Chapter 20
When I arrived at Harkin’s place, the door was wide open, hanging on only one of its hinges. A knot coiled in my stomach, and I rushed inside. Items lay scattered everywhere. The couch was upside down. The overhead light flickered, and a giant hole in the far side of the loft opened to the woods.
“Harkin?” I yelled, my eyes wide, my gut tightening.
Phelan’s head appeared through the hole, looking especially elated to see me. “Thank the moon you’re back. We cannot get him out of it.”
Out of it?
Rushing forward, I stepped through the hole. “Where is he?”
The distant treeline shook, the tips of the branches trembling as if they were being shaken by something colossal.
“There,” Phelan answered, dragging a hand down his face.
My eyes stayed glued to the place where the forest shifted as I passed Waffles to Phelan.
He took him with two fully stretched, stiff arms. “What. The. Hells. Is this?”
Waffles wagged his tail before slurping Phelan’s cheek.
Sprinting into the woods, using my flash-speed every two steps I took, I passed Kaida.
“Thank the moon you’re here, vamp.” The wind from my running plumed her hair. “Holy fuck, you are fast.”
The closer I got to him, the tree branches became sparse, leaves and twigs broken to create a path for whatever had prowled through them.
I burst through the clearing, digging my heels into the dirt to stop.
It was a massive wolf standing on its two hind legs, its back to me with three distinct scarred slash marks.
Its hands had ten deadly, curved claws, and its wide ears perked as I approached.
It was Harkin.
“Harkin?” I called out, keeping my palms fanned and raised.
The werewolf turned, a pair of quartz, amber eyes fiercely scowling before softening. “Rory?”
Harkin’s voice was still there in shades, but this one was as deep as the Earth’s core wrapped in an unending snarl.
“Hey, big guy.” I smiled because what a stupid thing to say, but he was huge in this form.
Harkin shook his head, his bulging chest muscles heaving, breaths so heavy they puffed from his muzzle like curling smoke. “Where were you?”
It came out angry, but Harkin kept shaking his head as if trying to ask it normally.
“I’m sorry. I should’ve said something.” I slid closer, still with fingers splayed wide. “Why don’t you shift to human form so we can talk, hm?”
Harkin growled and lowered his face to mine. “Where were you?”
Alright. The calm routine wasn’t working.
Baring my fangs, I squared my shoulders toward him. “Careful, wolf.”
Harkin’s muzzle drew closer, sniffing my hair, between my breasts, and lower. “The mothman.”
“That’s right. I needed to talk. Now, would you come out of this so we can do that?”
Harkin lifted a single furry finger. He touched my chest with it, making me stumble backward. “No,” he huffed, standing upright, his tail swaying.
“What? You shift into this form and become a property damaging petulant child?” I put my hands on my hips.
Harkin roared, his claws slashing at a tree, tearing bark from it. He pawed at his head, harsh breaths gradually slowing. “I can’t.”
My hands fell to my sides. The poor guy couldn’t shift back.
Retracting my fangs, I approached him. “Well, at least come here and let me get a look at you. I’ve never seen this form.”
Harkin’s ears perked, his head tilting to one side.
He slid in front of me. His height was a foot taller than his human form.
His width was double that. I pressed my palms to his taut, furry, wolfish stomach, dragging my touch over his ribs and to the massive pecs that I could’ve fit three of my hands over.
Harkin’s tail swayed faster, his ears drawing back.
“Come here, Kins,” I whispered, holding my hands out.
Harkin sank to one knee so he could rest his wide head in my hands.
I stroked his fur, starting at the sides of his muzzle, between his eyes, and over his ears.
The wolf’s lids fell shut, and he nuzzled into my palm.
He still had his unique aroma, though his werewolf form carried a subtle metallic note.
Pressing my forehead to the top of his, I kept his face in my hands and whispered, “Hey, big guy. I’d really like to talk.”
The fur slowly disappeared, replaced by flesh.
The head grew smaller, limbs morphing to a human.
I stepped back with my hands cupped over my mouth.
It wasn’t instantaneous, like the wolf. Bones shifted, joints snapping into place.
Parts of him melted to form a human nose, human shoulders, and arms. Skin stretched over the smaller human limbs.
Harkin stood naked, his shoulders slumped forward. A strand of hair hung over his eyes, and when he lifted his gaze to mine, they were back to his normal, eerily beautiful, glowing amber. “How the hells did you do that?”
I surged forward, jumping and wrapping my arms around his neck. He caught me with one arm before curling the other around me too. “I’m here now, Harkin, and I promise I won’t leave again.”
Harkin lowered me to the dirt, resting his hands on my waist. “Good, but why’d you leave? It was dangerous. Had no idea where you were and—” His eyes flashed with quartz.
I placed my palm on his chest, keeping our eyes focused on each other. “I’m here. I’m safe. I’ll tell you why, but first—” Pulling his pants from where I’d stuffed them down my own, I held them out to him. “Why don’t you put some pants on and we’ll talk at your place?”
A quirky smile etched Harkin’s lips as he took the trousers. “You took my pants?”
“Yeah. Like I said, we have a lot to talk about.”
He slipped the jeans on, but left the fly undone, letting it hang loosely from his hips.
When we reached Harkin’s place, Kaida and Phelan waited by the hole, playing fetch with Waffles using a small stick. They both laughed and cooed over my dog, but froze and stood at attention when we approached.
