It bothered him that a bar full of people hadn’t seen him drag Catalina out. His intentions had been honorable, but what if he’d been someone else? Anger surged through him at the thought of something happening to the feisty waitress. The overwhelming need to protect her coursed through him. Nothing could happen to the beautiful wolf.

  Whoever had turned her had been reckless and stupid. She needed a friend and he was determined to be just that.

  He couldn’t help but wonder what his family would think of Catalina. She was a bitten wolf—not pack. Packs looked down on bitten wolves. Would they accept her? Their pack was different than most. There were only six of them and they made their own rules. But a bitten wolf wasn’t pack and his family would have questions about her origins. They were on the run and couldn’t afford to be found. If they thought Catalina was a threat, they could retaliate. He’d keep Catalina a secret for now, at least until he got to know her.

  Movement caught his eye, and he turned to Catalina watching as her eyes blinked open. She hopped to her feet and turned around in a circle. Panic flooded her large round eyes and he barked at her, trying to get her attention.

  She lifted her front leg up and whined with confusion. He howled loudly and she snapped her attention to him. She took a step back, lowering down into a fighting position.

  Normally, he didn’t like to be challenged. She was scared and didn’t understand what was happening. He ducked down submissively and whined at her as he tilted his head to the side. It was important she see he wasn’t a threat. He had to gain her trust.

  She snarled, snorting as she sniffed the air. He held his position. If she charged, he was certain he could still take her, but he hoped it didn’t come to that. Her glowing eyes studied him a long moment before she whimpered and sunk to the ground.

  He sighed heavily. Good. That’s over with. Fear radiated off her in waves. He dropped to his belly and closed his eyes and began the transition back to his human form. It’d be easier to coax her through her shift if he could speak. And she needed to see how it was done.

  His bones snapped and within seconds he was crouched on his hands and knees. He stood up aware of her watching him as he tossed his boxers and jeans back on. The shirt he left for her. Her clothes were shredded to pieces from her change.

  “It’s your turn,” he told her, careful to keep a few steps back. She could still turn on him though it seemed unlikely. She cocked her head at him as if asking him how.

  “Now that you’ve completed your first shift, you can do it at will. Picture your human body. Close your eyes. I find it helps if you start with your toes and work your way up. You try.” He nodded his head at her.

  She glared for a long moment before she huffed and shut her eyes. Seconds ticked by and he wondered if she’d passed out again when her legs jutted out to one side as the bones crackled.

  He let out the breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding. Now came the hard part. Explaining to her what she was.

  Chapter Three

  Catalina collapsed on the ground, kicking dirt up into her face. She coughed and gasped for breath. The agonizing torture that held her in its clutches the past few moments slipped away. Her vision cleared and she glanced around the tiny clearing.

  Bray stood to her right, watching her through narrowed eyes. “Are you okay?” he questioned.

  “What happened?” she gasped as she sat up. The breeze blew, and she shivered. It was warm out, but her sweat-soaked body was damp. She glanced down and squeaked, realizing she was completely naked. Oh my God. Where are my clothes?

  Her heart pattered violently against her ribs as she covered herself as best she could.

  “Here. Take this.” Bray handed his black tee to her.

  Catalina snatched it out of his hands and yanked it over her head. She stood up and tugged the shirt down as low as it would go though it didn’t go far, barely covering her ass.

  “What happened?” she demanded as she held the shirt down with one hand and plucked twigs and leaves from her hair with the other.

  “What do you think happened?” he challenged.

  She snorted and shot him a glare. “You tell me.” She knew what happened, but was still working on believing it. Maybe this was all some horrible nightmare. Any minute she would wake up in her bed. She squeezed her eyes shut and opened them. Damn, I’m still here. I was not dreaming. Her pulse roared in her ears and she blew out a long breath. This is real.

  Bray nodded and reached out for her. She jerked away and he held his hands up in surrender. “We can talk, but not here. We’re too exposed. If someone comes looking for you and they find us like this...” he trailed off as his eyes swooped up and down her scantily clad body.

  He had a point.

  Bray bent down and snatched her keys from the ground. She shuddered as she followed his movements. Fragments of her jeans and tank were scattered on the ground as if they’d exploded off her body, which they kind of had.

  “My car is at the end of the lot at Gator. I can drive you to your place and you can get dressed. Then we’ll get something to eat,” he offered.

  Catalina sucked in a breath, ready to argue with him. What makes him think I’ll go anywhere with him, let alone show him where I live? Then again, he had just witnessed her turn into a massive wolf. He’d also shifted into one, too. She didn’t trust him, but right now he was her best bet at getting answers.

  “Fine. Where’s your car?” she asked still struggling to conceal herself.

  “This way.” Bray started through the trees and she followed after him.

  ***

  Bray started his car and eased out of the parking spot. Catalina sat next to him, staring absently out the window. His shirt barely covered her and he licked his lips as it rode higher up her thigh.

  Catalina was beautiful. Curvy in all the right places and she had big beautiful eyes. She was scared of him and his heart pinched, wondering what he could do to ease her worries.

  “I’m sure you have questions,” he started, figuring talking would be the best way to go.

