Alan
Becker
stared
over
the
orange
glow
of
the
campfire
at
the
angel
before
him.
She
was
tired,
as
he
expected
she
might
be
when
he’d
called
for
a
break.
With
his
supernatural
strength,
Alan’s
endurance
was
off
the
charts
in
comparison
to
that
of a
human.
Katie
had
no
idea
he
wasn’t
like
her.
Hiding
the
fact
he’d
not
broken
a
sweat
or
gotten
the
least
bit
winded
on
the
hike
thus
far
had
been
hard
enough.
The
angel,
who
now
looked
to
be
on
the
verge
of
nodding
off,
was
pushed
beyond
her
limits.
It
damn
near
tore
his
heart
out
to
see
it.
Katie
hadn’t
complained
once
so
far
on
the
trip
and
that
made
it
all
the
worse.
It
was
his
place
to
take
care
of
her.
They’d
stopped
long
enough
to
eat
and
for
her
to
warm
up.
As
much
as
he
disliked
the
idea
of
starting
even
the
smallest
of
fires,
which
they
would
sit
by
for
an
hour
or
two
at
best,
Katie
needed
a
break
from
the
hike.
Her
unruly,
dark
brown
hair
naturally
went
to
blonde
surrounding
her
face,
falling
from
her
knit
cap.
Katie
didn’t
seem
to
notice
or
care
as
she
tucked
her
knees
to
her
chest
and
rested
her
chin
upon
them.
If
Alan
didn’t
know
first-hand
how
cold
Katie
got,
he
would
have
thought
the
thick
mittens
and
sweater
she
wore
were
overkill
considering
just
how
mild
the
March
weather
was.
He’d
been
shedding
layers
most
of
the
day
and
even
now,
as
the
sun
hid
on
the
other
side
of
the
mountain
causing
the
temperature
to
drop,
he
was
hot.
Hot
because
of
what
he
truly
was—more
than
human
but
not
quite
a
complete
animal—and
hot
because
of
who
he
was
with,
Katie.
He
grit
his
teeth
as
his
cock
dug
painfully
at
the
confines
of
his
jeans.
It
seemed
to
be
in a
permanent
state
of
arousal
around
Katie.
The
girl
needed
only
to
exist
to
make
his
heart
flutter
and
his
pulse
speed.
The
urge
to
leap
forth,
do a
partial
shift
and
claim
her
as
his
own
reached
levels
Alan
wasn’t
sure
he
could
sustain
without
a
meltdown.
He
swallowed
back
a
lump
in
his
throat,
positive
his
tongue
was
swelling
at
almost
the
same
rate
his
cock
was.
Damn
her
for
looking
so
tempting.
In
truth
Katie
was
layered
up
to
the
point
her
sexy,
petite
frame
was
unrecognizable,
but
he
could
see
those
big
brown
eyes
reflecting
pools
of
firelight
back
at
him.
The
very
thought
of
those
eyes
staring
up
at
him
as
Katie
took
his
cock
in
her
mouth
had
Alan
biting
back
a
moan.
She
was
passionate
about
everything
in
her
life
and
he
had
little
doubt
she’d
be a
pistol
in
the
bedroom
as
well.
He
could
almost
feel
her
nails
digging
into
his
back
as
he
rode
her
into
oblivion.
He
clenched
his
fist,
trying
to
wash
the
erotic
images
from
his
head
before
he
lost
control
of
himself.
“Hungry?”
I
know
I am
and
it’s
not
for
food.
She
nodded.
“A
little.
How
much
further
do
we
have
to
go?”
The
weary
tone
of
her
voice
sobered
him
instantly.
“Depending
on
how
long
we
rest
here
for,”
he
ran
a
hand
over
his
scratchy
chin,
“I’d
say
we
should
be
to
our
campsite
a
little
before
nightfall.
Unless
you
want
to
go
straight
to
the
cabin?”
Katie
rubbed
her
mitten-covered
hands
over
her
legs.
“You
mentioned
the
old
wolf
dens
near
the
spot
your
dad
used
to
take
you
camping.”
The
slight
pull
of
her
mouth
told
him
just
how
exhausted
she
was.
Katie
had
been
elated
at
the
idea
of
seeing
dens,
even
ones
that
were
no
longer
in
use.
