Page 28 of It All Started with a Bite

Samuel chuckled. I looked at him.

He shrugged. “It’s funny.”

The car emerged on the edge of a hilly clearing bathed in starlight. Samuel pulled to a stop under a sycamore tree and killed the engine.

“We’re here.”

I stepped out and looked around warily, my breath misting in front of my face. The space was roughly the size of a football stadium and ringed by oak trees, the heavy branches leaning inward to create a natural arena.

It smelled different here, like the whole place was charged with something old and wild.

“This is where the pack trains?”

“Among other things.” Samuel shrugged off his jacket, revealing a fitted black T-shirt underneath. “It’s also where we gather for full moon runs.” He went to the back of the car and got a duffel bag out of the trunk.

I eyed it warily. “Do these runs involve hunting and killing prey by any chance?”

Samuel shot an amused look my way. “Yes to the hunting, no to the killing. Most packs stopped doing that decades ago.”

I swallowed a sigh, relieved I was not going to accidentally rip Thumper’s or Bambi’s throats out. Another concern came to mind.

“How excruciating is my first transformation going to be?”

Samuel didn’t sugarcoat his answer and I was strangely glad for that.

“It’s pretty bad,” he said curtly. “But I will help you as best as I can.”

I swallowed. “Promise?”

I should have hated the vulnerability in my voice. But I found I didn’t mind this man seeing me at my weakest.

Samuel stilled, his eyes flaring.

Both he and I sensed the slight shift in our bond. Like neither of us was fighting it that hard anymore.

“I promise,” he said solemnly.

The air thickened between us. We took a step toward one another.

Bo licked his chops noisily. “Sooo, I get that you two are having some kind of moment, but I’m still here.”

Samuel looked at the ground and muttered something under his breath. I sighed.

The Hawthorne alpha’s expression turned serious once more.

“First things first. Your wolf? She’s right there, under your skin. You need to learn to work with her, not against her.”

The creature that had been prowling inside me all day stirred at his words. I nodded nervously.

Samuel’s smile was like a punch to my gut.

“Good. I’m going to teach you how to control your strength.”

10

Superstrength and Other Surprises

Samuel guidedus along the edge of the clearing until he spotted what he wanted. He stopped and pointed.

---