To Right A Wrong

The smoke swirled and spread above the fire she'd set in the clearing of the Gifford Forest. Dani crouched in the brush, hoping she'd built the wood pile big enough to mask her scent. Estrus would attract the werewolf's attention before she had a chance to put her plan into action, to say nothing of the rank smell of her fear of failure.

She had to stay hidden, or die.

If the stories were true, the man climbing out of the brown truck marked Snohomish County Parks was her only hope.

She scraped her teeth over the width of her bottom lip. Her heart rate accelerated and delicious pleasure spread in her most intimate place. She'd never before believed that she'd be so close to a legend. She could almost reach out and touch him.

Ethan Tolene was the werewolf of her dreams. Thirty years older than she, he represented everything she wanted in her life. Stability, protection, companionship…not to mention he was a drool-worthy alpha male with a body that set her insides on fire.

She smiled. I did it. That's him.

Ethan planted his feet beside the scattered branches burning on the ground and surveyed the forested area with a steel gaze. Liquid pooled between her legs and dampened her panties. It was definitely him. Regal power came off him in waves. Once he caught a whiff of her in heat, she bet her plan would work.

Crawling out from behind the scrub brush, she stayed hunkered down, not quite ready to face him. Afraid to blink and lose sight of him, she stared. A rare lone wolf, he ran alone after being banned years ago after a bitter feud with his cousin.

The same cousin who had snatched her brother the night her parents were killed.

Ethan stabbed the shovel into the hard ground and used his weight to dig a scoopful of dirt to extinguish the flames. Dani swallowed. Her thoughts strayed to what he'd look like naked. His button-down shirt, the sleeves rolled to the elbows, stretched across his chest accenting his muscles, his massiveness. He appeared twice her size, a bundle of danger and sex.

Her hormones fought with her good sense. She couldn't deny he was attractive. Even if he weren't crucial to her plans, she'd want him. The wolf buried deep inside her whined. I know. I know. He's the one. I feel it too.

Maybe he was a little on the rugged side, but she liked strong, confident men. She sniffed the air, but the earthy musk of the forest overrode any other smells. She sighed. Soon she'd catch his scent.
The age difference between them was an added bonus. What was a thirty year difference to a werewolf who lived longer than mere humans anyways? Besides, once they were mated, they'd stay connected for all time whether on earth or in the afterlife.

Thick brown hair sprinkled with the lightest gray brushed his shoulders. She dug her fingernails into the palm of her hand, resisting the temptation to step over and sweep his bangs off his forehead.

Ethan leaned over to toss another load of dirt on the fire. She ran her gaze down the slope of his back to his hard ass and ended on some serious solid thighs. A mew escaped from the back of her throat and she clamped her lips together. She must be more careful. If he spotted her, he'd kill her on sight, and then she'd never get a chance to tell him the reasons he had to listen to her.

The last time someone from the pack had dared to approach him had not gone well. She shivered despite the warmth of the day. The other weres in Drover gossiped about how Ethan had bitten out the man's throat and snapped his head clean off his body. Just for trying to speak with him.

Out here in the forest, away from the pack, no one was here to defend her. She had only herself.

She wiggled, trying to curb the itch growing deep in her womb.
She didn't want her head staked outside his territory as a warning to other werewolves not to trespass on his land. Her hope lay entirely on Ethan's dubious goodwill.

He raised the shovel and put it over his shoulder before stomping on the dirt. Deprived of oxygen, the flames died. Dani's heartbeat sped.
It's time.

She stood and brushed the dust off her jeans. A quiver of pleasure coursed over her skin. Even her own touch fed the craving deep inside.
Soon she'd have the ability to shift. The she-wolf living inside her soul would come out. Excitement bubbled and the hair at the back of her neck tingled. The sensation of her spirit emerging from sleep, demanding to show itself, grew every moment.

She inhaled a shaky breath. The voice, the presence, the stability she'd lived with all her life would come into existence. Her strength would quadruple. Her hearing would become acute, like a canny forest creature. Her sight would almost match that of an eagle.

She'd longed for the transition, but she'd had no idea it would occur under such dire circumstances. She clenched her hands into fists. Her fantasy had always involved meeting Ethan differently. Their relationship would have time to grow and change.

She wanted to ignore the reasons behind her visit, but her goal kept her creeping forward to the legendary werewolf. To her, going through her heat cycle now meant only one thing. A tool she could use in her fight to take back her brother, avenge her parents. After she mated with Ethan, she trusted that love would come like it always did to her kind.

And that he'd help her.

A twig snapped under her weight. She froze. Ethan Tolene turned in her direction. She gasped and hurried to cover her mouth. It would be impossible to change her mind now. I can do this. I can do this…