"Rachel told me not to drive back tonight. She said it felt eerie and the nearly full moon was red." I thought to myself, remembering how superstitious Rachel could be sometimes. Her short brunette hair framing her elfin face as she warned me about black cats and walking under ladders. I turned up my radio to blasting and cranked open my car window. My green eyes reflected in the rearview mirror. Long drives always made me drowsy.
I was not going to stay at the condo another hour after the stunt Jason pulled. When Rachel and I returned from the beach, he was in the middle of the living room floor with the couple we had met at the restaurant the might before. All three were naked and entwined in intimate positions. Jason's open mouth was driving the petite blond wild. Her equally blond boyfriend was brutally fucking Jason's ass. They did not even notice us. Rachel and I quietly went back out the door. The moans of ecstasy following us down the hall.
I did not mind that Jason was having sex with other people. What really bothered me was that we were supposed to be in a committed relationship and he never even tried to discuss the idea with me. He had, in fact, become irate when I casually mentioned having Rachel over one night for a threesome. I knew Jason wanted Rachel. He had made comments about her great legs and how nice her ass was. I also knew that he was jealous of our relationship, but he knew about it before we started dating and he kept saying that he did not have a problem with it. I felt betrayed and hurt by his dishonesty. Rachel said I was better off without him. Jason definitely had some issues to work out. This betrayal also made me wonder what else he was doing when I wasn't around.
The mountain road was dark and lonely. I had not seen another vehicle for the past hour. I glanced up at the blood red moon and a cold chill shot up my spine making me shiver. The next town with a hotel was about 75 miles away. I definitely needed to stop for the night and get some sleep.
A sudden flash as a deer ran across the road startled me into alertness. It was followed by something huge. I can hardly describe it and I am not sure that it was real. A massive body with the head of a wolf and the torso of a man, sculpted muscles and powerful legs stopped and stared at my car. I swerved quickly to avoid it and realized my mistake at once. I panicked trying to correct the spin. Trees flashed by in the glow of my headlights as my car went into the gully. My heart felt like it was going to leap out of my chest. The impact when the car hit one of the larger trees deployed the air bag forcefully. The windshield shattered, shards of glass flew towards me. I heard a wolf howl just before I lost consciousness.
Warmth and feeling gradually seeped into my body and with it awareness. I was laying on a soft day bed covered by a quilt. My clothes had been removed and placed on a battered rocking chair. Gingerly reaching up to my forehead, I felt a square bandage just above my eyebrow.
The rustic walls of the small room were made from wood logs. Light from taper candles flickered and a crackling fire dimly lit the room. Then I noticed a large gray wolf was sitting silently by the hearth.
Staring in disbelief for several seconds, I held my breath willing the thread of fear to crawl back down my spine. The wolf stared back at me without blinking, huffed once, then stood, and walked out of the room. Feeling relief, I slumped back against the pillows.
A tall man with long, dark hair entered the room from an open doorway carrying a steaming bowl. "You are awake, good. Take this and drink it." He held out the bowl to me. Concerned, dark brown eyes that were almost black looked straight into my green ones. A small thrill of excitement fluttered in the pit of my stomach. Gracefully, he sat down by the fire. The firelight played across his bare chest, his bronze, toned skin begging to be stroked. His muscles rippled beneath his skin as he moved. The strength of his beautifully sculpted body would be obvious to even a casual observer. He had a dangerous animal magnetism that left me spellbound. I could not look away, my breath felt caught in my throat.
"My name is Devon. My wolf found your car." His low, sensual voice wrapped around my senses like a silk scarf. He was probably the most incredible man I had ever seen.
"Umm, I am Natalie." I couldn't seem to squeeze words out of my mouth. "Do you live here alone? Do you have a phone so I could call someone?" Now I am babbling like an idiot, great. Being in the same room with this man was making me nervous. Watching him sitting in the glow of the firelight was turning me on.
"No, there isn't a phone. I do not generally need one. I live simply here and prefer privacy." He answered my questions patiently with a hint of a smile. "Yes, I do live alone except for my wolf." Devon moved to sit next to me on the day bed. "You have some nasty bruises from the wreck. If you don't mind I have an ointment that will help." His dark eyes flashed with heat. The strong features of his face seemed exotic. He picked up a small jar and took my left foot in his large hand.
