and curled her legs under her. Circe took the opportunity to resume her place in Ana’s lap.
“Ana, tell me you are okay.” Her gran’s heavy accent drifted over the connection. Her heart ached to be a child again. She would snuggle into Gran’s side and no matter what had been wrong, her gran would make everything okay again. Except Gran can’t fix this. Only I can, but how? How do I change him back?
“I’m fine, Gran. There are trees down, and the phone’s been out. My Jeep is squished.”
“That I know. What kind of seer you take me for? I speak of the strange man with gold eyes. Did I not tell you he would come? Still, I sense you are sad. Love does not make my Ana happy? Then very sexy man should work harder to please my baby girl.”
“Howl is wonderful.”
“Good name for sexy wolf.”
Ana laughed. It didn’t surprise her. Her gran would have seen that too. “We share the mate link, Gran.” She stated it as the fact it was, knew her gran would believe her no matter what.
“Did he change you?” The old voice was grave.
Hadn’t he? Deep inside, she felt different. “In some ways, yes, but not in that way. He has a blood curse on him. I dreamt of it.”
“Can he will the shift to happen? Or hold it back?”
“No. It’s entirely out of his control.”
“Where is he now?”
“Chained in the basement of the old Parker farmhouse. There’s something else I should tell you. He changed outside of the full moon phase.”
“This is very bad. Soon his curse becomes permanent. Tell me of your dream.”
Ana relayed the scene she had observed while sleeping.
“He should thank the hunter. To change outside the full moon without the ability to control the shift is permanent. He must find his own cure, and soon. All you can do is love him and wait. Try not to grow fur. I will see what I can do.”
“Why him? Why now? It hurts, but I can’t seem to stop.”
“Love always does. That is how you know it counts.”
Ana bid goodbye to her grandmother and snuggled into the throw pillows with the old quilt that still smelled of him. Circe purred in her lap and offered comfort. Taffy lay by her feet, doing the same. Both pets in silent agreement their mistress was more important than any reservations they had for each other.
Ana thought back on her grandmother’s words. For a man to transform out of the full moon phase, it meant his blood curse had overwhelmed him. A great physical pain might change him back once, but if he transformed into the wolf again, it would be permanent. One more and he will be wolf forever. She curled the cat closer, snuggling her warm fur, mourning her lost Howl, maybe gone forever . At least he’ll be safe from Van. Her glamour would hold until she removed the spell or left this life. Howl would still be able to find her, if he changed back to man.
Her heart ached for the man she loved, grieved more than any other part of her. At Ana’s sob, Circe meowed softly and licked her hand.
“How can I live without him? I don’t want to try.” I wouldn’t have to if Howl changed me. It would buy us time until I could find a way to change him. No. It wouldn’t work. Her change would be permanent, inflicted by a were, not a curse. Same problem, no solution.
The kitchen door slammed into the wall.
Taffy made a beeline for the space under Ana’s bed down the hall. Some watchdog you are, Taffy.
Circe hissed and retreated to her babies’ basket.
Another tree down? She went to the kitchen to see.
She did a double take. The doorframe was in splinters around the latch. A man stood in the open doorway with his back to her. Dark hair just reached his collar. He was tall, his muscular build evident beneath the white t-shirt he paired with black jeans. His hiking boots were caked with mud.
“Howl?” The mental link wasn’t there. Howl had worn biker boots. Clean ones. He wouldn’t have been slogging through the mud unless he was wolf. Oh, no.
Almost at once she realized
“Ana, tell me you are okay.” Her gran’s heavy accent drifted over the connection. Her heart ached to be a child again. She would snuggle into Gran’s side and no matter what had been wrong, her gran would make everything okay again. Except Gran can’t fix this. Only I can, but how? How do I change him back?
“I’m fine, Gran. There are trees down, and the phone’s been out. My Jeep is squished.”
“That I know. What kind of seer you take me for? I speak of the strange man with gold eyes. Did I not tell you he would come? Still, I sense you are sad. Love does not make my Ana happy? Then very sexy man should work harder to please my baby girl.”
“Howl is wonderful.”
“Good name for sexy wolf.”
Ana laughed. It didn’t surprise her. Her gran would have seen that too. “We share the mate link, Gran.” She stated it as the fact it was, knew her gran would believe her no matter what.
“Did he change you?” The old voice was grave.
Hadn’t he? Deep inside, she felt different. “In some ways, yes, but not in that way. He has a blood curse on him. I dreamt of it.”
“Can he will the shift to happen? Or hold it back?”
“No. It’s entirely out of his control.”
“Where is he now?”
“Chained in the basement of the old Parker farmhouse. There’s something else I should tell you. He changed outside of the full moon phase.”
“This is very bad. Soon his curse becomes permanent. Tell me of your dream.”
Ana relayed the scene she had observed while sleeping.
“He should thank the hunter. To change outside the full moon without the ability to control the shift is permanent. He must find his own cure, and soon. All you can do is love him and wait. Try not to grow fur. I will see what I can do.”
“Why him? Why now? It hurts, but I can’t seem to stop.”
“Love always does. That is how you know it counts.”
Ana bid goodbye to her grandmother and snuggled into the throw pillows with the old quilt that still smelled of him. Circe purred in her lap and offered comfort. Taffy lay by her feet, doing the same. Both pets in silent agreement their mistress was more important than any reservations they had for each other.
Ana thought back on her grandmother’s words. For a man to transform out of the full moon phase, it meant his blood curse had overwhelmed him. A great physical pain might change him back once, but if he transformed into the wolf again, it would be permanent. One more and he will be wolf forever. She curled the cat closer, snuggling her warm fur, mourning her lost Howl, maybe gone forever . At least he’ll be safe from Van. Her glamour would hold until she removed the spell or left this life. Howl would still be able to find her, if he changed back to man.
Her heart ached for the man she loved, grieved more than any other part of her. At Ana’s sob, Circe meowed softly and licked her hand.
“How can I live without him? I don’t want to try.” I wouldn’t have to if Howl changed me. It would buy us time until I could find a way to change him. No. It wouldn’t work. Her change would be permanent, inflicted by a were, not a curse. Same problem, no solution.
The kitchen door slammed into the wall.
Taffy made a beeline for the space under Ana’s bed down the hall. Some watchdog you are, Taffy.
Circe hissed and retreated to her babies’ basket.
Another tree down? She went to the kitchen to see.
She did a double take. The doorframe was in splinters around the latch. A man stood in the open doorway with his back to her. Dark hair just reached his collar. He was tall, his muscular build evident beneath the white t-shirt he paired with black jeans. His hiking boots were caked with mud.
“Howl?” The mental link wasn’t there. Howl had worn biker boots. Clean ones. He wouldn’t have been slogging through the mud unless he was wolf. Oh, no.
Almost at once she realized
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