. She smiled at him to try and cover her fear and moved back, away from the truck and toward the creek when he took a step toward her. When she was as far as she could get without crossing the creek, he walked completely into the clearing.

The need to cry was overwhelming as she stared at him. Her heart felt like it was breaking. This terrifyingly scary creature was Garrett. Her Garrett. A man she'd been falling in love with before he decided he could no longer have her. A man who left her because of what he was. What he still is. A werewolf. It was too unbelievable for words. She prayed she was going to wake up any moment and be back in Bluff's Point, standing behind a police line watching him work and trying to get his attention while he ignored her.

He turned his head away from her and walked to the truck. She could tell he was pissed by the time he reached it. His ears were standing erect; his back was slightly arched with fur bristled. A snarl eased past a curled lip and she saw the sharp point of his teeth.

Jacob rounded the truck and stopped beside him, laying his hands on the bent metal. "Do you want to hike out of here tonight or wait until sunrise?"

Garrett looked up, staring into the darkening sky before turning to look at her. She was still cowering near the creek bank and when his gaze fell upon her it took everything in her not to take another step backwards. "We'll leave at first light," he said.

Jacob nodded. "I found the blankets and other gear in your truck but not any food. Feel like going on a little hunt for us? None of us have eaten since breakfast."

A nod was all she saw before Garrett turned and ran back into the forest. When he was out of sight, she released the breath she'd been holding. When Jacob turned to look at her, she knew what he was going to say before he even opened his mouth. "It's still Garrett."

"I know," she said, weakly.

"Then stop being so damn scared of him. You're stinking the whole clearing up and I for one don't have Garrett's control. That fear of yours smells like food to me." He turned and left her standing there feeling properly chastised. If Jacob smelled her fear, no doubt Garrett did. She sighed and walked back to her tree, waiting for Garrett to come back. Like it or not, she was going to have to overcome her fear of him. She couldn't have the man without the beast and she wasn't ready to give him up when it looked as if he was willing to give them a second chance. Scared shitless or not, she would make herself accept the furry side of him.

* * * *

When Garrett returned, he threw several fat rabbits at Jacob's feet and turned, running back into the forest. He didn't even glance in her direction. That was over two hours ago. They'd cleaned the rabbits, cooked them over a fire and as much as she loathed the thought of eating them, she was too hungry to refuse. The meat was dry and rather bland but her stomach had stopped growling. True dark had fallen over the clearing and the stars twinkling overhead were bright. The moon, one day past full, lit the entire area. Jacob was sitting by the fire, feeding twigs into it. He hadn't said anything to her since he'd put her in her place and for some reason, knowing Garrett was avoiding her and now Jacob was refusing to speak, she felt like she was completely alone.

Grabbing the ends of the blanket she was sitting on, she pulled it up, wrapping it around her shoulders. The air had cooled, just as Jacob had said it would, and no matter how tired she was, closing her eyes was impossible. The slightest noise and she was searching the dark for the source of it.

A splash from the creek caused her to turn her head and she searched the creek bed. She saw nothing and leaned back, glancing in one direction to the other. When she looked back to her right, she saw him. Garrett was sitting near the stream further up the creek.

He was staring at her. Those amber wolf eyes glowing in the darkness.

She watched him for long moments, her pulse leaping to rapid life. How long had he been there? Hiding in the dark. Hiding from her. Her chest ached at the thought. As much as she feared him, she didn't want to alienate him and make him feel unwanted. She wanted him near her no matter what he looked like.

It's now or never,
she thought
,
standing and wrapping the blanket around her shoulders. She started toward him, her breaths coming more rapid as she drew closer. When she was close enough to see his face clearly, he stood up.

She froze.

"I won't hurt you, Rayna."

The sound of her name in that deep, garbled baritone sent a chill up her spine. "I know you won't."

"Then come here."

Her hands started shaking at his request. She took two small steps, pausing briefly before taking a few more. Her knees were weak and barely holding her up by the time she reached him. When she stopped in front of him she looked up... and up. He was enormous.

He squatted, bringing him closer to eye level with her, but she still had to lift her head to see his face. He didn't make any other moves and she was shaking so badly she knew he could hear her bones rattling.

"Come here," he said, holding out his hand to her. She stared at it, noticing again how long and sharp the claws were and willed the fear choking her away. She closed the remaining distance between them, stopping directly in front of him. He never moved, didn't make any attempt to touch her, and after long minutes of staring at his outstretched hand, Rayna reached out and touched him.

A quick glance at his face and she knew he wasn't going to do anything but sit there. He was still again, like he had been earlier, and with another bravely fought step toward him, she laid her hand flat in his palm.

Rayna took a shaky breath and stared down at their hands. Hers looked tiny compared to his and she was sure if he closed his fist, he could break her bones without any effort. She moved her hand, sliding it across his palm before tracing the long line of his fingers to the claws at the end. She reached out with her other hand, glancing up at him before turning his hand over. The hair wasn't soft as she imagined. It felt wiry but was thick, even on his hand. Another step forward, her hands tracing the line of his arm, her fingers climbing into the thick nap of hair. She looked up then and noticed how close she was. Another step and she would be able to lean against his chest. He was staring down at her, again still as death, and she wondered what he was thinking. "I'm sorry I'm so scared," she whispered. "I don't mean to be."

