Changeling 02 - The Dangers Of Adopting A Werewolf Read online

  The Dangers Of Adopting A Werewolf

  (Changeling Encounters)

  By J. S. Scott

  Copyright© 2012 by J.S. Scott

  All Rights Reserved

  If this had happened to one of Rafe Lancaster’s brothers, he knew he would be laughing his ass off at his sibling’s stupidity. Unfortunately…it was happening to him, and he didn’t find it the least bit amusing.

  Getting caught outside in the daylight was an asinine thing to do and he knew it. He was three hundred and fifty years old and he had never gotten caught in the open during daylight hours. It was a stupid young changeling error, a taboo that he had been taught as a child.

  He was a damn defenseless pup right now. Literally! He’d shrunk himself into the smallest version of his wolf self as possible, hoping to hide himself from the hunters that were way too keen to fill his wolf hide full of bullet holes.

  With a last burst of energy the small, white, fluffy wolf pup scampered to a pile of brush, trying desperately to bury himself in the mound of leaves and branches that had fallen to the ground from a dying tree. He couldn’t quite make it. His small body wriggled, but his rear legs were exposed, leaving him vulnerable and not quite completely hidden.

  Get out of the sunlight. Get out of the sunlight.

  Rafe’s energy and magic were beyond waning. He was empty. The sun taxed his strength and his magic was gone. He was barely able to function during the day even when he was out of the sun. In the sun…he was simply…toast.

  I should have headed back earlier. I knew I was pushing it.

  He had pushed his nightly run, restless and edgy; he needed the exercise and the freedom of running in his wolf form. The woods were usually silent and unoccupied. When he had been spotted by some early morning hunters, they had tracked him ruthlessly. This area wasn’t occupied by wolves and the thrill of finding unusual prey had prompted them to chase him on their ATV’s. Rafe could have outrun them, made it back to his house before they caught him…had he not taken a bullet that grazed his flank and left him wounded. The site was still bleeding, but the size of the graze shrank as he shrunk his size and he had been able to stop some of the damage. Still, it had slowed him down and left him scrambling for cover.

  He was barely conscious, but he heard the approaching footsteps. They were light, but there was no mistaking the crush of leaves and foliage as feet fell on the hard dirt of the wooded area. The hunters? Or someone, or something else?!

  He heard a cry, feminine if he wasn’t mistaken, of dismay and horror as the leaves and branches were lifted from his body.

  Noooo. Don’t expose me to the sun. Go away.

  “A puppy,” the soft, feminine voice exclaimed.

  Put me back. Cover me.

  “You’re hurt,” she cooed as she ran her hand over the red patch on his flank. “And cold”

  He knew he was shivering from weakness. If he would have been in human form he would have sighed as she tucked him into a warm jacket. It was warm from her body heat and blessedly dark.

  He felt the lithe female form that cuddled him under her jacket move quickly. He wasn’t sure where he was going, but he sure as hell hoped it was someplace dark…or at least out of the direct sunlight.

  She was running. Rafe could feel the jolt of every pounding step as she sprinted quickly along the rough, dirt path. His mind was muddled, but he knew she was fast, eating up ground at a rapid pace.

  He curled closer to her body, hiding himself in the darkness inside of her fleece lined jacket. She smelled so good he wasn’t sure he really cared where she was taking him. He would gladly recover right here next to her warm, fragrant body. He felt drunk from her scent and squirmed so that he could wallow in it.

  “It’s okay, puppy. I’ve got you. We’re home,” he heard her reassure him breathlessly as a door opened quickly and slammed closed behind her.

  He felt her hand reach into her jacket and pull his small body out, cradling it against her breasts, her hands smoothing over his fur.

  Okay…maybe I could happily die right here. Being pressed against this woman’s soft breasts is a hell of a lot better than frying to death in the woods. Her soothing hands aren’t bad either.

