oblivious to the others living in their midst.
She’d never been so glad to see the first snowfall here. One of the things she loved best about snow was changing into her wolf self and going for a run in it. Her entire life, she’d never felt free. Especially, she thought ruefully, since she’d had to lie to Shawn about where she’d been when she disappeared for a few hours every couple weeks. But she couldn’t tell him the truth, so she’d done what she must, because she’d had no choice.
Now she could finally experience a space without boundaries. The idea both fascinated and terrified her. Ever since arriving in the Catskills, she’d been itching to get out and do exactly that. Her inner wolf, the curious beast, had been pushing at the edge of her consciousness every other day now. She didn’t mind, as this was the purest kind of freedom. Limitless and joyful.
Each day, she felt better and better. Her burden of insecurity had gradually lessened, day by day, the entire time she’d been here in her new home. With such tremendous possibilities open to her, how could she remain afraid to take the first, vital step?
Downstairs, her new tenant and his adorable baby were hopefully asleep. The full moon lit up the freshly fallen snow, silver and white ice crystals beckoning. She’d dressed warmly, aware she’d need to walk deep into the woods behind her house as a human, before shedding her layers and beginning the process that would result in setting her wolf form free.
Anticipation had her moving fast. Her inner wolf felt she’d waited too long to change, which wasn’t a good thing for her mental health, though in actuality she hadn’t. Still, each time she let her wolf self out to play, when she’d returned to her human form she’d felt better, more balanced and better able to face any unexpected challenges that might lie ahead.
Tonight, she’d think of none of that. Tonight, as wolf, she’d hunt.
After crossing the large field between her house and the forest, she stopped and turned to look back. Pride of ownership filled her, making her heart swell. Her home sat on a small rise, surrounded by a grove of trees that appeared to shelter the two-story, wooden building. Rather than stand out, the house seemed to blend with the landscape, as though it had always been there, standing the test of time.
Hers. Something permanent, a place she could hold on to. Where she could put down roots and change the path of her life. As she often did, she offered up a silent thank-you to the great-aunt she’d never known.
Turning back toward the dark forest, she began moving once again, lifting her feet higher as she trudged through the deepening snow. Here, near the edge of the trees, snowdrifts were deeper, making progress more difficult.
But she powered through, her heart rate quickening as the wolf inside her paced and pushed, ready to be set free.
Finally, she judged she’d gone far enough into the woods. She found a fallen tree and hung her empty backpack from one of the branches. Slowly, she began peeling back layers, already shivering from the cold, though she knew in a few minutes her thick wolf pelt would keep her more than warm.
Stuffing each article of clothing into her backpack, she eventually stood naked, the chill seeping up from her bare feet. She knew she had to act quickly before her poor toes got frostbite. Inhaling, she dropped to the ground and initiated the change.
The familiar sensation never got old. The changes that occurred to her human body—especially her skeleton—could occasionally be painful. More so when a long time had gone by since her last change.
Since she was rushing herself as she shifted, she expected this one to really hurt. Surprisingly, it didn’t. Maybe the combination of adrenaline, anticipation and cold combined to deaden the pain somewhat.
Either way, as her bones lengthened, her hands and feet turning into paws, a savage sort of joy filled her.
Wolf-JJ was almost free. In a moment, she’d give herself over to the primitive nature of the beast.
Done. Immediately, myriad tantalizing scents beckoned. Her wolf nose, a thousand times more sensitive than her human one, picked up on the fact that a rabbit had recently crossed nearby, as had a skunk and a small herd of white-tailed deer.
Eager to explore, she bounded off through the snow.
* * *
Eric had heard Julia tromp down the stairs right around twelve, just as he was about to turn off the TV and head to bed. Curious, he waited for the sound of a car engine starting, but then caught sight of her moving slowly across a large, open field. Her bulky parka and layered clothing made movement a bit difficult as she headed toward the forest, no doubt to change into her beast, whatever kind that might be.
An instant of longing rocked him, his inner beast protesting with a roar that reverberated in his soul. He felt it had been forever since he’d shape-shifted, and his bear self was not at all happy about that. But what could he do? Taking care of an infant made it damn near impossible to go off by himself and change. While he’d gotten Jason, his Pack Protector friend, to watch Garth a time or two, he’d been able to shape-shift only twice in three months. Not good. At all. To go too long without letting his inner bear free was dangerous. He knew, as did all shifters, that doing so could lead to insanity or even death. Right now, Eric felt as if he could be pushing the limit. Maybe he’d see if his landlord would be willing to watch Garth for an hour or two tomorrow night so Eric could take his own solitary trip into the forest.
He resolved to ask her later. Right now, all he could do was watch until she disappeared from view, and push down his envy.
* * *
The hunt went well, JJ thought, as she hurriedly dressed after changing back to human. As usual, when in her wolf form, she had no sense of time passing, so she had no idea how long she’d explored the forest. She’d tracked and taken down a midsize rabbit, feasting until her belly was full. This would be her place, and though she knew there surely were other shifters in Forestwood, these few acres of woods were part of her property and would be where she went to let her wolf self run free.
Once again fully clothed, though everything retained a touch of a chill, she gave herself a few moments for the intense sexual arousal to recede. For whatever reason, this crazed need for bodily contact happened to everyone once they shifted back to human, no matter what kind of beast they became. Many people took advantage of this—she’d heard stories of wild and crazy orgies among groups who liked to shape-shift with others.
As for herself, she’d gotten used to tamping down the need. Even when she’d been with Shawn, she hadn’t wanted to return home after having spent the night away and beg him to make love to her. Sex was another one of the things he used to control her.
So once the low thrum of desire had settled to a steady hum, she inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, watching the plume her breath made in the frigid air. Centered, she felt normal again, so she wouldn’t find herself at Eric’s front door offering herself to him.
The thought sent a fresh wave of longing through her. Again she took deep breaths, focusing on the snow and the velvet ink of the sky, until she’d once again regained her equilibrium.
Then and only then did she turn to make her way back home. She followed her old footprints, glad they made the going much easier. The moon still provided illumination, though it no longer hung fat and sassy in the sky directly overhead.
A few hours then, she thought. Time well spent. Her entire body ached, a pleasant feeling. She let herself back into her silent house and went up the stairs, wincing as a few of them creaked.
She’d just about reached her landing when the downstairs door opened.
“Welcome back.” The sound of Eric’s deep voice sent an immediate thrum of need blazing through her bloodstream. Damn. So much for returning to normal.
Reluctant to face him, but glad of the several steps in between them, she turned, thankful for her bulky clothing. “Thank you. You’re up kind of late, aren’t you?” Then, as a worrisome thought occurred to her, she raised her gloved hand to her throat. “Is Garth all right?”