Free Kiss of a Star Artemis Lupine by Catherine Banks

you should turn.
Again.”
    For the next few hours Koda drilled me again
and again. He then started teaching me how to properly hit and kick
and then how to use my elbows. My body was sore and I was dripping
with sweat when he said, “Now I’m going to teach you to
half-shift.”
    Achilles stood up from the spot in the grass
where he had been sitting. “She’s not ready for that.”
    Koda ignored Achilles and in a blink of an
eye his body changed from Koda the man to Koda the man-wolf. His
body was bulkier, but he could still walk on two legs, his hands
were now paws and his entire body was covered in short fur. His
face was more wolfish with a slight snout instead of just a nose
and fangs in his mouth. It took him two tries before he could speak
and when he did it sounded more like a growl than a human voice.
“This is the best form to take when fighting because you have the
benefits of the wolf body while still being able to move on two
legs. It’s difficult to maintain though and so most of us prefer to
simply take wolf form.” He changed back to his human shape and
leaned forward a little. “I need to practice more often. I’m
getting rusty.” He shook his entire body, like a dog flinging off
water and waved his hand at me. “Your turn.”
    “How do I take that shape instead of my wolf
shape?” I asked. Usually I just closed my eyes and let the wolf
side of me take over to become wolf, or pictured my human self to
become human.
    “You just focus on keeping half your body
human.”
    My body began to tingle all over in
anticipation of changing. Okay, only change part way. I felt
my bones shifting and then opened my eyes, but I was on all fours
and, after wagging my tail realized, a complete wolf.
    Koda shrugged. “We’ll keep working on it.
It’s hard to do.”
    I changed back and sighed. “I’m sorry.”
    Koda smiled. “Don’t be. Only a few are able
to master this technique. Come on, let’s get you some food.”
    Achilles followed behind us as we walked
back to the house. Why had he come? He hadn’t talked except when he
thought I wasn’t ready to learn the half-shift. Was he just worried
about me? Was he spying on me? I shook my head and ignored all of
the questions. I wouldn’t know unless I asked, but I didn’t want
to. He still unnerved me in that weird good way and it bothered
me.
    Ares was standing on the front porch with
Matt when we came up. He looked at my sweat covered body and ripped
sweats and then at Koda’s ripped sweats. “What were you doing?”
    Koda smiled sweetly at Ares. “Nothing.”
    Ares frowned at Koda, but didn’t press him
further. I walked past him, knowing he was still mad and continued
to the kitchen where Koda had already taken out three steaks. I sat
down on one of the stools at the island and laid my face on the
cold tile. “I’m sore.”
    Koda laughed. “Good.”
    I whispered, “Am I supposed to keep what we
do a secret from Ares?”
    Koda shook his head. “No, I just like irking
him.”
    Ares walked in and looked from me to Koda.
“What are you two whispering about?”
    Koda turned on the stove top and put oil in
a pan. “How I should prepare the meat.”
    Ares rolled his eyes. “You’re the worst liar
I know.”
    The closeness of Ares, but lack of touch
made my skin itch. It’d been hours since we’d had physical contact
and I needed it bad. My arm started to reach out towards him, but I
quickly pulled it back and closed my eyes. I didn’t want to push
him if he was mad at me.
    He sat down beside me and when I opened my
eyes, I found his head lying on the island next to me. “Are you
feeling alright?” he asked.
    “Tired,” I whispered as a lump formed in my
throat. The sight of his handsome face still sent butterflies
whirling in my stomach.
    He frowned for a second and then exhaled
loudly before putting one of his arms around my shoulders. “Aw.
Much better. Wasn’t your skin tingling?”
    “As if one thousand ants were crawling on
it,”