Waking the Beast(45)

“It’s just Jess, Tah,” she told him, reaching a hand out to rub his chest. “You don’t have to worry about me.”

“I think he’s more worried about me, sugar,” the man said as he eased back toward the porch, where the woman was heading toward them.

Tah could feel his lips peeling away to reveal his canines as he continued to growl, making a point of staying between Abby and the man.

“Abby, this is my husband, Derrick.” Jess stepped next to Derrick and took his hand. Tah watched as Derrick pulled Jess close to his side.

“He’s fine, Abby. You can trust him.” Jess assured them.

“Did you hear Jess, Tah? You can trust him.” Abby’s eyes beseeched him to listen, and he was trying. But there was just something about Derrick that rubbed him the wrong way. His scent was off.

“It’s okay, ladies. Cats and dogs have been fighting for years,” Derrick offered with another laugh. “It’s going to take some time for the two of us to warm up to one another.”

“Cats and dogs?” Logan asked as he walked up to stand next to Abby and Tah. “I’m not sure I’m ready to hear the rest of this conversation. Not yet anyway.”

Derrick grinned. “Come on in. We’ll show you to your rooms and let you get settled before we talk.” His eyes seemed to size Tah up before he continued. “I think you got here just in time.”

Abby started up the steps, and Tah stayed right with her. He couldn’t help the way he positioned himself between her and Derrick. It was an instinct he couldn’t stop. The growl was in his chest as they passed the couple, and Derrick laughed again.

“Calm down there, pussycat. I’m not your enemy here. Hell, I might just be the only one who can help you.”

“How do you figure that?” Tah stopped and glanced back at Derrick.

“No time like the present, huh,” he said as he turned to kiss Jess on the lips. “I’ll just go for a quick run and be back soon.” He was tugging his clothes off as he moved away from them.#p#分页标题#e#

“What the fuck?” Tah said, trying to turn Abby away from the man.

“Stop.” She slapped at his hands, and the only thing that kept him sane was that he knew she wasn’t lusting after the man stripped down to his underwear in front of them. She was curious.

“I love that underwear,” Jess yelled just before the whole world shifted out from under Tah’s feet.

One minute the other man was standing there laughing, and the next he was gone and there was a full grown grey wolf where he had been. The wolf turned and looked at them, and Tah swore it still held Derrick’s grin.

Want to play tag?

What the fuck? Derrick’s voice filled Tah’s head as the wolf pranced then took off. Tah could hear Logan sputtering beside him as much in shock as Tah was. And Tah was pretty sure only he had heard the voice after Derrick changed into a wolf.

Abby glanced over at Jess with a smile. “I see you found your wolves.”

He knew at this point he should be more like Abby. She’d pretty much convinced him he had a lion inside. But hearing it and starting to accept it was a hell of a lot different from watching someone shift. Holy fuck!

Tah took it all in. His heartbeat was going crazy. He swore his muscles were burning as that presence inside fought him again, trying to take control and force him to do what it wanted. But Tah couldn’t let go.

“Tah?” Abby’s voice was panicked and seemed to come from a very long way away.

His vision started to blur, and he heard Logan swear as the ground swung up to meet him.





Chapter Eleven





From the journal of Abby Lane





I went back to the bar tonight just to see Utah. I managed to force myself to stay away for three nights. They were the longest three nights of my life. I swear I started going through withdrawal from him, and how obsessive does that make me?

I felt his eyes on me as soon as I walked in. I walked straight to my table on shaky legs, and I was seriously afraid my heart was going to beat out of my chest. I swear Utah was there almost before I was. He took my bag while I slid into the seat.

He was sick the other night when he was gone and asked if I had caught the bug that seemed to be going around. I laughed and told him I did, and even flirted a bit saying I must have picked it up from him.

He laughed with me and chatted. I felt like we were friends, like maybe for the first time since I’d walked in here, he knew who I was. And he said he’d missed seeing my smiling face. He missed me. So much for getting over my obsession.

Still, I think I floated home tonight. He’d noticed I was gone, and he said he missed me. I’m not sure my feet will ever touch the earth again.