  Catalina chewed on her lower lip and wrung her hands together. “How did this happen to me?” her voice shook, and he spared a glance in her direction. She stared down at her hands and toyed with a string on the hem of the shirt.

  “You were bitten by a wolf recently.” It wasn’t a question—he knew it was a fact. “Werewolf bites are the only way to pass on the...” he didn’t want to say curse, but aliment wasn’t the right word either.

  “Yeah,” she sighed and blew out a breath. She stared down at her arm and gasped. “It’s gone!”

  “Shifting heals us,” he explained. “The bite changed your genetic makeup. You’re a werewolf now, too. Bitten wolves experience their first change on the first full moon after the bite. After that, they can transition at will whenever they want.” He’d already told her this, but she’d been a little out of it. Repeating it wouldn’t hurt anything.

  “So I don’t have to change again unless I want to?” she asked quietly.

  Bray sighed and shook his head. “You’ll have to shift, but you can do it on your terms, unless you wait too long. To optimize our health, it’s recommended to transition twice a week. I would shift again on Monday to be safe. Your body craves the shift and you don’t want to deny it or you’ll end up like tonight where your body forces it to happen.”

  “Two times a week?” she repeated horrified.

  “It will get better. Your body is adjusting to the change now, but give it a few more times and you’ll find it enjoyable—freeing,” he promised.

  “I doubt that,” she murmured.

  “I can help you through it,” he assured as they turned down the road and pulled into the lot next to her apartment complex.

  Catalina looked up as the car stopped. She swallowed hard and shot him a death glare as she realized where they were. “How do you know where I live?” she demanded.

  Oops. He hadn’t thought about that. “I recognized what you were last night. I figured you didn’t know what was happening since you didn’t respond to me—to my scent. I followed you home so I could make sure when the full moon peaked tonight you were safe and wouldn’t hurt yourself or someone else,” he admitted. She seemed skittish, not that he could blame her. Honesty was probably the best policy. He needed her to trust him.

  “You could have told me last night,” she accused, her cheeks reddening with anger.

  “Would you have believed me?” he pointed out. He was certain she sensed him, but if he told her last night she wouldn’t have believed him. She’d probably have thought he was a loon. Sometimes people needed to see the proof.

  Catalina huffed and opened the car door, shuffling quickly to her apartment. Bray shut the car off and followed after her.

  “Where are my keys,” she groaned, covering her face with her hands.

  “I got them.” He reached forward and inserted them into the lock. “If you ever find yourself without them you can still get in by twisting hard. We have superhuman strength,” he grinned. He put a hand on her shoulder to lead her inside, but she winced out of his grip and he jammed his hand into his pocket instead. “It’s one of the perks. Our hearing, sight, and sense of smell are also heightened.”

  “I’ve noticed that,” she admitted quietly. “The past few days...it’s been crazy. Everything has...I don’t even know,” she said frustrated.

  “Hey,” he soothed, placing a hand over hers. She didn’t pull away this time. Instead, she clasped his hand tightly. Her palm was warm and soft and he gently grazed his thumb over top it. “It’s okay. There’s a lot happening right now. I’m going to help you through this. Why don’t you go get dressed and I’ll buy you something to eat.”

  “Why are you helping me?” she asked as she closed her door with her foot and met his gaze.

  Bray shrugged. Sure he wanted to protect his family—his pack, but it was more than that. He also wanted to help Catalina and keep her safe, too. It didn’t make sense. He barely knew her, but the urge to defend her was innate. He couldn’t walk away.

  “Our world is dangerous. I don’t want you to get hurt. The wolf that made you should’ve stuck by your side. We’re not supposed to bite and run,” he explained.

  “Oh,” she said simply. She shivered and shook her head as tears filled her eyes. “I’ll go get decent.”

  Catalina slipped her hand out of his and retreated. His fingers tingled from her touch and he wiggled them as he watched the beautiful woman trudge down the hall and disappear into a room. He couldn’t swear it, but something told him there was something she wasn’t telling him.

  Chapter Four

  Catalina scrubbed her face, washing the dirt and grime from her cheeks. She was a mess. Is this how it will always be? Tears pricked the back of her eyes. She hoped not. The events tonight were horrifying and she probably lost her job now, too. Great.

  A lump formed in her throat and she sighed, swallowing it back down. She would not cry. This was just another challenge. She could get through it. Stay strong. You can get through anything. That had always been her mother’s motto.

  Catalina grabbed a hand towel and dabbed the water from her face. She could do this. Inhaling sharply, she let out the breath and headed to the front room.

  Bray stood by the wall peering around at the belongings scattered around her apartment. She cleared her throat, but he didn’t turn. Great. He probably already heard her, which meant he didn’t mind getting caught snooping. Even better.

  “You said something about food and explaining all this,” she reminded him, placing her hands on her hips. Her stomach rumbled loudly at the mention of food. She was famished. It felt like she hadn’t eaten in weeks.

  Bray nodded and made his way to the door. “I know a quiet diner close to here. It’s important we eat after a shift. It takes a lot of calories and energy to complete the transition.”

  That made sense. “Okay.”

  “Come on. It’s my treat.” He opened the door to her apartment and motioned for her to go out first.

