But then the white fur was as if it peeled away without hitting the ground, instead disintegrating and he was himself again. His naked self. He was angry, in pain because I Maced him. He was squinting and huffing while trying to recover and then he did the man/wolf switcheroo thing again and again while I just sat on the pavement staring in wide-eyed horror (instead of running for my life – like I should’ve done).
I have no idea what it feels like to get Mace in the face but clearly it’s not nice. And he’s just stopped as the guy and in a squat, reaches for me, giving me a reprimanding gaze.
He’s tall, muscled, with short dirty-blond hair and his eyes are the color of the night sky; a clear night sky with stars twinkling. He’s got a cut jawline, deliciously muscled pecs, large biceps, and his naked form can only be described as … wow. Lean, strong. Muscular without being bulky.
I couldn’t help but notice that he’s endowed like a horse. Or… a giant white wolf I guess. And it’s not one of those icky doggy lipstick dicks either. Nope. Thank God. Wait, what? Why would I care? It’s not like I can let that get anywhere near me. Red rocket or not.
A shapeshifter kissed me. And undoubtedly, signs are pointing to another shapeshifter being the one who has my sister.
On that thought, I’m about to spring into action, knowing I need away from this guy instead of sitting here with my brain moving at warp speed and the rest of me frozen. But by the time this thought occurs, it’s too late.
He’s taken my can of self-defense away and thrown me over his broad shoulder like I weigh nothing, scooped up his boots, jeans, socks, and torn t-shirt and he’s carrying me to his pickup truck while shouting orders over his shoulder at the gas station lady that’s obviously in on this … this racket.
That’s what this feels like. What do these people do? Kidnap whoever shows up here? Is that what happened to Ivy?
Is Arcana Falls like The Bermuda Triangle? Instead of being lost at sea, though, you’re whisked away by a hot wolf shifter never to be seen again. Or, like the Hotel California where you try to check out, but the rule is you can never leave, so three giant men bring you back?
A little voice whispers the truth. No, Auntie Nelle is the one that’s responsible for this. My aunt did this because… because it’d make me and Ivy happy? Though Mom said she originally chalked some of the contents of the letter up to the tumor my aunt had, Mom was connecting the dots between the letter and what it seemed might be going on with my sister. And now the contents make absolute sense based on what’s just happened to me!
Bottom line, Penelope “Nelle” Jenkins, my beloved Auntie Nelle, spent most of the money she won in the lottery to buy supernatural happily-ever-afters for us. I shake the thought off because I’m so caught off guard, so flabbergasted at being manhandled by a gorgeous naked stranger – who took one look at me, kissed me in a way that could get most girls pregnant, and then I watched him morph multiple times into a giant, beautiful white wolf. And now I’m fighting like a wild banshee, kicking my feet, slapping what are proving to be useless girlie slaps on his back while he tries to contain me because I’m frantic. Frantic is an understatement.
He is freakishly strong. I can’t budge out of his grip.
“No!” I try and then I scream louder as he gets his truck door open, shouting, “Help!” I haul off and slap his bare butt (because it’s directly in my line of vision) with a wallop while kicking harder.
“Oof,” I hear from him as the toe of my boot connects with some part of his body, but he doesn’t let go.
I can’t let a shapeshifter put me in his car and take me to his house! He just told the gas station chick that he wants my stuff brought there and that he’s not to be disturbed.
No. Hell, no!
By the way he strutted up to me and started ravishing me, I have a pretty good idea why he doesn’t want to be disturbed.
“Let me go! Somebody help! Stranger! Stranger danger!” I scream. And then I let out as loud a blood-curdling scream as I can.
He sets me in the passenger seat of his truck and then he winces like I’m hurting his ears.
Good. I haul air into my lungs and scream louder, hoping he’ll back off. I try to kick, punch, scratch, but he’s too strong.
I stop screaming so I can refill my lungs with air yet again, but instead of screaming again, I’m instead gaping at the sight of two more giant wolves running in our direction. I remember my quest to scream my head off, and that makes them both stop and tilt their heads.