[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
uncertainty.
We were just about to leave, Richard said,
walking around the counter and putting a
reassuring arm over her shoulders.
So soon?
Devon seems to think tonight is when he ll
strike again.
Devon s the police officer? she asked, knowing
full well who he spoke of.
Yeah.
Come on, bro. Night is fast coming. Max kissed
his wife and winked at Kate when he walked by.
Be careful, Kate whispered when he drew her
close.
His lips met hers with such tenderness,
moisture gathered behind her lids. It felt like
goodbye. She d been in tears for one reason or
another ever since they met. More would come. Of
146
Embracing the Wolf
that, there was no doubt.
We ll talk in the morning, he said when he
pulled away.
Kate nodded. Her heart ached. Be safe.
They walked out together in the direction of the
garage.
Janet turned to her and said, How about a
movie?
Kate shook her head. You don t have to
entertain me. Brandy is sleeping.
So.
Please, I remember what it was like with a
newborn. You re exhausted, tired and did I say
exhausted?
They both laughed.
Go to bed, Janet. Brandy will be crying for food
in a couple of hours. I can help with the changing,
but you re in charge of the milk department.
Are you sure? Janet asked, obviously torn.
I insist. Joey is already asleep, and Richard is
gone for the night. I ll watch the news and hit the
hay myself.
But I...
But nothing. Kate turned Janet s shoulders in
the direction of the stairs and gave a little shove.
Bed!
****
The florescent lights of the garage flickered on.
Neither of them moved toward any of the parked
cars.
It won t be long now, Max told him.
I can feel it.
Max patted his back, smiled, and said, You ve
done the right thing. We ll catch this bastard
tonight. Between the two of us, he doesn t stand a
chance.
I hope you re right.
I am.
Richard felt his heart accelerate, his vision
147
Catherine Bybee
sharpened. Max...
Yeah?
His breath came in pants. Bones shifted. I m
going to ask Kate to marry me. It was a confession
and a distraction. Anything to get his mind off the
unknown.
Max smiled, shook his head. About time.
Yeah. I think so, too.
All of a sudden, the air thinned, and breathing
became a chore. As if completely intoxicated,
Richard hit the floor at the same time Max did. The
inability to stand erect tossed all of his equilibrium
out the door. Gelatinous arms and legs shimmered
under his skin. His mouth opened to yell but no
voice came from his vocal cords. Instead, a howl
started at the bottom of his morphing lungs and
found its way out. Popping, stretching and pain
exploded while teeth elongated and ears came
forward. The pain was brief, and replaced with a
need to shake.
On four legs, Richard s head seemed to spin
while his body adjusted to the change. Although the
level of his sight was lower, his senses made up for
the loss. None of the new abilities he had
experienced since Max bit him compared to the
change. Where he heard the snapping of a twig from
a running bunny, he now heard the fast flutter of the
hare s heart. The fear he smelled from Kate was
enhanced ten fold. He wondered if it was Kate he
smelled now, or the scent of others in neighboring
homes.
Richard glanced at Max, and opened his mouth
to talk. He barked. Max shook his head, mouth
pulled back in what looked like a grin.
Ass, he thought. He s laughing at me. Richard s
bark turned into a growl, but the hair on his back
was down.
I heard that. Max s voice echoed in his head.
What the...
148
Embracing the Wolf
Oh, didn t I tell you? Max s wolfish grin grew
bigger. Telepathy is alive and well. In this form, we
can talk to our kind. Hear the thoughts of those like
us.
Damn! That must be a bitch when you re on a
hunt with Dad. Richard shook out a leg, surprised
how normal it felt.
Oh, Bro... You just wait. You haven t seen
anything yet!
Max nodded toward the door of the garage and
started walking.
The desire to take off in a run was
overwhelming. Without words, Max yipped and took
off in a sprint. Richard followed his lead.
****
Kate stretched her arms over her head and
settled into the large couch then grabbed one of the
many remotes on the coffee table. She pressed the
red on button and the TV came to life. The satellite
system required a second remote to operate the
channels so Kate picked up another gadget thinking
it was the right one. Instead of turning on the
satellite, the bank of monitors Richard had shown
her on her first day in the Ritter home swiveled into
view. Each flickered on until Kate saw no less than
twelve different views of the estate. The baby s
sleeping face brought a smile to Kate s. She saw
James sitting in his room reading. Even the pool
glistened as the last rays of sun stretched across its
surface.
Movement from the monitor of the garage
caught her attention. Richard stood with Max in
deep conversation. Although Kate couldn t hear the
words said, she still felt as if she were
eavesdropping. Her finger hovered over the button of
the remote to turn off the monitors when Richard
fell to the floor.
Kate jumped to her feet, ready to run to his aid
when she noticed his body start to change.
149
Catherine Bybee
Eyes wide, she saw movement from under the
skin of his face. Hair grew over his arms, arms that
shrank before her eyes.
Kate closed her eyes, rubbed them, then forced
them open again. Richard still thrashed on the
ground. The same changes were happening to Max.
Oh my, God, she choked out.
Fear coursed through her. Every hair on her
body stood on end. She couldn t breath. She opened [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl rafalstec.xlx.pl
uncertainty.
