Page 88 of His to Hunt

“Wow, I don’t even remember putting this poster up,” she says, tracing her finger across it. “Probably one Shana or Madison got me.”

“I can’t believe your uncle left all this stuff,” I say, looking around. “Didn’t you need a bed at his place?”

“I got a couch to sleep on in the living room,” she states flatly. “Still, I’m surprised he didn’t sell it. Maybe it would have just taken too much effort.”

“Maybe,” I say. “Well, if there’s anything you want, it belongs to you again.”

“Later,” she says, turning back to face me. “If I start looking around too much, I’ll get caught up in the memories. We’ve got a ritual to perform, remember?”

“Right,” I might have huffed a little. “Cave should be close enough for us to walk, right?”

“Yeah, it’s not far,” she says.

“Good, I’d like to stretch my legs,” I say, taking her hand. “After you show me the rest of the house.”

“There’s nothing else to see but a small kitchen and a laundry room,” she says. “But sure, you bought them, so you might as well see them.”

The kitchen is even smaller than I expected. I’m not sure the oven could have held a large pizza. The laundry room isn’t much better. There’s enough room for a washer, dryer, and an open door. I wouldn’t even be able to close the door if my big-ass body was in there.

“You’re right. Not much to see,” I chuckle.

“Just an old, dusty house,” she says, squeezing my hand. “But thank you.”

We walk outside, retrieve what we need from the SUV, and walk along a trail that leads through a forest. The breeze is nice, and there are no people around here, so I feel my wolf pawing. It’s been a while since I’ve let him run free and now seems like the perfect time.

“Give me a minute,” I say to Taryn, giving her a meaningful look and stepping off the trail and peeling off my shirt.

“Uh, I didn’t realize we were removing our clothes,” she replies hesitantly. “I don’t usually take those kinds of nature walks.”

“When I said I wanted to stretch my legs, I meant all four of them,” I grin, bending to loosen the laces on my boots.

Once I’m undressed, I step back to the trail and make eye contact with Taryn before I begin to shift. Heat burns in my eyes first, then charcoal black fur ripples across my skin. Bones pop, crack, and reshape as I sink down to all fours. As the transformation completes, I let out a howl, now a seven hundred pound wolf. The stunned look on Taryn’s face is priceless.

“Since we’re mated, you should be able to hear me,” I transmit.

“Whoa, that was like… in my head!” she yelps, looking around.

“Yes, I can speak, but it’s hard to understand,” I transmit, lowering myself to my belly. “Grab my backpack and hop on. Then point the way.”

Taryn stares at me blankly, then swallows hard. I catch the scent of her arousal as she takes a tentative step forward. I wasn’t sure how she’d deal with my wolf, but she doesn’t seem to be having a negative reaction. She’ll be squirming on my back in no time.

“You won’t go too fast, will you? The cave isn’t that far,” she says hesitantly, pointing in the general direction.

“You’re not going to fall off, if that’s what you’re worried about,” I reassure her.

“Okay,” she says, carefully draping a leg across my back.

I groan as her scent gets stronger, but I love feeling her wet heat against my back when she squirms into a comfortable position. Too bad there are layers of fabric between us. I wait until she’s still and has a good grip before I start walking.

“Grab hold of more fur than that,” I transmit. “You won’t hurt me.”

She moves a little, then tightens her grip on my scruff. I move a little faster, and once I’m sure she’s safe, I accelerate.

“Ah! Slower!” she squeals.

“I won’t lose you, mate,” I transmit. “You’re in no danger.”

She tenses up for a few seconds, but then she relaxes, and leans closer. She’s got the hang of it now. Too bad we don’t have far to go. I don’t even reach top speed before I see the cavern ahead and have to slow down.