Link looked distinctly uncomfortable, rubbing the back of his neck and avoiding Rosie’s direct gaze. He had to be honest with her, yet he did not want to have to face her wrath. When she began pulling her feet from his grip, he held on tighter, looking over at her and answering, “Yes, it can be dangerous considering the peyote we use. Some people have terrible reactions to it; they have hallucinations.”
“I can’t believe you didn’t warn me beforehand. Why didn’t you think I might want to have some say in it? Here I believed it was just some secret ceremony your family participated in. A harmless activity. But no! You have to withhold a major part of the equation as if I’m too stupid to understand the consequences.”
No longer willing to sit idly by, Rosie ripped her feet away from Link. She abruptly sat up, flinging the blanket off of her. “Hallucinations, you say? Is that what happened to me when I could have sworn a ghost stood by me?”
“No, that wasn’t a hallucination, he’s very real.” Link stood, wanting to let Rosie know he wanted to help her.
“Real or a ghost? Which is it, Link?”
“He was a real man. A leader of our pack. He died almost fifty years ago.”
“Fifty years? And you know him, how?”
“He’s Zack’s ancestor, his spirit guide now.”
“So, he’s a ghost.” Rosie’s eyes widened with disbelief. “Are you expecting me to believe this? Why would you do this to me?”
“I needed to be sure of something.”
“You? You needed to be sure? Don’t you care anything about me? I thought I meant something to you, but obviously, I was mistaken.” She tried to move past Link, ready to shut herself in her room and wait for the morning to come.
Link reached out, holding her arms with his hot hands. “You do mean something to me, that’s why I wanted you to know the truth about yourself.”
“I already know more than I want to know. Now, you’ve got me drinking who knows what and hallucinating. This isn’t the kind of life I want to have. You can take drugs all you like, but leave me out of it.”
“It’s not like that, Rosie. The peyote is an ancient custom of our people. We use it to speak with our spirit guides when we have a matter, which is difficult for us to understand. We honor our ancestors and ask for their advice.”
“So, you speak to dead people? And this is supposed to make me feel better about you, how?” She struggled to get out of his grasp. “Let go of me, Link.”
“You’re one of us, Rosie. That supposed dream of yours was real. You’re a shifter, and I want to help you through the transition.”
“Okay, now I know one of us is still affected by the drugs. I want to go to bed and get some sleep. Hopefully, when I wake up, I’ll discover this was all another nightmare.”
“Is that what you think, Rosie? This is all a nightmare?”
“I can’t think what else it could be.”
“So, what if I were to kiss you right now? Would you object?”
“Fine. Kiss me, Link. Then I’ll know none of this is really happening.”
Link did not need any further invitation. He pulled her body close to his and let go of her arms only so he could cradle her face within his palms. Lowering his face to hers, he whispered, “I’ve waited a long time to do this to you.” His lips touched hers with a gentleness he did not feel inside. No longer did he have to dream about how soft they would feel against his lips, he reveled in the feeling.
When his eyes opened to see hers, he deepened the kiss. He could taste her fruit punch gum on her lips, and it made him instantly love that flavor. Something warm spread throughout his body, a new sensation never felt before. A shiver of recognition almost overwhelmed him. She was his; now, she just had to realize it.
Letting her go was possibly the hardest thing Link had ever done. Now that he had kissed her, he needed to see how she would react. Would she stay and want another one? Would she run away and lock herself in her room? The choice was all hers now.
Rosie lowered her gaze. Her hands remained by her sides, but she refused to look at Link or even acknowledge what had just happened between them. Her mind whirled with mixed emotions. More than anything, she wished all of this had been real. Too much madness had transpired for her to be living this dream truly.
Maybe the morning would bring something new for her. Rosie stepped around Link and walked calmly to her room. Shutting the door behind her, she could feel her body trembling with some unknown feeling. Rushing to the bed, she threw herself down on it, wanting to scream her frustration into the pillow. Instead, she turned on her side and cried herself to sleep.
Waking up in a strange bed completely disoriented Rosie. Not only had her dreams been more bizarre than before, but she could also have sworn Link had finally kissed her. Too bad it had only been in the dream. She wondered at what point her evening with Link had ended, and the dreams began.
Sitting, she promptly realized where she was—the treehouse. Thinking about the fantastic shower she had seen the day before, she threw back the covers and set her feet on the plush rug in front of the bed. Maybe, if she took a shower and then went for a walk outside, it would clear her head enough to make sense of all the strangeness she had found around herself lately.
Stepping outside, the coolness of the morning made her wet hair even colder. It indeed forced her to think clearer; she had to walk faster just to keep the shivers at bay. Folding her arms across her stomach, she wished she had thought to bring a heavier jacket than her windbreaker.
Before she knew it, she had stopped in the small clearing where Link had told her it reminded him of her. Stepping into the middle, she let herself down onto her knees, running her fingers along the edges of one of the delicate flowers. If only her life could be as simple as the nature surrounding her.
Just when she was getting ready to leave, she heard some crackling of the leaves in the woods next to her. Thinking it must be Link coming to find her, she turned expectantly. Her eyes widened when she spotted no less than four wolves, all of them watching her intently as they moved ever closer.
The trail behind her appeared to be still clear. Taking a chance that she would make it back to the treehouse before the wolves decided to come after her, she bolted for safety. No sooner had she moved, the wolves charged as one. Within two bounding steps, the wolves were almost on her.