  Rafe slowly opened his eyes, realizing they were inside a house that had blinds covering the windows and doors. No direct sunlight. Maybe I’m not going to die today.

  He wanted to morph back into human form, but he didn’t have the strength. He had gotten too depleted and hadn’t yet gained back enough energy to shift.

  The compassionate female laid him on the sofa and covered him with a soft blanket.

  “Should I take you to the vet in town?” she mused quietly.

  No. Absolutely not! Don’t even think about it. I’d never survive the car ride. Stay here. Rafe tried to push the thought into her mind. He whined pathetically, trying to convince her.

  She laughed a soft, feminine sound that delighted him. “Oh…you don’t like that idea, huh?”

  Nope. It’s a very bad idea. Horrible idea! You’d end up with one fried wolf pup.

  Rafe knew she couldn’t really hear him, but hopefully she was sensitive enough to pick up his signals.

  He watched as she went to pick up her phone and dialed what he assumed was the vet’s office. He heard enough of the conversation to deduce that the vet wasn’t in the office today. Thank God!

  She hung up the phone as she turned back to him with a sigh. “I guess you’re stuck with my nursing care until tomorrow, little one.”

  Rafe could live with that.

  Well…he thought he could anyway…until she started cleaning the wound. Shit…what was she doing…trying to kill him? Whatever she was using burned like the fires of hell.

  “Shhh…it’s okay. My dog King didn’t like it either, but you don’t want an infection,” she whispered to him in a comforting tone as she continued to torture him. “He died two months ago.”

  Rafe hoped it wasn’t from her nursing care. Whatever she was doing hurt like the very devil.

  “He was a German Shepherd and my best companion for fourteen years. I had to put him down.” Her voice was solemn and Rafe thought he saw tears glistening in her eyes.

  Obviously, not her nursing care. Her dog had lived to a pretty ripe old age for a German Shepherd.

  She was pretty, he realized, as he looked up at her face now that she was close enough to see her and his mind was clearing. Her auburn hair was cut in a curly, short style that framed a heart-shaped face. Big, kind brown eyes were fringed with long lashes that swept her checks every time she blinked and made her eyes look even larger than they already appeared in her heart-shaped face.

  “There. All done, you did great” she commented as she stroked his fur as though she was treating a child. He wondered if he’d get some stickers or a lollipop for being such a good boy.

  “Let’s see if you’re a little boy or little girl.” She turned him on his back and Rafe had to suffer the indignity of her staring at his puppy genitals.

  “Oh…you have a little wee wee. Definitely a boy” she commented as she rolled him back over on his side and covered him again with the blanket.

  Rafe bristled, insulted at that comment.

  Lady, my wee wee definitely isn’t little. Just let me get some strength back and shift back to human form. I’ll show just how big my wee wee can get.

  He let out a little doggie woof of irritation as he snuggled under the blanket, burying his head.

  He was wiped out. His brain was functioning but his strength and magic were drained. With a puppy yawn Rafe closed his eyes, feeling safe in this woman’s care. He must be exhau
sted because he usually trusted no one but his brothers. He wished he could call to them…but he didn’t have the power at the moment. He had three brothers, but Noah had recently found his mate Grace and they were currently in the Caribbean on their honeymoon.

  The lucky bastard!

  Twins, he and Gavin were the oldest. Noah was fifty years younger and had managed to find his mate. Rafe was happy for him, but he wondered if he would ever find the one that was made for him. Since Noah had found his mate, Rafe had been restless, seeing what he was missing from not having a mate of his own. He tried to fight the loneliness by running wild in his wolf form. In human form…he was edgy and agitated. Truth be told, that had actually started long before Noah had found Grace, but it just amplified it when he watched the two of them together. For a wolf changeling, finding your mate was the ultimate happiness, the start of a new life. Rafe wanted nothing more than to find that sort of happiness.

  He fell asleep, letting the darkness take him and waiting for night to fall.