Seeing
her
weak
smile
was
all
the
heads-up
Alan
needed
to
know
she
required
rest.
“I’d
love
to
camp
near
them.”
“Anything
you
want,”
he
said,
doing
his
best
to
ignore
the
way
she
bit
at
her
lower
lip.
Anything
you
want?
What?
How
can
I be
whipped
when
I
haven’t
even
sampled
the
goods?
He
groaned
and
then
coughed
in a
quick
attempt
to
hide
it.
Alan
wasn’t
the
type
of
man
who
followed
a
woman
around
aimlessly,
bending
to
her
every
whim.
Well,
at
least
he
never
thought
he
was
the
type
to
do
that.
Katie
had
a
way
of
leaving
him
tongue
twisted
and
his
chest
tied
in
knots
at
the
idea
of
her
being
unhappy.
Only
Katie
possessed
that
certain
something
that
left
him
longing
to
touch
her,
or
to
even
be
in
the
same
room
with
her.
Alan
poked
the
fire
with
a
long
stick
for
a
while,
unsure
how
much
time
had
passed,
and
pretended
to
be
more
worried
about
keeping
the
fire
going
than
the
fact
Katie
was
now
watching
him
closely
through
tired
eyes.
She
watched
him
often
when
she
assumed
he
wasn’t
looking.
He
used
to
wonder
what
she
was
thinking,
but
anymore
he
had
to
fight
to
keep
from
tackling
her
to
the
ground
and
sinking
his
cock
into
her.
She
had
no
idea
his
feelings
ran
so
deep.
Hell,
up
until
he’d
caught
the
scent
of
another
man
on
her
some
six
months
ago,
he
didn’t
even
realize
what
he
felt
for
her
was
so
intense.
Jealousy
is
funny
like
that.
Alan
had
thought
she
was
a
fling.
Minus
the
actual
sex
part,
of
course.
A
temporary
obsession
because
she
represented
everything
he
couldn’t
have—a
beautiful,
intelligent,
human
female
for
his
own,
to
take
as
his
mate,
his
wife
and
the
mother
of
his
children.
Temporary
my
ass.
I’ve
been
hot
for
her
for
years.
The
pack
had
a
strict
no-mating-with-humans
policy
and
anyone
who
didn’t
adhere
to
it
found
themselves
on
the
receiving
end
of
what
they
could
only
hope
was
a
quick
death.
Not
to
mention
the
human
involved
was
sentenced
to
death
as
well.
Humans
were
to
have
no
knowledge
of
their
kind.
End
of
story.
No
exceptions
to
the
rule.
The
council
members
had
laid
the
laws
of
the
pack
down
long
ago
and
each
generation
followed
it
to
the
letter.
Any
who
didn’t
paid
the
ultimate
price.
He’d
seen
a
werewolf
punished
for
crimes
against
the
pack
when
he
was
just
a
boy
and
the
memory
stuck
with
him.
Seeing
a
man
hung
naked
by
his
feet
from
a
tree
and
ripped
to
shreds
by
shifted
wolves
wasn’t
something
he
was
ever
likely
to
forget.
While
Alan
was
more
than
willing
to
forfeit
his
own
life
for
a
night
of
passion
with
Katie,
he
wasn’t
ready
to
sacrifice
her
life
as
well.
Granted,
he
wasn’t
heavily
active
in
any
pack,
not
even
the
one
he
lived
closest
to
now,
but
still,
going
against
the
grain
was
deadly.
Shifters
of
any
kind
were
more
common
than
humans
would
want
to
believe.
In
the
city
he
bumped
into
at
least
one
shifter
a
week.
Hell,
he’d
even
had
a
house
party
once
and
one
showed
up.
The
chick
had
been
some
sort
of
cat
shifter
and
looked
as
if
she
wanted
to
gouge
his
eyes
out.
Being
part
wolf
left
the
feeling
totally
mutual,
so
Alan
didn’t
take
it
to
heart.
Though,
he
did
have
his
carpets
and
furniture
steam
cleaned
to
get
the
smell
of
cat
out
of
them
once
she
was
gone.
There
was
really
nothing
worse
than
cat
hair
stuck
to
his
suit,
then
his
sofa,
then
his
bedding.
