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| Janelle comforting Koreth |
Nate's ProblemDiscovering he’s a werewolf was only the beginning of Nate’s problems. Now he has to figure out how to become human again—and what to do about a wolf with very definite ideas about Janelle.
But what Janelle sees as rejection may be something else entirely. In Chapter 5 of Wolf’s Man, getting to know each other comes with a few unexpected complications.
Click Read more to read Chapter 5 of Wolf’s Man. I’m sharing one chapter each day, free here on the blog.
Just joining us? Start with Chapter 1 and come meet the Texas Ranch Wolf Pack.
Wolf's Man
Chapter 5
Without
taking her gaze off Nate, Janelle slowly sat up and brushed the leaves and dirt
off her elbows and arms. As wolves go, he was magnificent. Taller than normal,
with deep blue-black fur and turquoise
eyes. She had been sure he was were, but his strong Alpha
presence left her rattled. What flustered her most, though, was the thought
that burst into her mind from his, Mine! The
wolf claimed her, but the man did not. For some reason, the bite she expected
never came. Janelle didn’t know whether to be grateful or resentful.
For
the first time, a wolf wanted her wolf. The man obviously didn’t but instead fought his wolf off.
Otherwise, the wolf would have laid claim. She swallowed. I’ll deal with that, later, she thought. Head tilted, she watched
him. Suddenly, she realized his problem. “You can’t shift back, can you?”
The
wolf shook his massive head, confirming her thought. He whined, walked to her,
and rested his massive head on her lap, looking up at her. He watched her
tentative reach toward him but did
nothing when she gently ran her fingers through the fur between his ears. She
gazed into his gray eyes and felt her wolf’s interest.
“To
turn back,” she said, her voice soft and soothing, “you must think about being
human: how it feels to have your longer
legs and arms, how it feels to talk, how it feels to move. Close your eyes and
think about those things. Get it clear in your mind, and you will shift.”
Those
turquoise eyes held steady, watching her.
The wolf wagged his tail and licked her
hand. She could feel the internal struggle Nate fought with his wolf. The
wolf’s muscles were tense under her stroking hands. She bit her lip, then
thought, Nate, can you hear me?
The
wolf growled softly, and Janelle laughed. “So, you aren’t pleased with him,
huh, big guy?” She caught the wolf’s head in her hands and raised his face so
she could see in his eyes. “You have to let him shift back for this to be
settled.”
The
wolf wiggled, withdrew his head from her hands, and caught her left hand in his
teeth, firmly, but not breaking the skin. He pulled her to her feet, then
backed up until they were standing by the SUV. Releasing her hand, he jumped up
on the side of the SUV and looked at the medallion, then looked at her. With a
soft whine, he tilted his head and looked from her to the medallion.
“Oh!”
Janelle snatched the medallion and draped it around the wolf’s neck. “Is that
what you wanted?”
The
wolf yelped and dropped to all four feet.
He shimmered, legs and arms elongating, body reforming into that of a man, and
snout smoothly flowing into the detective’s face. Nate fell forward against her
legs, then leaned back against the SUV. Expression tight with pain, he looked
up at her.
“Ouch,”
was all he said.
Janelle
couldn’t help it; she laughed. “Do you need help up?” she asked, holding her
hand out to him.
He
caught her hand and pulled himself up, head bowed. Her hand still in his, he
cleared his throat and looked at her from
the corner of his eye. “I think we need to talk.”
Janelle
nodded and swallowed. He really doesn’t want the bond his wolf
wants, she thought. Again, she didn’t know how to process that thought. It
hurt in some ways, but in some ways, she was thankful she wasn’t forced into a
relationship she didn’t know for sure she wanted. As a Royal descendant, she’d always known that she would
be taken as mate to a powerful wolf. That
she would be spurned never occurred to her.
*****
Nate
raised his hand and studied her smaller hand inside his grasp. He blew out his
breath through puffed cheeks. Mine!
the wolf insisted.
You don’t know that,
Nate thought. She has the right to
choose. Nate could feel the bewilderment his wolf felt.
With
a sigh, he dropped her hand and raised his gaze to her eyes. “I don’t know much
about being a werewolf. I’ve read a lot. Always been fascinated by the topic,
because of some things I saw when I was a kid, but never believed in them. Not
really. I thought my memories were just nightmares.” He shook his head and
laughed. “I don’t think I really wanted to believe in them.”
“And
now?”
“My
wolf...”
“What’s
his name?”
“What?”
“What’s
your wolf’s name? My wolf is Nadrai. Who
is your wolf?”
Nate
blinked at her for a moment. “I...don’t know.”
“So,
ask him.”
Ask him, she says.
I suppose I could. Nate turned his attention
to the wolf he felt pacing inside him. What
is your name?
I am Koreth.