We were just about to leave, Richard said,
walking around the counter and putting a
reassuring arm over her shoulders.
So soon?
Devon seems to think tonight is when he ll
strike again.
Devon s the police officer? she asked, knowing
full well who he spoke of.
Yeah.
Come on, bro. Night is fast coming. Max kissed
his wife and winked at Kate when he walked by.
Be careful, Kate whispered when he drew her
close.
His lips met hers with such tenderness,
moisture gathered behind her lids. It felt like
goodbye. She d been in tears for one reason or
another ever since they met. More would come. Of
146
Embracing the Wolf
that, there was no doubt.
We ll talk in the morning, he said when he
pulled away.
Kate nodded. Her heart ached. Be safe.
They walked out together in the direction of the
garage.
Janet turned to her and said, How about a
movie?
Kate shook her head. You don t have to
entertain me. Brandy is sleeping.
So.
Please, I remember what it was like with a
newborn. You re exhausted, tired and did I say
exhausted?
They both laughed.
Go to bed, Janet. Brandy will be crying for food
in a couple of hours. I can help with the changing,
but you re in charge of the milk department.
Are you sure? Janet asked, obviously torn.
I insist. Joey is already asleep, and Richard is
gone for the night. I ll watch the news and hit the
hay myself.
But I...
But nothing. Kate turned Janet s shoulders in
the direction of the stairs and gave a little shove.
Bed!
****
The florescent lights of the garage flickered on.
Neither of them moved toward any of the parked
cars.
It won t be long now, Max told him.
I can feel it.
Max patted his back, smiled, and said, You ve
done the right thing. We ll catch this bastard
tonight. Between the two of us, he doesn t stand a
chance.
I hope you re right.
I am.
Richard felt his heart accelerate, his vision
147
Catherine Bybee
sharpened. Max...
Yeah?
His breath came in pants. Bones shifted. I m
going to ask Kate to marry me. It was a confession
and a distraction. Anything to get his mind off the
unknown.
Max smiled, shook his head. About time.
Yeah. I think so, too.
All of a sudden, the air thinned, and breathing
became a chore. As if completely intoxicated,
Richard hit the floor at the same time Max did. The
inability to stand erect tossed all of his equilibrium
out the door. Gelatinous arms and legs shimmered
under his skin. His mouth opened to yell but no
voice came from his vocal cords. Instead, a howl
started at the bottom of his morphing lungs and
found its way out. Popping, stretching and pain
exploded while teeth elongated and ears came
forward. The pain was brief, and replaced with a
need to shake.
On four legs, Richard s head seemed to spin
while his body adjusted to the change. Although the
level of his sight was lower, his senses made up for
the loss. None of the new abilities he had
experienced since Max bit him compared to the
change. Where he heard the snapping of a twig from
a running bunny, he now heard the fast flutter of the
hare s heart. The fear he smelled from Kate was
enhanced ten fold. He wondered if it was Kate he
smelled now, or the scent of others in neighboring
homes.
Richard glanced at Max, and opened his mouth
to talk. He barked. Max shook his head, mouth
pulled back in what looked like a grin.
Ass, he thought. He s laughing at me. Richard s
bark turned into a growl, but the hair on his back
was down.
I heard that. Max s voice echoed in his head.
What the...
148
Embracing the Wolf
Oh, didn t I tell you? Max s wolfish grin grew
bigger. Telepathy is alive and well. In this form, we
can talk to our kind. Hear the thoughts of those like
us.
Damn! That must be a bitch when you re on a
hunt with Dad. Richard shook out a leg, surprised
how normal it felt.
Oh, Bro... You just wait. You haven t seen
anything yet!
Max nodded toward the door of the garage and
started walking.
The desire to take off in a run was
overwhelming. Without words, Max yipped and took
off in a sprint. Richard followed his lead.
****
Kate stretched her arms over her head and
settled into the large couch then grabbed one of the
many remotes on the coffee table. She pressed the
red on button and the TV came to life. The satellite
system required a second remote to operate the
channels so Kate picked up another gadget thinking
it was the right one. Instead of turning on the
satellite, the bank of monitors Richard had shown
her on her first day in the Ritter home swiveled into
view. Each flickered on until Kate saw no less than
twelve different views of the estate. The baby s
sleeping face brought a smile to Kate s. She saw
James sitting in his room reading. Even the pool
glistened as the last rays of sun stretched across its
surface.
Movement from the monitor of the garage
caught her attention. Richard stood with Max in
deep conversation. Although Kate couldn t hear the
words said, she still felt as if she were
eavesdropping. Her finger hovered over the button of
the remote to turn off the monitors when Richard
fell to the floor.
Kate jumped to her feet, ready to run to his aid
when she noticed his body start to change.
149
Catherine Bybee
Eyes wide, she saw movement from under the
skin of his face. Hair grew over his arms, arms that
shrank before her eyes.
Kate closed her eyes, rubbed them, then forced
them open again. Richard still thrashed on the
ground. The same changes were happening to Max.
Oh my, God, she choked out.
Fear coursed through her. Every hair on her
body stood on end. She couldn t breath. She opened [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]