Sleeping
with
her
would
have
at
least
given
a
good
reason
for
it.
As
it
stood,
the
bitch
just
seemed
to
shed
a
lot
as
she'd
wandered
around
his
place
snarling.
If
he
did
give
in
and
claim
Katie
as
his
own,
the
risk
of
another
shifter
discovering
what
he’d
done
was
too
great.
If
they
caught
the
scent
of
his
mark,
it
would
only
be a
matter
of
time
before
news
of
his
deed
reached
the
head
of
the
local
pack.
Within
an
hour,
someone
would
be
sent
to
eliminate
Katie.
I
won’t
risk
her.
Katie’s
eyelids
drifted
downwards
and
she
rocked
slightly.
Afraid
she
might
fall
face
first
into
the
fire,
Alan
drew
upon
his
supernatural
speed
and
moved
next
to
her.
Had
she
been
awake,
he
would
have
never
risked
moving
even
a
tenth
as
fast
as
he
could.
There
would
be
no
explaining
away
something
like
that.
It
wasn’t
like
he
could
slap
a
pair
of
glasses
on
and
assume
a
new
identity,
or
rush
through
a
telephone
booth
to
shift
forms.
Real
life
wasn't
like
the
movies.
And
secret
identities
required
more
than
capes.
They
required
never
revealing
one's
self.
Alan
pulled
Katie
into
his
arms,
inhaling
her
sweet
scent
and
groaning
inwardly
as
his
cock
twitched.
It
had
been
a
long
hike
up
the
mountain.
He
could
hear
her
tiny
breaths
as
she'd
hiked
behind
him,
smell
the
light
sheen
of
sweat
upon
her
skin
and
vividly
picture
himself
licking
it
off
her.
She
hadn’t
slept
well
the
night
before,
tossing
and
turning
before
waking
with
a
scream
lodged
in
her
throat.
She
then
went
on
to
obsess
about
his
safety,
doing
a
complete
head-to-toe
check
over
him
prior
to
leaving
for
their
camping
trip.
It
was
cute
in a
“fuck
I’m
hard
again”
kind
of
way.
Alan
had
tried
to
talk
Katie
into
letting
him
drive
his
SUV,
but
she’d
insisted
on
roughing
it.
That
was
almost
laughable.
Katie
was
a
city
girl,
having
only
experienced
nature
while
visiting
a
strip
of
grass
labeled
a
park.
Dragging
her
into
the
Tennessee
Appalachian
Mountains
in
search
of
red
wolves
was
ludicrous.
These
mountains,
the
ones
his
father
often
brought
him
to,
were
downright
dangerous,
regardless
of
the
fact
they
were
no
longer
frequented
by
weres—just
regular
wolves.
And
even
those
had
been
reintroduced
to
the
area
because
of
hunting
and
other
environmental
factors.
Alan
hadn’t
really
turned
his
back
on
his
father’s
pack
so
much
as
he
shunned
the
idea
of
being
part
beast,
part
man.
Sure,
by
all
outward
appearances
he
was
human
and
he
wasn’t
a
slave
to
the
cycles
of
the
moon
like
some
werewolves,
but
that
didn’t
make
being
what
he
was
any
easier.
The
memory
of
looking
at
himself
in
the
mirror,
after
a
night
of
feeding
off
deer
while
in
wolf
form,
still
disgusted
him.
It
had
been
over
fifteen
years
since
he’d
last
set
foot
in
the
mountains,
and
as
much
as
he
hated
to
admit
it,
he
missed
it.
He
missed
the
fresh
air.
The
freedom
to
shift
at
will
and
run
wild.
Having
others
around
who
understood
what
his
body
was
going
through.
But
mostly,
he
missed
the
bond
he’d
once
shared
with
his
father.
The
minute
Alan
refused
to
accept
what
he
truly
was—a
werewolf
destined
to
one
day
be
on
one
of
the
ruling
councils—his
father
took
it
personally,
turning
his
back
on
Alan
and
the
“human”
life
he
wanted
so
desperately
to
lead.
Alan
graduated,
went
off
to
college
and
never
looked
back.