“He
says his name is Koreth.”
She
nodded. “Nadrai and I are happy to meet
you, Koreth.”
Koreth
preened, and Nate got the distinct feeling he was a bit proud of himself. A
grin quirked his lip. “He said he is glad to meet his one.” He shrugged. “I’m
not really sure what he means.”
Janelle
covered her mouth with both hands. She didn’t laugh out loud, but merriment
danced in her eyes. “You really don’t understand, do you?”
“No.
And I don’t understand why I can feel him, now, but couldn’t before.”
“Have
you always worn the medallion?”
“Since
I was about five years old. Why?”
“Were
don’t fully come into their wolves until puberty. If you’ve worn the medallion
that long, he never had the chance to break out. You just went through what
most of us go through in our early teens.” She stopped and looked at him,
solemn. “I hope you can adjust because
now that he has been released, you won’t be able to imprison him again. While
you wear the medallion, other were
won’t be able to sense you or him, and you won’t have the same abilities you
will have without the medallion, such as strength and sense of smell. Your
wolf, however, will still be present and able to sense things around you. His
abilities will give you a small bit of extra protection.”
“I
think there is a lot I need to learn, but...” Nate broke off when his cell
phone rang. He glanced at the caller id
and shook his head. “My captain. I’m on vacation, so I’m not sure why he would
call.”
I don’t like him.
He smells like cat. Nate could hear Koreth growling
but realized Janelle could not hear Koreth.
“Why
can’t you hear Koreth, too?”
She
sent an annoyed look at the phone. “I can when you’re in wolf form, but not
when you’re in man form. Only mated wolves can hear each other in both forms.”
“Mated?”
Nate flicked the Ignore button and replaced the cell in the dashboard bin.
Mine! A
growl accompanied the thought this time.
Fingers
splayed, Nate ran his left hand through his hair. “My wolf keeps saying, mine.
I don’t suppose you know what that means? I mean, I think I know what he means,
but...”
Janelle
grinned. “But...”
Nate
felt heat flood into his face. “I think he means that he wants you, um, your wolf, as a mate.”
The
amusement in her expression vanished. “But you aren’t interested.”
At
her flat tone, Nate tilted his head to the side and studied her as she started
to turn away. “I didn’t say that.”
Janelle thinks Nate doesn’t want her, while Nate believes she deserves a choice. What would you want to say to either of them at this moment? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Take care and stay safe,
Discovering he’s a werewolf was only the beginning of Nate’s problems. Now he has to figure out how to become human again—and what to do about a wolf with very definite ideas about Janelle.
But what Janelle sees as rejection may be something else entirely. In Chapter 5 of Wolf’s Man, getting to know each other comes with a few unexpected complications.
Click Read more to read Chapter 5 of Wolf’s Man. I’m sharing one chapter each day, free here on the blog.
Just joining us? Start with Chapter 1 and come meet the Texas Ranch Wolf Pack.
Wolf's Man
Chapter 5
Without
taking her gaze off Nate, Janelle slowly sat up and brushed the leaves and dirt
off her elbows and arms. As wolves go, he was magnificent. Taller than normal,
with deep blue-black fur and turquoise
eyes. She had been sure he was were, but his strong Alpha
presence left her rattled. What flustered her most, though, was the thought
that burst into her mind from his, Mine! The
wolf claimed her, but the man did not. For some reason, the bite she expected
never came. Janelle didn’t know whether to be grateful or resentful.
For
the first time, a wolf wanted her wolf. The man obviously didn’t but instead fought his wolf off.
Otherwise, the wolf would have laid claim. She swallowed. I’ll deal with that, later, she thought. Head tilted, she watched
him. Suddenly, she realized his problem. “You can’t shift back, can you?”
The
wolf shook his massive head, confirming her thought. He whined, walked to her,
and rested his massive head on her lap, looking up at her. He watched her
tentative reach toward him but did
nothing when she gently ran her fingers through the fur between his ears. She
gazed into his gray eyes and felt her wolf’s interest.
“To
turn back,” she said, her voice soft and soothing, “you must think about being
human: how it feels to have your longer
legs and arms, how it feels to talk, how it feels to move. Close your eyes and
think about those things. Get it clear in your mind, and you will shift.”
Those
turquoise eyes held steady, watching her.
The wolf wagged his tail and licked her
hand. She could feel the internal struggle Nate fought with his wolf. The
wolf’s muscles were tense under her stroking hands. She bit her lip, then
thought, Nate, can you hear me?
The
wolf growled softly, and Janelle laughed. “So, you aren’t pleased with him,
huh, big guy?” She caught the wolf’s head in her hands and raised his face so
she could see in his eyes. “You have to let him shift back for this to be
settled.”
