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  “Evan, we really need to talk about this.” She kept her voice soft. Yelling at him probably wouldn’t be a good idea. He was angry enough. No use provoking him even more.

  “Not now.” His arms tightened and a rumble in his throat showed just how much his instincts were in control.

  He pulled the gate open and carried her to the back door. She licked her lips. Talking and running were out. As much as she might want to, she knew she wouldn’t faint or lose consciousness suddenly. She wasn’t that damn lucky. Short of that, she couldn’t think of a way to stop him. As wild as he was, she knew he wouldn’t hurt her. She was also afraid that he’d begin the change even though he didn’t want to do it. Unintentionally, she’d loosed the beast. He carried her through the kitchen door and slammed the solid metal door shut.

  “The keys. Put them down now.” The words sounded like they were forced through a rock crusher.

  She dropped them onto the counter near the door. He grunted and walked over to the island in the center of the kitchen. He put her on her feet. She stayed still even though part of her was screaming for her to run, to get out of there before those teeth sank into her shoulder. Keeping her feet planted on the floor was hard, but she knew she might still have a chance of calming him down if she managed it. The really perverse thing was that she was getting aroused.

  She should be spitting mad, but her mind was flooded with arousing images. She couldn’t stop them. His body dominantly holding her in place. The thick length of his cock pushing into her. The thought of him fucking her when he was this wild excited her. His body crowded her forward, pressing her against the wooden counter. She braced her hands and looked back over her shoulder, frowning. What was he doing? She was still fully dressed in jeans, not a skirt. His hands tugged at her shirt and she felt the material stretch and then give. He ripped the shirt completely and then pushed the ruined garment off her shoulders. It fell around her wrists. She twisted her hands a little freeing her wrists.

  “I’ll take them off. You don’t have to rip my…” She stopped when she felt the brush of his canines over her throat.

  His hands fell to her jeans. The material pulled taut. She stood still, but doubted he’d be able to rip them. Jeans material was durable. A loud tearing sound filled the kitchen. She felt the fabric loosen and he pushed the jeans down her hips.

  “Step out now,” he growled. His hot breath seared her neck.

  She kicked out of her shoes and stepped free of the bunched fabric. She felt him moving behind her and heard the rustle of fabric. His body crowded closer to her and she felt his cock against the cleft of her buttocks. She shivered and not in trepidation. She wanted him and could already feel her juices on her thighs.

  “Don’t be afraid. Please, don’t fear me.” His hands swept down her body.

  “I’m not afraid that you’ll hurt me, but you’re not completely in control.” She slid her hand over his as he put it on the counter beside hers.

  She knew that she was at least partially responsible for this. She’d pushed when she knew he was tense and angry, but she hadn’t been able to see beyond her own anger and determination. What was she supposed to do now? He seemed hungry and set to claim. His scent swirled around her. Strong, arousing and wild, it intensified her need. She pressed back against him, showing him that she trusted him.

  His hands slid up her stomach to her breasts. His lengthened nails scraped over the underside. She drew in a shaky breath at the sign of his wildness. Tingles of heat spread over the swell of her breast and she felt her nipples tighten into hard beads. His hands squeezed the full globes. She moaned. His thumbs flicked across the tight tips before his left hand slid down her stomach. He pulled back enough so that he could slip his hand between the counter and her body. His fingers feathered through the tight curls at her thighs. She arched, her stance widening without any urging. His fingers slid lower. He parted the swollen lips of her pussy and stroked her clit. She shuddered and shivered pressing into those circling fingers.

  “I love the smell of your arousal.” He nipped at her earlobe. His tongue swirled over the slightly stinging skin.

  She moaned and tried to straighten. He growled and pressed her back down against the cool surface of the counter. The tile counter pressed against her breasts sending sharp prickles dancing straight to her core. Her nipples tightened into hard points. He fitted his cock to her entrance. He moved slowly. She felt the tension in the hand at her hip as he held her still. She pushed back into him, but couldn’t move far enough to take his shaft deep.

