Free On Fire by Nancy Holder Page B

Jackson he knew. But sometimes guys acted different with their girlfriends.
    “What, Lydia?” Allison said. “I didn’t catch all that.”
    Scott heard static. Either his phone or Lydia’s was losing reception. He didn’t suppose it really mattered. Jackson was accounted for, if not exactly found.
    Allison shrugged. “Lydia said he’s in the preserve,” she said. “But the call went fuzzy after that. I can try calling her back.”
    “How’s my battery power?” he asked.
    “Good question.” She looked down at the phone. “Uh-oh. You’re at twenty percent.”
    “No big,” he said. “I can always charge it later. If he’s going home, I guess we might as well, too.” He held his breath waiting for her answer.
    Her eyes sparkled as she pretended to ponder his suggestion, tapping her chin with her fingertips.
    “Well, we can leave the preserve, but if Lydia’s covering for me . . .”
    She trailed off, leaving the rest to his imagination. She smiled up at him, and he grinned back, using that imagination to picture her naked some more. They kissed again. But then his conscience got the better of him.
    “I’d feel better if we left, with that wolf around,” Scott said.
    “I think that wolf liked us,” Allison countered. “But you’re right. We shouldn’t push our luck.” She dimpled. “I’m going to think of this as one of our special spots.”
    Wow , Scott thought. Awesome .
    Then she rose up and kissed him again. She curled her fingers in his hair and he did the same. Her hair was so silky. He didn’t want the kiss to ever end, but he ended it first, and took her hand.
    He smelled the smoke again, a little stronger, and another little fillip of anxiety tapped at him. Not fear per se, just a reminder to be careful.
    They started heading back out of the dense woods in the direction of Allison’s car. He held back a branch for her and she ducked beneath it. Moonlight shimmered on her face.
    And something changed.
    Something in him.
    He felt it, almost like the skin on his face was too tight. His nails were pushing against his fingers.
    I’m changing, he thought. No!
    After she passed, he let go of the branch and dropped to one knee, pretending to tie his shoe. In reality, he was examining his nails. Yes, he’d been right. They were growing, the ends savagely pointed. He pressed the pad of his thumb against his canine tooth. It was definitely longer.
    No. No, stop, he ordered himself. This can’t be happening.
    He peered up through his lashes at Allison’s back. She had just realized he wasn’t right behind her and she was going to turn around. He pulled his head down lower, and forced himself to breathe slowly. His heart was pounding. What the hell was he going to do?
    “Scott?” Allison said.
    “Tying my shoe,” he managed to say. He clenched his jaw, feeling the jut of his wolf teeth against his lips. Get it together.
    “Are you okay?” she asked him.
    His sight went red. He kept his gaze downward; in his line of vision, he saw her boots, glowing scarlet, walking toward him. I didn’t kill with the Alpha, he reminded himself. Even if I change, I won’t hurt her. I swear I won’t.
    But if she saw him . . .
    “Hey?” she said. Her soft voice was like a clanging bell ringing against his eardrums.
    He balled his fists. She was close, so close. Could she see his wolf ears? No. She’d have been screaming by then.
    “Scott?” she said, with a bit more concern, and hewatched her start to dip down toward him, bathed in red, so she could look him in the face.
    And his nails retracted. He checked his teeth with his tongue. Normal human teeth. He touched his right ear. Fine.
    He was no longer seeing everything in red. He rose, hoping to God that his eyes weren’t glowing, nearly knocking heads with her. She laughed and brushed his cheek with her lips. He kissed her back, trying to act normal.
    Which I’m not, he thought fiercely. I’m so not normal .
    They laced fingers and walked on.