Page 38 of Pack Dreams

Milo snorts. “Well, that certainly is true. You’ve never lived in a place like Smoky Falls. But it’s more than that. You can feel it, deep beneath your skin. Maybe you didn’t know how to put words to it, how to understand it, but you know something is just different. Here, and with us. I know you feel something about us, Lex.”

“And how are you so sure?” I challenge.

“Because we can feel it, too. We feel when you’re nervous, or scared, or angry, or happy. We can feel when you’re keeping something from us. Look, I don’t have a lot of time to explain everything, but I figured this was the simplest way to get you to believe what we’re trying to tell you.”

“And that is what, that you’re wolves?” My eyes roll. “Come on, this isn’t Twilight.”

“No, it’s Smoky Falls, and Lex-”

Just then, the haunting howl of a wolf rises from the forest, loud and clear, raising the hairs on my arms and the back of my neck.

The guys exchange a loaded look. “We’re out of time,” Jared says to Milo.

He nods and heads for the door, with the other two following. My feet are frozen to the tile floor and I watch them incredulously. So what, we’re going to go outside and they’re going to ‘poof’ and turn into furry animals?

Milo holds the door and looks back at me with a patient expression. “Well, are you coming outside or not?”

ChapterSeventeen

Layla

* * *

I can’t believe I’m doing this.

I follow the guys outside, where they immediately begin stripping their clothes off.

Now it’s not as if I have no desire to gaze at their toned, athletic bodies rippling under the moonlight, but when then start unbuttoning jeans and kicking off shoes, my virginal instincts kick in immediately.

“Oh my god, if this is just some trick to get me to run naked with you and end up having an orgy, I will never forgive you!” I hiss, afraid to raise my voice for fear of attracting the wild animals in the woods.

But none of them reply. A pained noise from Landon has me whipping around to check on him, and then I can’t stop staring.

All three of them have dropped to their hands and knees on the expansive lawn, their bodies contorting painfully, and they face away from me toward the moon. It’s a clear night, and although the moon isn’t full, it’s plenty bright for me to see what is happening.

Disturbing movement under the skin of their backs is the first thing that catches my eye. Stretching shapes, then loud snapping sounds, low painful cries from all three of them, and I just watch in horror.

In perfect sync, their bodies lengthen, widen, their legs shortening and changing shape, as fur sprouts across their skin. Tails erupt from all three of their backsides, and when they tilt their heads back to bay at the moon a moment later, it is from three perfectly canine faces. Their howls join a chorus of similar noises from the forest, and although a low whine emits from the grey wolf that was Landon a moment ago, these wolves do not take off to join the others.

I back up, heart pounding, until my body presses against the rough stone wall of the house. All three of them sit calmly and observe me, waiting.

The wolf-formerly known-as-Milo is especially fluffy with midnight fur, a single grey paw the only break in his pitch-black coloring. The Jared wolf is brown, a rich chocolate color with a lighter mask. Landon’s wolf is mostly light grey, with a darker saddle pattern on his back.

I keep staring at them, and they continue waiting. Swallowing desperately because my mouth is suddenly dry, I mutter, “You weren’t kidding.”

The Milo wolf barks a laugh of acknowledgement. Even like this, I can see their intelligence, feel their distinct personalities, like auras that surround them. If my eyes were closed and they shuffled around, I’d know which went where without even peeking to see. I justfeelthem.

And I can feel that they are not wild animals that would attack me. There is no danger here.

My legs are barely holding me up, so I sink to the porch and take a seat, my breath coming in heavy pants. Slowly, Milo stands, walking toward me with caution as he observes my face for signs of fear.

Truthfully, I’m not afraid of him. I put my hand out like I would a skittish dog I want to pet, and he approaches, pressing his furry head into my palm. It’s even softer than I imagined, and when I scratch behind his ears he seems to enjoy it, a low hum rumbling in his chest.

“You can come up, too,” I tell Jared and Landon, and Jared leaps forward with his tongue lolling out, eager to claim my other hand for pets. Landon creeps up behind and delicately rests his chin on my leg.

“So, this is interesting,” I observe. A minute ago I was with three hot guys. Now I’m surrounded by three furry wolves.

And even though my logical mind tells me it should feel different, it feels exactly the same.

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