  “My woman.” His tongue swirled across her neck. “I can’t lose you.”

  She didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t think to save her life. Lifting one of her hands, she put it over his where he cupped her pussy. “I’m safe. I’m right here.”

  “And you’re going to stay safe.” His voice throbbed with intensity.

  His hips rocked forward and his cock slowly filled her. She removed her hand from his and braced it on the counter. That intensity wasn’t just in his voice. She could feel it in his taut body. He was wild and probably wouldn’t be able to hold back much longer.

  His lips moved over her bare shoulder. She licked her lips wanting his taste, the feel of his mouth moving on hers. She clenched her hands, frustrated.

  His hips thrust forward. His balls smacked the wet lips of her pussy. She pushed back into his thrusts. His hand slid up her stomach and cupped her breast. She shivered. Heat sparked and spread as his nails scraped over the underside of the full curve. He plucked at the nipple. His teeth closed over her shoulder. She felt the sharp canines on her skin. They hadn’t broken the skin yet. She tensed. The prick of those teeth sent a thrill through her. She arched back trying to take him deeper. She tried to turn a bit so she could kiss him.

  His teeth clamped down on her shoulder and he growled. She froze, but not with fear. A surge of hunger speared through her and she felt her inner muscles clench. His hips pressed her forward. She met each deep stroke. Her heart slammed as everything inside her tightened. She needed more. He held her almost still with the hand at her pussy. His fingers rubbed her clit with a slow deliberate looping motion. The circular strokes sent her over the edge. Her fingernails scraped on the counter. Fire swirled over her and she shook. He pumped faster. His teeth clamped harder and through the haze of pleasure, she felt a sharp piercing pain in her shoulder. She stiffened, crying out. He came, his body stiffened as he pulled her tighter to him.

  His head remained against her neck and shoulder. His tongue lapped at her shoulder. He kissed her neck.

  “I’m sorry. I never intended for it to happen like this,” he whispered as he stepped back.

  She heard regret and guilt in his voice. She was torn. She couldn’t deny she was angry that he’d bitten her, but she knew this was partly her fault. She’d seen the first signs of his slipping control. Her own anger had pushed her past caring. As much as she’d like to blame him for everything, she couldn’t let him take it all.

  “I was part of it too, Evan. I could have stopped pushing when I saw how close you were. Hell, I saw your fangs and the changes to your nails and body. It didn’t stop me.” She took a deep breath. In truth, they both had a part in what had happened.

  He looked down at her and grimaced. “Well, we just accelerated the change in you. I wanted to give you time without the pressure of being hunted.”

  “It would have been nice, but do you think that we would have been able to keep hold of our tempers much longer? We were bound to clash. I’m just amazed that we’ve managed as long as we have without a major blow-up.” She shrugged.

  Taking a deep breath, she tried to focus. Part of her wanted to rant and rave and wallow in blaming him. Damn it, he’d bitten her and without even talking it over with her. The change if it hadn’t begun before, it was definitely started now. Her anger had helped get her into this. She wasn’t going to let it do any more damage. She would control her anger. Yelling wasn’t going to chan
ge anything. Neither was raging about how all her choices had been taken out of her hands. Right now, she had to find out just what this had done to her and how and when it would affect her.

  “I was sure you’d be yelling, maybe even trying to run out on me again.” He pulled her into his arms.

  She stiffened a little before relaxing into his loose embrace. She did want to be held. She slipped her arms around his waist. Her head snuggled against his chest and she inhaled deeply. A very distinct musk filled her senses. She’d recognize it anywhere as unique to him. His scent both calmed and excited her. She rested her hands on his soft shirt and frowned at him. She’d been leaving, but she hadn’t been leaving him. Not in the way he meant.

