She said nothing, just watched me with guarded, but curious eyes as she took one step out, then another.
She left the door open behind her, giving herself an escape should she decide I was feral and ready to kill her.
Meanwhile every fiber of my being thrummed with the need to protect her. At all costs. At even the risk of my own life.
I’d happily lay down my very existence for her. I knew it down to my bones.
I kept my body completely still as she kept making careful progress across the front porch.
When she got down to the lowest step, I bowed my head at her, showing submission, reassuring her I meant no harm.
Her hand rose slowly, stretching outward, then touching me just behind my ear, her fingers stroking through my fur. Just a whisper at first, then sinking in and rubbing as she got more comfortable, as she became sure she was safe.
“You’re beautiful,” she murmured, her voice soft, full of admiration and awe. “What have you been doing here every night, huh? Doesn’t some pretty wolf-lady miss you?” she asked.
I couldn’t seem to stop the huff that escaped me at that.
Like there was anyone in the world but her. Like it was possible to ever look at another woman again.
“No ladies, huh? Well, that sucks, huh?” she asked as she carefully lowered herself down onto the step.
Following her lead, I sat, wanting to keep her comfortable.
“You’re almost… tame,” she said, reaching out with her other hand, both of them starting to stroke over my coat. “I don’t understand why you’re here. But I have to admit I’m kind of glad you are. I’ve been so alone,” she added, feeling comfortable being vulnerable because she had no way of knowing I could understand.
Even if I couldn’t, the misery was bouncing off of her. Any beast could feel it. Not just those of us who were only half-beast.
“It’s hard to be alone, right?” she asked, leaning forward a bit, pressing her forehead to mine. “Thanks for being here,” she whispered. “I’ve gotten kind of used to having you around. It sounds kind of crazy, but I feel like my heart would shatter in a thousand little pieces if you weren’t around.”
I didn’t think about it.
I moved forward, waiting for her to take the hint and scoot back, then sprawling across her lap, warming her, comforting her, and being as close as we both needed.
She said nothing else for the rest of the night. Just stroked her hands over me.
And then I felt it.
The first rays of light.
“I know,” she whispered, feeling me shift. “You have to go. Thanks for sitting with me, though. I feel better,” she said, leaning down to press a kiss to my head, then getting to her feet, and watching me go.
As soon as it was safe to do so, I Changed back, watching her as she stood on the porch for a long moment, her beautiful eyes scanning the tree line before she moved inside to get some much-needed rest.
I sat with her again the next night, but this time, she’d invited me into the cabin, both of us warming by the fire as she stroked my fur and talked about her life in the city, and her concerns that maybe she wasn’t cut out for life in the woods all alone.
“You are making it a lot better,” she told me, patting my head like she was reassuring me. “But I am a little worried that you are acting more like a lapdog than a wild wolf. Like, should I be feeding you? Can you catch your own food? What do you even like to eat? Just raw meat, right? Gross. I mean, I’m not judging. I just couldn’t do it.
“I should probably head into town soon and find a shrink, huh? This is probably not a normal, rational person’s behavior.”
But she just kept talking to me until the morning, when she led me toward the door, and said she would see me the next night.
Which was the plan.
Until I was roaming the woods, gathering some supplies for my camp, wasting time until I could go see her again.
And I heard a scream.
Her scream.
I never Changed so fast in my life.
I hadn’t been watching the house, figuring she would be sleeping until late.
So I had no idea where she’d gone, what had befallen her.
So I had to get into my wolf form to be able to smell her, to track her, to make sure she was okay.
I sprinted through the woods, following her sweet scent as I got closer and closer.
I found her not far from her house wearing her crappy hiking boots and athleisure that hugged all her perfect curves, looking like she’d decided to get out in nature and take a walk, likely feeling cooped up for being in the house so much lately.