“Yeah. I’m going straight to the backyard. I’ll meet you there.”
I turned toward the exit, and I could have sworn I heard Shaz say, “Right behind you, sweet thing,” but when I turned back to him, he just winked.
Chapter Seventeen
I needed the release of that run. When I ditched my clothing in the backyard and dropped to all fours, the shift had never felt so right. I wondered if Arys shared my relief as my body reformed itself into an ashen wolf. I felt the gentlest touch on my mind, and for just a moment, I heard the vampire’s soothing laughter.
As Shaz and I raced through the trees, the magical scent of fresh rain swept me away. We rolled amid the wet leaves and moss. I felt a greater joy than any human experience. In this form, I felt my connection to nature so much stronger. Rich soil streaked my fur and filled my nostrils with fertility, while my sixth sense reveled in powerful earth energy. Nothing competes with what I feel as wolf.
We ran. We chased each other and wrestled amidst the underbrush. We lifted our voices to the sky, howled together in a crescendo of harmony that haunted my rapidly shrinking human side. Miles away, a farm dog took up the howl in acknowledgement of our mighty declaration.
Dawn streaked Shaz’s white fur with a colorful glow as he ran ahead. I loped along behind him and watched as he gave chase to two ravens that dared to settle too close to his path. We had run so far out of town that we needed the better part of an hour to trot back to the field behind my house. A brilliant golden glow crept over the town with the promise of another hot summer day.
I wondered if Arys could sense the magnificence of the sunrise, which he would never again experience himself. His presence returned, heavy in my mind. He’d been there before my change to wolf. Our connection crossed physical limitations. I felt I could call out to him, and he would hear me.
As we crossed the field to my house, I felt eyes on me, not from my house or even my street but from the street that ran perpendicular to mine. Shaz’s startled expression indicated that he felt it, too. A scan of every backyard on that street showed nothing. We were a good distance off though.
I stopped where I was. I just stared in the direction of our watcher. I could feel Zoey. No way in hell was I going to lead her to my house if she didn’t already know where it was. Unfortunately, five in the morning was not a good time to give chase through the streets of Stony Plain. I maintained my stare across the field, until I felt her go.
Why she was following me? I didn’t know, but if for one minute she thought that she was going to take me out for stealing Raoul’s warped affections from her, she had another thing coming. Of course, my nagging human side pitied her. The sight of Shaz and I together as wolf must hurt her more than I would ever know.
Shaz’s furry eyebrows raised in question, and I nuzzled him briefly before breaking into a run. I wasn’t too keen on having the neighbors witness our approach in the early morning light.
Within half an hour, we both lay sprawled across my bed, sipping coffee and watching the morning news. I’d slipped into a plain black tank top and wrapped my favorite silky leopard print robe around me. I thought of Jez every time I put it on. Shaz reclined beside me clad in just his blue jeans. His slender body was well muscled and firm, inviting me to touch.
“Now, let me get this straight,” he said in between mouthfuls of refreshing java. “Raoul’s estranged half-breed daughter is running amok, murdering his lovers out of jealousy. He expects your help but refuses to believe she’s too far gone to ever come back.”
I picked a fluff off my fuzzy bedspread and watched it float down to the grey carpet. “Yeah, that more or less sums it up.”
“I wonder why she was watching us,” he mused, staring thoughtfully into his cup. “She’s a complete idiot if she’s jealous of you.”
“Thanks for that.” I sneered sarcastically as I punched him in the arm.
“No, I mean that you and Raoul can barely stand each other. It’s not like he’s pouring a whole lot of love on you.”
“True. Who knows what’s left of her mind now? I’d just as soon not be involved in this mess. But, she killed Belle, so now it’s personal.” My grip began to tighten on my coffee mug. I took a sip and frowned when it burnt my tongue.
“I can’t believe she’s gone. It doesn’t seem real.” Shaz’s voice grew soft.
I tried to hide my disgust. Belle had been a lady that every male werewolf in this town had gotten to know very well at some point. Shaz was no exception.
“Yeah, well, it looked pretty real to me.” I pictured the bright red splatters in her bleached blonde hair and grimaced. I don’t care how rotten your existence is, serial killing isn’t the answer.