  “I wasn’t running out on you. I wanted leave because you weren’t even trying to see my side of the issue. I know you need to protect me, but I can’t hide forever. It’s better if we draw the witch out instead of letting her choose the time or place.” She leaned back enough to look up into his beautiful eyes.

  “That’s not something we’re going to agree on, Genny.” He slid his hand down her back.

  She grimaced. Probably not. He wouldn’t change his mind about drawing the witch into an attack. She wasn’t going to change her mind either. They’d have to argue about it later. It would probably be a good idea to change the subject.

  “How long is the change going to take? You said the full change could take as long as a year. Am I going to get furry in just a few days, will I go half wolfy or will the shapeshifting hold off until I’m fully a werewolf?” she asked.

  “No, you won’t go furry or half wolfy. The shapeshifting will begin before you’re fully converted, in the later stages, but you won’t have control of it until the end. Within a week and a half, you should begin to see and feel a few of the changes. You’ll be faster, have better eyesight. We’ll start watching for it around six months.” He drew his fingers down her cheek.

  She relaxed. She’d had some worries about going to bed and waking up all furry. That had answered one part of her questions, but she had so many more.

  “Is it going to hurt?” She cuddled closer as a cool breeze from the central air brushed over her bare backside sending a shiver up her spine.

  “You’re cold. Let’s go get you something to wear.” He urged her down the hallway. “What do you mean by will it hurt? Do you mean the overall change or changing into another form for the first time?”

  “Both.” She walked along with him. She’d really only wondered about the complete conversion to a werewolf. If the changes would cause any pain. Now that he’d mentioned changing into another form, her mind kept running images of possible transformations. Slow, bone-cracking, body-twisting spasms as fur sprouted and claws burst or the more attractive hazy blur from woman to wolf. And the thought of going through the pain of the bone-cracking change made her a little nauseous.

  “As for the overall change, you wouldn’t even be aware of it if you didn’t know that a bite resulted in the transformation. The first shift won’t really hurt, but it will feel strange. Movement beneath your skin, that kind of thing. I’ll let you get cleaned up and if you want we’ll talk some more.” He pushed open the bedroom door.

  Geneva nodded and headed for the shower. She’d have liked him to join her, but knew if he did, talking would forgotten for at least another hour. It was good to know that she wasn’t going to have to worry about pain ripping through her as she changed into a werewolf. Now that she didn’t have to worry about that, her mind went back to finding some way to stop the witch. Hopefully, that would happen before she completed the change into a werewolf. She had no idea how that would change things other than turning into a furry animal. Also, she was definitely going to have to get Steven’s help. This wasn’t something she could do on her own. She’d need someone with some magical backup to watch out for her when the trap was sprung.

  Chapter Eight

  Evan walked up the sidewalk to his business. He hadn’t wanted to leave Genny, but he’d been needed at the office. Anne had come over to the house to stay while he was gone. He wasn’t going to leave her unprotected with the witch still a threat. She hadn’t been happy, but she hadn’t argued too much. That had roused his suspicions. He knew that she hadn’t given up on her idea of drawing the witch into attacking her. She’d just stopped trying to talk him into helping her. That was even more scary than when she’d first presented the idea to him. He didn’t want to help her, but he also didn’t want her trying to do anything on her own. She could get taken or killed trying only to end the witch’s attacks.

  He pulled open the door and stepped forward. He heard a resounding crack then felt something tear through his shoulder. He stumbled into the building. He felt the blood slowly running down his shirt. The warmth spreading along with a wave of pain. He moved out of the opening to the door.

  “Fuck, Evan, what happened?” Sam came into the small waiting area of the office and gaped at him.

  Sam didn’t stay stunned for long. He ran for the desk and brought back a first-aid kit. He grabbed a wad of bandages and handed it to him while he dug for his phone in his pocket.

  “Did you see who did this?” Sam asked.