The
wolf wiggled, withdrew his head from her hands, and caught her left hand in his
teeth, firmly, but not breaking the skin. He pulled her to her feet, then
backed up until they were standing by the SUV. Releasing her hand, he jumped up
on the side of the SUV and looked at the medallion, then looked at her. With a
soft whine, he tilted his head and looked from her to the medallion.
“Oh!”
Janelle snatched the medallion and draped it around the wolf’s neck. “Is that
what you wanted?”
The
wolf yelped and dropped to all four feet.
He shimmered, legs and arms elongating, body reforming into that of a man, and
snout smoothly flowing into the detective’s face. Nate fell forward against her
legs, then leaned back against the SUV. Expression tight with pain, he looked
up at her.
“Ouch,”
was all he said.
Janelle
couldn’t help it; she laughed. “Do you need help up?” she asked, holding her
hand out to him.
He
caught her hand and pulled himself up, head bowed. Her hand still in his, he
cleared his throat and looked at her from
the corner of his eye. “I think we need to talk.”
Janelle
nodded and swallowed. He really doesn’t want the bond his wolf
wants, she thought. Again, she didn’t know how to process that thought. It
hurt in some ways, but in some ways, she was thankful she wasn’t forced into a
relationship she didn’t know for sure she wanted. As a Royal descendant, she’d always known that she would
be taken as mate to a powerful wolf. That
she would be spurned never occurred to her.
*****
Nate
raised his hand and studied her smaller hand inside his grasp. He blew out his
breath through puffed cheeks. Mine!
the wolf insisted.
You don’t know that,
Nate thought. She has the right to
choose. Nate could feel the bewilderment his wolf felt.
With
a sigh, he dropped her hand and raised his gaze to her eyes. “I don’t know much
about being a werewolf. I’ve read a lot. Always been fascinated by the topic,
because of some things I saw when I was a kid, but never believed in them. Not
really. I thought my memories were just nightmares.” He shook his head and
laughed. “I don’t think I really wanted to believe in them.”
“And
now?”
“My
wolf...”
“What’s
his name?”
“What?”
“What’s
your wolf’s name? My wolf is Nadrai. Who
is your wolf?”
Nate
blinked at her for a moment. “I...don’t know.”
“So,
ask him.”
Ask him, she says.
I suppose I could. Nate turned his attention
to the wolf he felt pacing inside him. What
is your name?
I am Koreth.
“He
says his name is Koreth.”
She
nodded. “Nadrai and I are happy to meet
you, Koreth.”
Koreth
preened, and Nate got the distinct feeling he was a bit proud of himself. A
grin quirked his lip. “He said he is glad to meet his one.” He shrugged. “I’m
not really sure what he means.”
Janelle
covered her mouth with both hands. She didn’t laugh out loud, but merriment
danced in her eyes. “You really don’t understand, do you?”
“No.
And I don’t understand why I can feel him, now, but couldn’t before.”
“Have
you always worn the medallion?”
“Since
I was about five years old. Why?”
“Were
don’t fully come into their wolves until puberty. If you’ve worn the medallion
that long, he never had the chance to break out. You just went through what
most of us go through in our early teens.” She stopped and looked at him,
solemn. “I hope you can adjust because
now that he has been released, you won’t be able to imprison him again. While
you wear the medallion, other were
won’t be able to sense you or him, and you won’t have the same abilities you
will have without the medallion, such as strength and sense of smell. Your
wolf, however, will still be present and able to sense things around you. His
abilities will give you a small bit of extra protection.”
“I
think there is a lot I need to learn, but...” Nate broke off when his cell
phone rang. He glanced at the caller id
and shook his head. “My captain. I’m on vacation, so I’m not sure why he would
call.”
I don’t like him.
He smells like cat. Nate could hear Koreth growling
but realized Janelle could not hear Koreth.
“Why
can’t you hear Koreth, too?”
She
sent an annoyed look at the phone. “I can when you’re in wolf form, but not
when you’re in man form. Only mated wolves can hear each other in both forms.”
“Mated?”
Nate flicked the Ignore button and replaced the cell in the dashboard bin.
Mine! A
growl accompanied the thought this time.
Fingers
splayed, Nate ran his left hand through his hair. “My wolf keeps saying, mine.
I don’t suppose you know what that means? I mean, I think I know what he means,
but...”
Janelle
grinned. “But...”
Nate
felt heat flood into his face. “I think he means that he wants you, um, your wolf, as a mate.”
The
amusement in her expression vanished. “But you aren’t interested.”
At
her flat tone, Nate tilted his head to the side and studied her as she started
to turn away. “I didn’t say that.”
Janelle thinks Nate doesn’t want her, while Nate believes she deserves a choice. What would you want to say to either of them at this moment? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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| Texas Ranch Wolf Pack Series (12 books) |
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