  *****

  Zoey Hall cocked her head as she looked at the large blanket that encompassed the adorable, white puppy. She absolutely, positively did not want another dog. Losing her last one had nearly killed her.

  But…he was the cutest little thing. She kept trying to place what breed he might be, but she couldn’t quite identify him. He almost looked like a wolf hybrid. He had the wolf build and features, but there were no wolves in this part of the country. Maybe someone had bred pups and dumped him.

  He was going to be a beautiful adult dog with that pure white coat, stunning features and intelligent blue eyes. If those large paws were any indication, he was also going to be massive.

  Don’t even think about it, Zoey. You moved here to escape your losses. You don’t need to get attached.

  She had lost her sister a year and half ago from a car accident and her fiancé six months after that because she couldn’t shake her depression from her sister’s sudden demise and he didn’t want to be with her anymore. Even her beloved King had left her from old age two months ago.

  She had moved to this isolated area a month ago to get away from the pain, not to end up attached to something else that would break her heart.

  She turned her back on the puppy, determined to get some work done. She had risen early to work on her illustrations for a commission and she needed to get to work.

  She grabbed a cup of coffee from the kitchen and went to her studio, a bedroom that had been turned into a work room. Opening the blinds in the studio, she let the sunlight pour in, brightening the room. Zoey almost resented it. Darkness fit her gloomy mood, but she needed the light to work. She picked up her tablet and started to sketch. After ten minutes, she looked down at her work in frustration. The children’s book she was illustrating did not include an adorable puppy. Crap! Unconsciously, she had sketched the pup on her couch, intrigued by the way it pulled at her heart strings.

  Zoey tore off the page, angry at herself for not concentrating. She had thought the move to this quiet, unpopulated area would give her some peace, but she was just as edgy, just as unfocused.

  Determined to accomplish what she had set out to do today, Zoey shoved the drawing under her tablet and set to work on ducklings and children. She would complete this book if it killed her.

  Taking a gulp of her coffee…she set to work with firm resolve. She had to get out of her slump or her career and reputation as a sought after illustrator would be in tatters.

  She worked until the sun set, never leaving her chair except to pee, get more coffee and occasionally giving in to the urge to check on her canine guest.

  *****

  Rafe woke just as the sun descended, the flaming globe meeting the ground and disappearing, sending the wooded land into twilight. It took him several minutes to acclimate, wondering why he wasn’t in his soft, king size bed that accommodated his long limbs and heavily muscled body. He usually woke up bare ass naked because that’s the way he went to sleep. He was still dressed in jeans and a t-shirt.

  Just as Rafe was remembering his early morning near-death experience, he took a deep breath…and froze. His heart accelerating, he threw aside the blanket that had warmed his tiny, pup sized body and sat up. His injury was gone, healing as he slept and regained his strength and magic.

  The blanket, the couch, every molecule in the air smelled like her.

  My mate!

  He sniffed several more long breaths, absorbing the fragrance into his body. His cock was rock hard immediately and his mating instinct came alive with a vengeance, his acute sense of smell screaming at him that he had found her. His savior was also his chosen one. As a pup he had been delirious when he was wrapped in her scent, but in human form he knew it for what it was…a scent so delicious that it was irresistible. The smell of the woman he was meant to be united with, a sweet bouquet that was so seductive that he nearly lost his mind.

  Adrenaline rushed through his body as he sprang from the couch, looking for his mark, his instincts to conquer and master her nearly overtaking his reason.

  Think, idiot. This is your one chance for a mate. Don’t scare the hell out of her.

  Rafe tried desperately to bludgeon down his feral instincts. He knew he wouldn’t win her by terrifying her. He must have just morphed to human form before waking. She didn’t even know what or who he was yet.

  He heard a terrified cry just as he began to search for her.

  His blue-eyed stare narrowed, sweeping over her body before meeting her frightened brown gaze.

