Ella
“How are you feeling?” Sinclair asks, standing in the doorway of my bedroom. The wild hunt is tonight, and I know he’s not merely asking about my morning sickness or fatigue.
“Nervous.” I confess. “Do you think…” I trail off, blushing and unsure if I can actually speak the question I need to ask.
“What is it Ella?” He inquires, coming forward with an encouraging smile.
“Do you think I could see your wolf before we go tonight, just so that I’ll recognize it when I see you?” I whisper, barely loud enough to hear myself, but knowing Sinclair’s wolf ears will be more than capable of picking up on the sound. And so I won’t be scared. I add silently in my head.
“Of course.” He chuckles, “That’s a great idea. I should have thought of it myself.”
His powerful hands move to the buttons on his shirt, and I find myself taking a step back. “What are you doing?”
“You wanted to see my wolf, I don’t want to ruin this shirt.” He shrugs. “It’s one of my favorites.”
“Right.” I breathe, “Right, of course.”
He continues stripping off his clothes, and I work hard to avert my gaze. So far I’ve been very successful in avoiding temptation by not looking at his body in these vulnerable moments, and I’m not about to change that now – on the day when it’s more important than ever that we practice self control.
“Does it hurt, shifting?” I ask, staring at my fidgeting fingers.
“It does the first time.” Sinclair shares, “The first time is almost unbearable, it takes hours and hours, but once you’ve gotten it over with it happens fast as lightning, too quickly for you to feel the pain of your bones breaking and rearranging.”
“That sounds ghastly.” I feel suddenly lightheaded, “How old are you when you shift the first time?”
“It’s a little different for everyone – most make the change when they go through puberty.” Sinclair informs me, pulling off his trousers.
Already I’m thinking of my baby – my son – eventually suffering through this sort of grisly shift, and I don’t like it one bit. “What was yours like, was anyone with you?” I squeak.
“Mine was as painful as anyone else’s. But my father was with me, he got me through it, just like I’ll do for our son.” He states, a promise in his voice.
“Good.” I sigh, feeling relieved to know Sinclair will help guide our child through the process. I can imagine Henry was a very gentle and supportive presence for Sinclair, and I know he’ll be the same. “I suppose… I probably wouldn’t be allowed to help?”
Sinclair offers me a tender smile. “No sweet Ella. I’m afraid it would be much too dangerous.” He comes forward, taking my face in his oversized hands. This is probably the first time he’s ever been unclothed when I’m not, and I’m amazed at how much stronger I feel with my own body covered. I never realized until now how vulnerable it is to be undressed and exposed when others are not, but Sinclair doesn’t seem to mind one bit. He’s still wielding the power in this room, and part of me resents his constant strength. “Now, do you want to talk, or do you want to meet my wolf?”
“Yes, sorry.” I flush.
“Don’t apologize.” He murmurs, “and don’t get close to me until after I’ve shifted, you don’t want to be within reach of my claws when I make the transformation.”
I nod wordlessly, my pulse pounding in anticipation. Sinclair backs away from me, holding my gaze the same way he did last night at the stone circle. I keep my eyes on him, watching with horrified fascination as he ensures he’s not near anything breakable, then disappears. There’s a loud crack and the air seems to go blurry, I even feel a bit nauseous trying to keep track of the rapid movement. However when my eyes adjust and I’m able to take in the familiar room again, I see that where Sinclair was standing a moment before, now there is only a huge, black wolf with glowing green eyes.
I’m sure my eyes are as wide as saucers, and I feel my jaw going slack. “That’s not a wolf that’s a bear!” I blurt out, saying the first thought which came to my mind.
The wolf, who is much, much too large – far larger than any natural wolf and probably almost as tall as I am – gives me an affronted look, as if I’ve insulted him gravely.
“I’m sorry, not a bear!” I quickly amend, still trying to reconcile the fact that the beast in front of me is actually the man who spends every night wrapped around me like a very muscular heated blanket. “But how are you bigger as a wolf than you are as a man!”
He huffs and rolls his eyes, sitting on the rug and waiting patiently for me to recover from my shock.
“I mean honestly, I could ride you.” I point out, my head filled with images of me mounted on his back like a particularly deadly variety of horse.
Suddenly Sinclair’s expression goes so mischievous and heated that I don’t need to hear him speak. I know exactly what he’s thinking and his mind is clearly in the gutter. “Not like that! You know what I mean.” I’m amazed that anyone could manage to be so suggestive without speaking a word, or even possessing human features. “I… what do I do, how do you communicate with other wolves when you’re like this. Do you have mental links like you do with the baby?”
He nods, wagging his tail and astonishing me. I never imagined that the imposing Alpha would ever do something so very doglike, but then again his silly side always surprises me. Suddenly it seems positively hilarious that Dominic Sinclair is sitting in front of me with the squirmy energy of a puppy, and I realize that he’s holding himself back from approaching me until I’m comfortable with this.
“Can – Can I touch you?” I inquire meekly.
The furry behemoth nods again, and though I don’t know how I understand his reasoning, I know he’s waiting for me to come to him. It takes a minute for me to find the courage to move my leadened feet, but I manage. I slowly cross the room, feeling terribly anxious to be approaching a creature out of the horror stories I grew up fearing, even though I know it’s just Sinclair.
Up close he’s even larger than I realized, still taller than me even seated. He looks as though he could snap me up in one bite, and my mind spins with mathematical equations, trying desperately to figure out how his mass increased so much. It defies logic.
You’re overthinking it. It’s magic – a man became a wolf but you’re hung up on how big the wolf is?
“This is weird, this is so weird.” I moan, ringing my hands as I close the distance between us. I hesitantly reach out towards him, sinking my fingers into his thick, downy fur. “Oh, you’re really soft… I think this is the strangest thing that’s ever happened to me.”
The next thing I know, Sinclair has pounced, apparently no longer able to contain himself. He gently eases me to the ground despite the suddenness of his attack. He’s standing over me then, licking my face and making me giggle and squeal as I try to push him away. Eventually he settles, laying his big head on my belly and pinning me to the floor. Soft purrs rumble in his chest, and I find myself sliding my hands back into his fur, massaging his head and ears and making him groan contentedly.
“You do know that if you crush this baby while it’s still inside of me, you’ll never get your heir!” I complain, amazed at how heavy his furry snout is.
Instead of removing it, Sinclair nudges his cold nose up under the hem of my top, resting his soft muzzle against my bare belly and peering up at me with those wolfish eyes. The cloth of my shirt rests gently over his snout, and his heated breath dances over my tender breasts, traveling through the tented material and fluttering over my skin. “Dominic, that tickles!”
The wolf makes a sound that resembles a laugh, and the next thing I know, Sinclair is a man again, though his head is still under my top and he’s kissing my belly. “All right you,” he says after a moment, pulling me up to a sitting position. “Now how are you feeling, still nervous?“
“Yes.” I admit, “though not about your wolf.”
“You’re ready for this, Ella.” Sinclair encourages. “You’re going to do beautifully. Just remember what I told you…”
“I know.” I sigh. “Don’t run when you catch me.”
“Good girl.” Sinclair praises, though he has no way of knowing the second half of this thought – the words still ringing in my head.
Unless I want you to run me down and make me yours. Unless I want you to claim me.
And now the only question is, will I be able to actually stop running when the time
