Killian
Well, I’d bought myself another day of peace with Daphne.
I could tell, though, that she was still thinking about the moon bonding. I didn’t want her to worry about it. It was my problem, not hers.
That evening, after dinner, I led her out into the woods again under the bright glow of the full moon. It hung overhead, its power pulsing through our veins as we made our way to a clearing.
I whipped out a blanket, set it down and invited her to have a seat next to me. She stared into the sky, obviously troubled by her thoughts.
There were other things we needed to focus on, though.
“You should try shifting again,” I said.
She smiled faintly. “Is this just a plot to get me naked again?”
“No. Yes. Maybe.” I smiled right back. “The moon should help you out. You did it once before. It’ll get easier from here.”
She took a deep breath. “I had adrenaline helping me out last time. You think I can do it out of nowhere?” she asked doubtfully.
“It will be second nature to you soon.”
“I’m not a wolf by nature. I’m a waitress from a small town in New Mexico. It’s a bit harder for me.”
I raised a finger. “A waitress from a small town in New Mexico who is blessed with the bloodline of a powerful shifter. Don’t sell yourself short.”
That earned me a rueful smile. “I think I’ve pretty much spent my life selling myself short. My mother just never led me to expect that anyone in our family would amount to much. I wanted to major in interior decorating, but she convinced me that no one would hire a nobody like me.”
“And I’m here to help you see the error of your ways. You’re brilliant at decorating. You’re great with the pack members. Diplomatic but not a pushover. You’re good at so many things, Daphne.”
My pep talk must have worked because she leapt to her feet, brushing away leaves. “I’ll try my best.”
She trotted away, heading toward a tree. Was she seriously still…shy?
“You know there’s no point in ducking behind a tree, right?” I called out. “One, I’m already intimately familiar with your naked form, Two, that barely stops me from seeing anything anyway. And three, there’s not always going to be a convenient tree nearby if you need to shift in a hurry.”
“I’m still not used to living with a bunch of streakers, Killian!”
I shrugged. She’d get used to our ways in time.
She stripped down, dropping her T-shirt and shorts.
For a while, she was still and silent. Deep in thought, trying to remember how it came out for her last time. I knew that heightened emotions helped. It was a big part of why a lot of shifters came about it when they were teenagers and their hormones were out of control. But as a daughter of Clive of the Iron Claw, Daphne had far more talent than she knew.
Watching her, I saw fur ripple over her body…and then retract. She stretched out her hands. They became paws and then hands again. I heard groans of pain and then a curse.
“You are what you think you are, Daphne. You’re a wolf queen, preparing to take your place at my side. Embrace that aspect of you.”
She fell silent, and I watched her slow, painful transformation. I knew it hurt her, but she did it, and minutes later, she walked out from behind the tree on all fours, looking right up at me. “Knew you could do it. You’re stronger than you know, Daphne.”
I hastily undressed and joined her, grumbling softly and nuzzling against her neck before following it with a playful bite.
Moon bite. Claim her,my wolf urged me.
I growled softly to myself, angrily staring at the moon and reminding it that it wasn’t even full yet.
I shook my head and turned to dash through the forest. Daphne was right behind me, doing her best to keep up. She pushed herself, but I slowed myself down. She had a lot of untapped power within herself, yes, but it’d take time to fully unlock it.
It was so exhilarating going on a run. So many scents, so much to see, the adrenaline running wild. The wind going through your fur, it was all so glorious. It was easy to get caught up and lose track of where you were, but I’d grown keen enough to notice the bark marks on the trees we passed every so often so that we didn’t wander off too far.
