The Werewolf Dates The Deputy - Kristen Painter Page 0,28
tactic to take, he decided to let things be for now. He’d be in wolf form during the run, so he’d be unable to speak to Jenna anyway, solving the problem temporarily.
“Jenna?”
The guest room door opened, and she came out, sneakers on. She looked adorably sporty. “You ready to run?”
“Yep.” He took a few steps backward toward the deck. “This way.”
“Lead on.”
He turned and went through the house, out onto the deck, then down the stairs to the backyard. The sky was dusky purple and getting darker by the minute. A bright, nearly full moon added a good amount of light, but his eyes didn’t need much.
The rich, loamy scent of the forest filled his nose as he inhaled. His wolf, already anticipating the impending run, panted with eagerness. Titus glanced over at Jenna. “Ready?”
She nodded.
“If you can’t keep up…well, I guess I’ll figure that out by the ache in my gut. If that happens, I’ll slow down.”
“It won’t happen. I’ll keep up.”
“All right, then.” He rolled his shoulders. “Here we go.”
He opened himself up to the change, putting his wolf in charge. The shift was instant, and a moment later he was down on all fours, the earth warm and alive under his paws, the breeze ruffling his fur.
He glanced at Jenna.
The look in her eyes was different. Curious. Her fingers extended toward him ever so slightly. She wanted to touch him.
He whuffed softly, then bent with his front legs stretched out.
She chewed on her bottom lip. “I just want to see what you feel like. Is that okay? If I touch you?”
He whuffed again, keeping his head down.
“If you bite me, I will not forgive you.” She sighed. “You can understand me, right?”
He nodded.
Tentatively, her hand came closer. Then her fingers coasted over the curve of his head.
A little breath of surprise escaped her. “Oh wow. You’re softer than I expected. And this is weird, isn’t it?”
His laugh came out like a sneeze.
She jumped back, then looked embarrassed at her reaction. Her hands clenched and went to her sides. “We should just run.”
With a woof, he straightened, gave her one more look, then charged into the forest. His wolf was in command. He was a creature of instinct and drive. The joy of being able to run and have such freedom took over.
He howled, a short, exuberant burst of sound. Behind him, Jenna’s footfalls were quick and steady.
Good, he thought. Because he’d only just begun to run.
Titus in wolf form was stunningly beautiful. His fur was a sleek mix of black, silver, and gray. And incredibly soft. He was an enormous beast. Breathtaking, really, to be in such proximity to such a stunning animal.
She’d be lying if she said it wasn’t a little bit intimidating. And there was very little that set her back on her heels.
That hadn’t stopped her from asking to touch him, though. Maybe she shouldn’t have, but she couldn’t resist. Maybe that was the love spell; maybe it was just the rarity of being so close to such a magnificent creature. She wasn’t sure.
Seeing him in the attic, while she’d been under the influence of that magic bomb, was nothing compared to seeing him surrounded by forest and bathed in moonlight.
The best word to describe him seemed to be majestic.
But Jenna should have asked him more questions before he’d shifted. Like, could he understand her? She thought he could. He seemed to have nodded when she’d asked about touching him. Plus she hadn’t lost a hand, so that was a good sign. Did he remember who she was? She also thought that was a yes. Was there any chance he’d think she was a foe since she wasn’t also a wolf? She prayed that was a no.
She ran a couple of yards behind him, giving him room but keeping pace even as she watched her footing as best she could in the dim light. The last thing she needed was a misstep and a twisted ankle. If only he wasn’t so fast, but then, he had the advantage of four legs and a lower center of gravity.
He had a home field advantage too. He knew these woods, ran them all the time. Probably spent hours out here in his human form too. But running through this forest, either with his pack or alone, gave him a sure-footed confidence that she didn’t have.
Valkyries tended to have more of an affinity for cats thanks to Freya and her giant felines, but there was an elite group