  “No, but I have a pretty good idea who’s behind it even if I don’t know their name.” Evan grimaced. He could tell it was a flesh wound, just by the feel, but it was going to need some attention. Pain ripped through his shoulder.

  “This about your witch?” Sam asked. He looked carefully out the window to see if there was anyone out there waiting to take another shot at them.

  “It’s about her and the witch who wants to hurt her. My guess is that the witch has decided the only way she’s going to get to Genny is to get rid of me.” Evan pushed the compress tighter to the wound. “Is there anyone out there?”

  “No. Let’s get you to the doctor.” Sam opened the door and led the way into the parking lot.

  Evan followed Sam to his car not far from the front of the building. Evan slid into the front seat, automatically buckling the belt. He trusted Sam to get him to a good were doctor. He kept his eyes on the cars and the people in them. The person who’d shot could still be waiting. He knew that chances were that bullet had been meant to kill. Evan was just glad the man had missed. He didn’t want to leave Genny any more than he was willing to take chances with her life.

  “I’m taking you to Pennington. He’s not the closest, but he’s the best and also has a healing witch on staff. Just in case that bullet had some kind of spell on it,” Sam said as he stopped briefly at a red light before going through it.

  Evan nodded. He was fairly sure that the bullet was simply a bullet. He could understand Sam’s caution. They were dealing with a witch and he had to admit it was hard to take off a spell if it was on the person trying to remove it. He hadn’t felt any stray power though.

  “When we get there, call the Protectorate. I want Steven to know about the witch’s latest attack. They most likely won’t find any evidence, but I want every step taken.” Evan exhaled heavily as Sam pulled the car into a slot at a busy medical clinic.

  The witch had attacked often enough that he was accustomed to the pattern. This person covered their tracks fanatically. She used spells to guard against her thugs even telling her hair color. Even if he had managed to see and catch the person who’d taken the shot, there would have been a spell to guard the witch’s idea. Tampering with that spell had resulted in two cases of amnesia so far. It wasn’t a simple spell and unraveling it was going to be difficult.

  Evan walked to the building and into the cool roomy interior. He didn’t need to read the placard in the small lobby section. Heading down the hallway, he strode toward the first floor clinic, but just as he neared the first door, a searing wall of pain rose and then everything went black.

  * * * * *

  Geneva tapped her fingers on the desk. She knew that there had to be a way to get the witch to show herself. The problem was doing it in spite of Evan’s objections.
He’d try to keep her away from anything he’d considered dangerous. First she had to contact Steven and even that wasn’t as easy as it should have been. She stared blankly at the computer screen. Her mind wouldn’t focus on anything but the witch and the attacks. She barely heard the phone when it rang.

  Anne spoke softly on the phone. Geneva heard her concerned tone and turned just as Anne heavily put the phone on the table. She looked stunned. Geneva watched as she slowly straightened.

  “We have to go. Evan was shot.” Anne’s voice sounded a little hoarse.

  Geneva lunged out of her seat. Her heart raced and a feeling of sick horror spread through her. He couldn’t die. Not now. The thought of him dying or even being hurt shook her. She hadn’t realized just how deep her feelings for him had become until this moment.

  “He’s alive. The wound isn’t that serious. The only problem is that there was a spell. It did more damage than the actual bullet did.” Anne rushed over and put her hand on Geneva’s shoulder.

  “He’s going to be all right?” Geneva’s eyes locked with Anne’s. She didn’t want to miss one expression. This was Evan’s sister, but she had to know for sure. If the woman was trying to soften the truth, Geneva didn’t want to be surprised.

  “He’ll live Genny, but the witch’s spell did the damage it was intended to do. He lost a lot of blood. The bullet actually exploded inside him. He’s going to have a nasty scar.” Anne put her hand on Geneva’s shoulder.

  “I thought that spell both of you have on you would have stopped something like that.” Geneva ignored the part about him having a scar. She didn’t care if he was covered with them as long as he was alive.