  He saw her assessing him, knowing she felt the pull of desire for her mate, even in her terrified state. Her lips parted as she fought for air, her body reacting as her mind fought for reason. She had been coming from a hallway that he assumed led to the bedrooms and bathroom and her body started backing up the way she had came.

  “Don’t be afraid,” he tried to gentle his voice even as he fought the instinct to pounce on her.

  “Get out of my house,” her voice was trembling as her eyes darted to the phone, probably assessing how difficult it would be to call for help.

  “I’m not here to hurt you,” he couldn’t help moving slightly toward her. Her very presence enticed him in a way he couldn’t control.

  Her eyes shot to the couch. “Where is my puppy? What did you do to him” Her voice was stronger as she looked desperately for his wolf form, her protective instincts overcoming some of her fear.

  How could he tell her that he was her puppy? The adorable wolf pup had become the big bad wolf in human form.

  His lips curved into a smile from watching her protective instincts as she rushed around, trying desperately to find her defenseless pup. She ignored him as she rushed to the kitchen and then searched behind the chairs and couches. When she came within touching distance he reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her against him.

  He closed his eyes and groaned as the warmth of her body seeped into his. He was blindsided by longing and he grasped her by the shoulders, forcing her to meet his eyes. She looked up at him with a mixture of fear, anger and a touch of desire, her eyes brimming with tumultuous emotions.

  “What’s your name?” He had to know.

  “Zoey, Zoey Hall” she answered as she tried to pull away from his body.

  The name suited her, he thought, as he smiled, trying to calm her. “I’m Rafferty Lancaster. Rafe” He fingered her silky, fine curls as he continued. “I am your puppy, Zoey”

  She was gaping, giving him an astonished, disbelieving look. “That has to be the most ridiculous things I’ve ever heard” she scoffed, looking at him like he was mentally unbalanced as she finished, “And you actually think you’re one of the Lancaster brothers?”

  He wasn’t surprised that she knew who the Lancaster brothers were. Most people did. They were all multi millionaires and lived in the same general vicinity. “Sweetheart…I am one of the Lancasters and I am your puppy.”

  He knew she needed proof before they were going to ge
t anywhere…and he needed to get somewhere very soon. He backed up and shifted himself into the smallest form of his wolf, the tiny pup that she had nursed for most of the day. He trotted to her and licked delicately at her ankle.

  She shot backward so fast she landed on her ass.

  Since she was safely on the ground he changed into his normal wolf form…a full sized white timber wolf.

  “Oh, shit” she murmured, scooting backwards on her butt, her jean-clad ass probably getting friction burns as she tried to move away from him.

  He gave her a moment for the truth to sink in before he changed back into human form.

  “This. Is. Not. Happening” She was shaking her head as though she was in a bad dream.

  Rafe crouched down beside her. “Zoey, I’m a changeling.” He cupped her pale face in his hands. “And you’re my mate.”

  Tears flowed from her eyes in confusion. Rafe’s heart cried out for him to sooth her. As her mate…it was his compulsion…his need. Her pain and confusion was also his.

  Before he could contain himself his mouth covered hers and his mating instinct consumed him totally and completely.

  *****

  Her heart was pounding out of her chest as his mouth took hers. She was swamped with emotions that covered everything from fear to desire.

  A changeling? A werewolf? They were mythological creatures, not something that existed in the real world.

  What was real was the passion and desire in his kiss. His arms closed around her as his mouth devoured hers with a heady power that made her nipples harden to pebbles and her core twitch.

  She didn’t understand what was happening to her. Rafe made her insane with a need she had never experienced and it was both terrifying and erotic.

  His tongue entwined with hers as he shifted positions so that he was pinning her to the floor. She savored his weight as her arms came around his neck, her hands buried in his light blonde hair.

  He broke their kiss. “Christ! Zoey, I need you.” His voice was coming in pants, his hot breath hitting her ear as his hand slipped under her t-shirt to palm her breast. She wasn’t wearing a bra and his palm made direct contact with her breast, teasing and pinching her nipple roughly.