Winter Wolf(53)

Katalina explored the house before heading toward Bass. There was nothing but him in her focus. His scent filled her nose while his heat warmed her fur. Their connection pumped through her blood, a wild beautiful thing.

“Hello, my gorgeous winter wolf,” Bass murmured softly, pressing a kiss to her head. “Someday soon, we are going to run together again.”

His words conjured up an image: the night of her first change. She could almost touch the memory, feel the wind in her fur, the scents all around her. Images of Bass tumbled across her mind. Her shadow wolf, dangerous and beautiful, fierce and loving, he was everything to her wolf, the purpose of her being. And then she remembered the first time she’d seen him, but it wasn’t a wolf memory rather a human one. The change came naturally as if shaking off a coat.

“You knew, didn’t you? The first day we met, you knew who I was to you.”

A glint in his eyes and the smile on his face did funny things to her heart. “Of course I did.”

“Why did you know and I didn’t?”

“I think you did really, deep down in the part of you locked away.”

She remembered how she felt the moment he left, the hollowness, and the sudden, desperate urge to follow him.

“You acted so cool, so indifferent. You intrigue me, Katalina Winter.” She laughed at her attempt to mimic him.

“You do intrigue me.”

“I hope it’s a little more than that?”

“Oh, so much more,” he said, his voice a rough caress as his eyes heated with desire.

Remembering she was naked, Katalina became self-conscious. She looked down at herself, crouched by his legs, just as her wolf had. Her wolf took over once more.

“No fair,” Bass whined, but the cheeky smile on his face gave him away.

Katalina nipped at him and gave him a playful growl, before running off to her bedroom. She returned minutes later, dressed and feeling a little less crazy.

“Better?”

“Yes.”

“Good, because I hear a car coming.”

Katalina angled her head to listen, and sure enough, she heard the distant purr of an engine, and the crunch of gravel as the car turned into her drive.

She let out a long, low breath, shaking her hands before facing the door.

“Kat, you look like you're about to announce to your grandmother that you’re pregnant, or running away. Go do something.”

She shook her head, smiling at herself. “I think I may have damaged my head in that accident.” She headed into the kitchen to put on the kettle.

“Wonderful, I get to live with a brain-damaged mate for the rest of my life.” His laugh rumbled toward her.

“You can’t talk. You don’t even live in the real world!”

“Tell me, Katalina, what is it you do in this ‘real world’?”

“You know, lots of things, Facebook, Twitter, see a movie.”

“I saw a movie once.”

Katalina came out of the kitchen, a look of disbelief on her face. “Once?”

“Yes, once, when I was a child, with my grandmother.”

Katalina shook her head sadly. “I’m afraid there is no hope for you.”

“I’d like to see this ‘real world’, Katalina. Will you show me?”

“It would be my pleasure, but you must show me how you disappear into the shadows.”

He laughed at her. “I don’t disappear, Kat. I’m just camouflaging myself. You may find it difficult with white fur…” His sentence trailed off as the door opened.

“Gram, I just put on the kettle. Do you want one?” Katalina called, heading back into the kitchen.

“That would be wonderful, darling.”





Chapter 20



As night fell and her grandmother remaining unsuspecting, Katalina wondered what she’d been so worried about.

“Well, dear, I’m going to bed.”

“Me too, night, Kat.” Bass kissed her on the cheek before getting to his feet and walking off to the room. She knew he wouldn’t spend the night in there, even though she’d told him to not sneak about injured.

“Night.” Katalina gathered the mugs and took them into the kitchen.

Arne whined and scratched at the door.

“Hold on, boy. Let me wash these,” Katalina called from the kitchen.

“I’ll let him out, Kat,” her grandmother replied.

Katalina turned on the tap. She heard the sound of the lock turning and Arne’s paws as he bounded over the wooden porch, followed by his bark as he chased whatever prey he’d found.

She switched the tap off.

Silence.

Her feet were moving before her wolf senses kicked in, but she knew, even before she saw; Jackson had come for her.

Her grandmother stood in shocked silence, her back pressed against the wall. Jackson’s eyes locked with hers. She was expecting terror, or even the slightest linger of fear, but all she felt was pure, white-hot rage.