"It's fine."

"No, it's not," she said. "I shouldn't be. I know its you in there but..." She raised her hand, touching the side of his face. His eyes closed, his breath leaving in a rush and she felt it hot and moist against her face. She raised both arms, the blanket falling from her shoulders as she explored him, her hands traveling over his wolf form and with every passing second, the fear lessoned.

Her gaze ran over him as her hands stroked him, a small rumbling in his chest telling her more than words how pleased he was. She glanced down the line of his body and blushed. His genitals were very much human-like in appearance and even though she was barely touching him, he looked happy for her to be doing so. She looked back at his face. His eyes were still closed and she leaned toward him, letting her body touch his. "Garrett."

His eyes opened when she said his name and even though no discernable expression could be seen on his face, she could tell her being so close was a relief to him. He stared at her before lifting his arm, the back of one clawed finger running over her hair. She continued to stroke him, to feel his wiry hair between her fingers and the small touches slowly eased the last of her fear.

Closing the remaining distance between them, she leaned against him and turned her head, laying her cheek to his shoulder. She let out the breath she'd been holding when his arms wound around her. As odd as it was to be in the embrace of a creature who could snap her in two, in her mind's eye she saw Garrett, the man, not the impossibly scary wolf he appeared to be.

"The fear is gone," he said.

She smiled. "Let me guess," she said, her eyes still closed. "You don't smell it?"

Another rumble from his massive chest vibrated through her body. "No. I don't smell it. I only smell you." She felt her hair move before feeling the weight of his head against her own, his breath hot against the back of her neck. She was completely surrounded by him, trapped within his arms and she nuzzled her face against him. As scary as the wolf was, she felt safe in his arms. Protected.

"I'm going to assume you won the fight with Caleb and the others?" He made a sound that strongly resembled a laugh. She looked up at him and smiled. "I take that as a yes?"

"They ran."

"They ran?" she said, before laughing. "All that growling and posturing and they ran?"

"All but Caleb. He would never run from a fight."

"And what happened?"

"Nothing. He talked more than anything."

"Brave enough to stay but too scared to fight?" His lip curled up and she knew he was smiling. Still arrogant as ever. "How long do you stay like this?" she asked, running her hands down his arms.

"For as long as I want."

"You can change back anytime you want to?"

"Yes."

"Then why are you still like this?"

"In case they come back," he said. "Once I change, I won't be able to shift back into the wolf for a while. I'll be too weak to even try."

"Do you think they'll come back tonight?"

He looked up and scanned the clearing. "I'm not going to take any chances that they will."

"Do you think they'll come back tonight?" she asked again.

"No."

"They why stay like this?"

"Why not?"

She raised her arm and laid her hand to the side of his face. "Because I want you back."

He stared down at her for long moments before dropping his arms. "If they come back and take you while I can do nothing but watch, I'll let them eat you."

She grinned. "I'd much rather have you eat me... but if that's your choice."

The rumbling in his chest turned to a growl and his lips curled back, revealing those teeth she'd been curious about. "Don't tease a wolf, Rayna, especially a jealous one." Laughing, she stepped back, picking up the blanket. He stood to his full height and backed up several steps. "I'll go to the trees. It'll take a while before I can come back."

"You don't have to leave."

"Are you okay to watch?"

"Not really but I'd rather see it than wonder about it."

He nodded his head and stepped back several more steps. When he'd put enough distance between them, she saw him take several deep breaths before closing his eyes.

The first flicker of movement she saw was the small wave the hair on his body made. It moved and shimmered before slowly receding. The sound of his pained moans was heard, then the audible crack of shifting bones. She saw them then, sliding under his flesh and in a complete reversal of the process she'd watched earlier, the beast slowly slid away and the man came screaming back into focus.

Garrett fell to his hands and knees, his naked body glistening in the moonlight. She ran to him, dropping to her knees in front of him and it wasn't until he lifted his head and looked up at her that she realized she was crying. "Are you all right?"

He nodded and lowered his head again, taking several deep breaths before sitting up on his knees and bracing his hands on his naked thighs. His eyes were still closed and a pained expression covered his face. She looked him over, lifting her hand to rub the side of his face. "Ugh, your skin is slimy."

He smiled with his eyes closed. "A shower usually gets rid of it."

She snarled her nose, pulling her hand away and rubbing her fingers together. "What is it?"

"That, is a very good question," he said, breathlessly. He opened his eyes and looked at her. "And no one seems to have the answer for it."

A "hmpf" noise was all she could manage as she watched the slimy substance slide between her fingers. "It's quite gross, whatever it is."

"I'll not argue that one with you." He turned his head to the creek before looking back over at her. "Can you help me to the water?"

"Of course," she said, standing and reaching down to help him up. It was easier said than done, though. He was dead weight and she grunted with the effort to get his feet under him. By the time he was standing, his legs shook as he leaned against her and she was covered in slime. "Where do you usually change back?"