  Good thing he was paying. She was broke. She would never make rent now, especially unemployed. Last time she checked, randomly walking out during your shift was severely frowned upon. She sighed and closed her eyes. Great, one more thing to worry about.

  She better make the most of her outing with Bray; this would be the last decent meal she would eat in a while.

  She climbed into his car and leaned back in the seat, watching as he got in and started the engine.

  “I’m sure you have questions. Go ahead and ask anything you want,” Bray insisted as he pulled the car out of the spot.

  Catalina worried her bottom lip. She’d been so focused on her personal issues she hadn’t even thought about the obvious. She did have questions, lots of them. It’d be a good idea to pick his brain while she had the opportunity. “How many wolves are there?”

  “In the world or in Florida?” he asked.

  Good question. “Both?”

  “The world has around twenty thousand last time I heard. Florida doesn’t have any packs, but there could be some strays,” he answered.

  “What do you mean pack and strays?” she wondered.

  “Packs are large groups of wolves that live together,” he paused like he wanted to say something else but he just sighed. “Strays are like yourself or me. We don’t belong to a pack; we go about our business and stay low.”

  “Wouldn’t it be easier to be a part of a pack?” she questioned. It’d be nice to have a support system as she went through all of this.

  “No,” he answered quickly. “Stay away from them.”

  “Why?” What was so bad about packs?

  “Pack wolves are born werewolves. They don’t think highly of bitten wolves. They think even less of women. The way they treat women...well let’s just say if you value your freedom at all you wouldn’t fit in there. To a pack, women are good for one thing—breeding,” he replied harshly.

  Catalina shuddered. She would definitely stay away from pack wolves. “So you were bitten too?” she asked curiously.

  Bray met her eyes briefly before turning back to the road. “No. I’m a born wolf. I was a part of a pack, but then we...I left.”

  So did he look down on her? Was he only here to preserve his precious identity? “Why are you helping me?” she demanded. It was better to know his reasoning now than to be hurt by him later. Men were good at being secretive and hurtful.

  “I want to help you. I left the pack, Catalina. Their thoughts aren’t mine. I’ll help you if you let me,” he answered honestly.

  Catalina chewed her bottom lip studying him. Was he being truthful? She’d like to think so, but couldn’t be sure. She mistakenly trusted someone too many times. It was a mistake she couldn’t afford to make again.

  “I understand if you are not ready to trust me just yet,” he commented when she didn’t respond. “Do you mind if I ask you how you were bitten? Was it here in Florida?”

  Catalina inhaled sharply. Would it hurt anything to tell him? She didn’t think so, but he didn’t need to know too much either. “It happened in Tennessee. I was hitchhiking and got a ride from a guy and his friends. It wasn’t my brightest idea,” she admitted when he quirked a brow up at her in question. “We stopped at a campground. They were creeping me out, so I left in the middle of the night. I was attacked in the woods by a wolf. I don’t think he was expecting my pocketknife though. It took him by surprise when I stabbed him. It’s the only reason I got away.”

  “It’s probably a good thing you did. Good thinking,” Bray complimented.

  Catalina stared down at her arm where the bite mark had been only hours earlier. “Yeah well, obviously it wasn’t good enough.”

  “Bad things happen to everyone. It’s how we handle them that make us who we are. Don’t beat yourself up over it.” He ran a hand through his hair and then turned another hard stare on her. “How long have you been in Florida? Were you followed?”

  “I’ve been here a little over a week now. I don’t think so. I went to the hospital after being bit, but I left before anyone could question me,” she stammered. Had she been followed? “Why would they follow me?”

  “Pack wolves might not like bitten wolves, but they’re always looking for new breeding females for the pack,” he answered honestly. “That’s probably why they bit you.”

  Catalina shuddered. Gross and hell no! She was not breeding with anyone. Her eyes drifted to Bray. What if he was gaining her trust so he could take her back to a pack? She grappled with the idea as she studied him. Yet, for some reason she didn’t think he’d do that. Why she trusted him she didn’t know. She prayed it wouldn’t end up being a regret.

  ***

  Bray watched as Catalina slurped the bottom of her chocolate shake. Wolves were generally always hungry, but Catalina acted like she hadn’t eaten in weeks. She’d ordered a chocolate milkshake, a huge stack of pancakes, bacon, eggs, and sausage. Her apartment had been sparse. Was she taking care of herself? He shouldn’t be concerned with her wellbeing, but he was. He had to protect her.

  “Thanks for breakfast,” she said as she wiped her mouth with a napkin. “I appreciate it.”

  “Anytime,” he told her. He meant it too. Helping her was important to him.

  “So now what happens?” Catalina sighed.

  “I’ll take you home. I’m sure you’re tired. I’ll make sure you have my number and call me if you need anything. I truly mean anything,” he said quietly. He wanted to help her, but she seemed nervous around him. It had to be on her terms or else he could send her fleeing from Florida. Who knew what could happen to her out there. She needed the protection of a pack—of someone—until she had a firm grasp of her werewolf self.

  “Can we go now?” Catalina hissed, ducking her head down and pulling some of her long hair in front of her face.

 

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