Feeling fear course through her body, a tingling sensation spread through her. In the next instant, she felt her body change into that of the fox. Faster than her human form, she sprinted ahead of the wolves. They seemed to have paused in their forward momentum as if her change had surprised them.
Taking advantage of their hesitation, she raced toward the treehouse. Her lead was short-lived as the wolves resumed their pursuit. Practically screaming out in her head for her feet to move faster, she kept her gaze firmly fixed on the next few yards ahead of her. The last thing she needed was to trip and let herself get caught.
A blur of motion appeared ahead of her. She could not believe how one of the wolves had managed to get around her. Searching her immediate surroundings for an alternate route, she paused for only a second.
“Hold still!” she heard in her head. Not knowing what else to do, Rosie stopped altogether, curling her tail around her feet to make herself as small as possible. The next thing she knew, the wolf stepped over the top of her, effectively shielding her from the others who had pursued her.
Still hearing voices in her head, she did not even question her sanity. “Keep away from her. She’s my mate!”
“Mate?” one of the male voices asked in confusion.
“Yes. You need to head back home. I’ll be bringing her to speak with Michael about it. You’re also going to have to account for your actions. I distinctly heard Tukul say this girl was special and to take care of her. What were you trying to do by chasing her?” Link asked, his voice booming with barely controlled anger.
“She’s a shifter who needs to be eliminated. How can you stand there and defend her? Why did you bring her to our pack?” Another male voice accused, stepping closer with his teeth bared and his hair raised on his haunches.
“She’s mine, and that’s not going to happen. You know the rules about life-mates. She cannot be harmed, or the ancestors will punish the whole pack.” Link leaned forward, using his massive size to prove his point. The growl which escaped his throat should have been enough warning, but the smaller wolf seemed to have another idea.
Taking a chance at being distracted by speaking with his brother, the small wolf leaped forward, mouth gaping, ready to grab Rosie’s tail and haul her away from her protector. Faster than anyone could see, Link lashed out his front paw, claws raking across the younger wolf’s face. Blood gushed from the fresh wounds, and the smaller wolf yelped in pain.
The others seemed to take the hint and slowly backed away. Once they were almost twenty feet out, they turned around and ran headlong back into the cover of the trees. Their howling cries echoed through the valley long after they were lost from sight.
“Let’s go back home. We need to talk,” Link mind-spoke to Rosie. He nudged her with his nose when she remained frozen underneath his legs. “It’s okay; you’re safe now.”
Rosie nodded, keeping her eyes cast toward the tree line. She had no idea what to make of what she had just witnessed other than maybe Link’s friends were more dangerous than her clients. After all, they had said she should not be allowed to remain alive.
They walked back to the house in silence. Link could hear the thoughts racing through Rosie’s head, even though he did not believe she knew how loud she was broadcasting. He appreciated the opportunity to listen to precisely what she was thinking; it would help him in saying the right things to comfort her during this confusing time.
Before he reached the front door, he allowed his body to shift back into his human form. He looked down at Rosie’s fox figure, wondering how long she would hold onto the animal form before returning to herself. Once they were both inside, he shut and locked the front door.
Feeling more playful than he had outside in the face of danger, he leaned down and picked up the fox. Her fur was softer than he imagined it would be, and he stroked her head gently. When her big, brown eyes looked up at him, he knew he had done the right thing to comfort her.
He moved over to the couch, still carrying her. When he sat down, he positioned her on his lap, keeping his hands along her back, pulling his fingers through her fur in a comforting gesture. After only a minute or two, he felt her form begin to change. He placed the fox onto the couch beside him and watched with rapt attention to the shimmering of her body, transforming into its human counterpart.
As soon as she was entirely human again, he said, “It’s a pretty amazing experience, isn’t it?”
“Amazing doesn’t even begin to describe it. I still can’t believe it’s real. Link, what’s going on with me?”
“You’re part of a race known as shifters. You can change into any animal that you want. From what I know of shifters, they usually have one animal that they gravitate toward, but they can decide to change that when the need arises.”
He reached over, patting her leg reassuringly. Ever since he had kissed her the night before, he looked for reasons to touch her, feeling the connection between them deepen each time. He hoped she felt the same thing.
“You make it sound like shifting isn’t something you’re very familiar with. I don’t understand. Don’t you shift into a wolf? Or am I going crazy and only seeing things?” Rosie bit her bottom lip, hoping he would not contradict her memories.
“No, hon, you’re quite sane; although, I could see where you might feel otherwise. I can’t believe this is happening so late for you; it should have begun when you went through puberty.
“As for myself, I’m not a shifter, but I do change into a wolf.”
“I don’t understand. How is that different then?”
“I’m a werewolf, Rosie. There’s a difference, a big one.”
Rosie laughed out of fear and confusion. “So, you go crazy during the full moon and have to be restrained in chains?”
Link laughed along with her, envisioning the scene she described. “No, it’s not that bad for me. Mostly I can control the shifting, but I think that’s because of my father’s heritage and his connection with the elemy.”
“So, not everyone in your pack is that right?” Seeing his nod of approval, she continued, “Not everyone in your pack can control themselves all the time?”
“That’s right. Some need to be restrained, but the older ones have mostly mastered their ability to control themselves during any phase of the moon.”
“Mostly, huh? That doesn’t sound too promising.”
“We’ve never hurt a human, Rosie. We’re not dangerous to people.”
“No, just to shifters.” Rosie quirked her eyebrow before getting up to pace across the living room. She wanted to know so much more, but she did not know where to start.