His
mother
called
often
enough,
doing
her
best
to
make
small
talk
the
while
the
unspoken
hints
that
she
wanted
him
to
find
a
nice
she-wolf
and
settle
down
hung
in
the
air
between
them.
At
times
it
was
so
thick
he
screened
his
calls,
unable
to
hear
the
disappointment
in
his
mother’s
voice
when
she
asked
if
he’d
claimed
Katie
yet
and
he
said
no.
Confessing
Katie
was
human
wasn’t
something
Alan
wanted
to
do.
It
would
crush
his
mother.
So
far,
Alan
had
become
quite
the
accomplished
liar
in
regards
to
Katie
and
his
mother.
He
managed
to
sneak
in
affirmations
of
his
mother’s
suspicions
of
Katie
being
a
shifter
as
much
as
possible,
while
leading
Katie
to
believe
his
mother
had
little
to
no
interest
in
his
life
so
she
would
stop
asking
to
meet
her.
If
news
spread
back
to
the
pack
that
he
was
practically
living
with
a
human
female,
and
had
been
for
the
last
several
years,
they’d
naturally
assume
he
was
fucking
her.
They’d
also
assume
she
knew
his
secret.
Katie
would
be
in
danger
and
that
wasn’t
something
Alan
would
ever
permit.
Katie
blinked
up
at
him
as
he
rocked
her
gently
before
the
fire.
“Mmm,
why
aren’t
you
tired?”
She
stretched.
“You
know,
you’re
in
incredible
shape
and
I
have
yet
to
see
you
workout.
Is
this
how
you
do
it?
Do
you
sneak
away
and
hike
when
I’m
not
looking?
Your
backpack
weighs
a
ton.
I
tipped
over
trying
it
on,
remember?”
I’m
not
tired
because
I
have
you
in
my
arms
and
I’ll
be
damned
if I
sleep
the
moment
away.
He
shrugged
and
let
a
lazy
smile
dance
over
his
face
as
he
remembered
the
stunned
expression
on
Katie’s
face
as
she
fell
over,
hitting
the
ground
under
the
weight
of
his
pack.
Her
shoulders
had
been
pinned
to
the
ground
by
the
straps,
reminding
him
of a
turtle
on
its
back.
It
also
left
her
in
prime
position
to
receive
him,
so
as
funny
as
it
was,
Alan
had
no
choice
but
to
get
her
off
the
ground
quickly
or
chance
mounting
her.
“I
don’t
know.
I
guess
it’s
all
this
fresh
air.
And
I
wouldn’t
suggest
trying
to
slip
my
pack
on
up
here.
If
you
tumble,
you
may
never
stop.”
He
chuckled
even
though
for
one
brief
second
the
threat
of
her
doing
just
that
hit
him
hard.
Overreacting
seemed
to
be
reserved
for
anything
to
do
with
Katie.
With
anyone
else
in
life,
Alan
could
really
give
a
shit.
He
had
to
take
a
calming
breath
and
remind
himself
that
Katie
was
safe.
Katie
purred
as
she
stretched
against
him.
The
very
sound
drove
spikes
of
need
through
his
system,
leaving
his
skin
prickling
with
the
urge
to
shift
into
wolf
form
and
forever
claim
her
as
his
own.
He
tipped
his
head
back,
trying,
and
failing,
to
block
the
scent
of
honeysuckle
and
roses—the
scent
of
Katie.
She
fit
in
the
crook
of
his
arm,
her
body
molded
to
his,
reaffirming
what
the
man
in
him
believed,
she
was
made
for
him.
If
only
that
were
true.
Alan
steeled
himself
against
her
allure
and
eased
her
to
the
ground,
careful
to
pull
her
backpack
close
to
act
as a
pillow.
“Rest
for
a
bit
while
I
finish
checking
the
map
and
repacking
the
gear.”
“No,
I
want
to
help,”
she
said,
her
voice
slurred
with
sleep.
The
tiniest
of
laughs
escaped
him.
“As
fun
as
watching
you
try
to
figure
out
what
package
of
dried
goods
goes
where
is,
I’m
going
to
pass.
Take
a
quick
nap.
There’s
nothing
else
you
can
do
to
help,
Katie,
so
rest.”
“Okay,
I’ll
just
rest
for
a
minute.”