Harkin winced at the hole in his home he’d created. “Guess I’ll need to fix that. Thank you both for tryin’, by the way.”
“Had a feeling Aurora was going to have the magic touch,” Phelan said with a snarky smile.
Kaida prodded her elbow into his ribs.
“You two go home,” Harkin ordered.
Kaida and Phelan exchanged perplexed glances.
“Home, Alpha?” Kaida asked.
“I’m sayin’, fuck the council. Aurora is safe on our turf. It’s the others we have to worry about. I’ll handle it if something happens.” Harkin eyed the hole again.
He’d go werewolf on their asses.
Phelan glanced behind him at Harkin’s place and nodded. “Understood.”
“Shirt looks good on you, by the way,” Kaida said to me, smiling.
I tugged at the shirt. “Thank you, by the way.”
“Alright, we’ll get out of here. I’m sure you two have a lot to talk about,” Phelan said.
Boy, did we ever.
Waffles did circles and yipped as Kaida and Phelan left before following us through the hole into Harkin’s loft.
Harkin stared at it with a deep sigh. “Not gonna fix it now, but I need to at least put a tarp up or something.”
“Well, it’s like a moon roof, but in the wall.” I exaggerated by tilting my head to one side.
Harkin smirked. “Mostly worried about the sun.”
I blinked at him. “That’s—” The word actually caught in my throat. “—thoughtful.”
“You sound surprised again.” Harkin hung a hand on the back of his neck.
“Not surprised. Just well—” Nerves stole my words. Fuck, I was bad at this. “—stunned. I am stunned, but only because no one has ever put me first.”
“That’s on them. And that’d never be me, sugar.”
We smiled at each other.
“I’ll be right back.” He held his hands up. “You’re not gonna speed off while I’m gone, right?”
I smacked his arm. “Go.”
The hunger had been gnawing at my stomach for the better part of an hour, but I didn’t want to worry Harkin with it.
Not when we had so much to talk through.
Checking for him, I hurried to the fridge, looking for any bloody meat.
Unfortunately, I only found beer, olives, and a leftover casserole that looked like it was growing mushrooms. I shut the door and retreated to my spot by the couch right as Harkin returned with a hammer, nails between his teeth and a bright blue tarp.
He hung the tarp over the hole, hammering nails into all corners and extras around the perimeter to ensure no light spilled through the cracks. “Ain’t pretty, but it’ll do till I can fix it proper.”
“I sure enjoyed the show, regardless.” I leaned on the couch with my arms folded, a wide grin plastered on my face.
Harkin crossed the room and cupped my elbows with his palms, his calluses rubbing my skin. “Why’d you leave, Rory?”
Sighing, I dragged my knuckles down Harkin’s abs. “I overheard you and the Elder.”
“You heard us? How? You weren’t close enough.”
I tapped my fist against his stomach before lifting my eyes to his. “If I try hard enough, I can hear some things from far away. Much like I can sense more details than most vamps. Especially you.”
“Especially me?”
Nodding, I closed my eyes, inhaling him.
Harkin slid his hand under my chin. “If you’d heard the entire conversation, you would’ve known that I basically told him to suck my cock. So, I’m gonna guess you left before that part?”
My eyes flew open. “What?”
“That’s what I thought.” Harkin chuckled.
“Excuse me, are we going to drift over the fact that you turn into a werewolf?” I pointed at the tarp.
“Yeah. That. It’s a genetic anomaly. There’s only been three instances recorded in our history. I’m the third.” Harkin traced his thumb over my jawline.
“How does it happen? Do you shift into it like your wolf?”
“It’s not a shift as much as a trigger. When I’m extremely angry, or in this case protective. It’s triggered by intense emotion. It’s from an ancient line of shifters who used it as a battle advantage.”
This was fascinating.
“And you can talk in that form.”
Harkin laughed, his cheek pressing to the side of my head, his nose dragging through my hair. “Barely. Don’t think I’ve ever managed more than a four-word sentence.”
“Do female wolves make beds?”
Harkin shot back, coughing and sputtering.
I arched a brow at him. “Something wrong?”
“Sorry.” Harkin cleared his throat and pressed his palms together as if he was praying to a deity for guidance in his answer. “Yeah, but uh, we call it nesting. It’s when they’re, with their mates, they’re preparin’ to uh—”
“For gods’ sake, Harkin, spit it out. We’re all adults here.”
Harkin spread his arms wide. “It’s when they’re gettin’ ready to have a big fuck fest with their mate in hopes of pups.”
“Oh,” I said, my eyes wide. “Very similar to deer, then.”
“Yeah. I mean, it’s not always about pups, but happens regardless.”
I gripped the edge of the couch. “I think I’ve gone into a heat somehow.”
A bulge formed in Harkin’s jeans. He adjusted it. “Seems that way.”
“How—” My stomach twisted, and I gripped it, wincing and groaning.
“Aurora?” Harkin grabbed my shoulders.
“I’m fine.” The pain intensified, making me nauseous.
I wasn’t fine.
“You’re not fine. Let me get you some food.” Harkin turned for the door, paused, shook his head, then strode back. “Actually, fuck that. Rory—”
Still grabbing my stomach, I looked at him to finish his sentence.
He squatted in front of me, grabbing my knees. “Drink from me.”