Free Careful What You Ask For by Candace Blevins Page B

under the cover of the forest. It wasn’t fully dark yet, but I wasn’t sure I’d last another thirty minutes. The cows and chickens were in for the night and fed, the house was locked, and we had the night to run.
    My change as the moon rose above the horizon felt better than it’s ever felt — the difference between sawing through a tree with a dull knife, and letting a sharp knife sink through warm butter. I was human, and thirty seconds later I was wolf. It was more than the speed, though. Everything shifted in the right order, so the bones and muscles worked with each other and it all just happened .
    Patrick’s change was almost instantaneous, and he was waiting for me when I finally took my first steps.
    Running as a wolf is so freeing, so exhilarating . You know how everything feels different in a sports car than it does in a truck? You’re lower to the ground, you can take curves better, and you have more power. With four legs propelling you forward instead of two, and when you’re aerodynamic, and your body is literally made for running — nothing can beat the sensation. I’d waited to feel this all my life and I loved every second of it.
    And running under the huge full moon hanging in the night sky, with the pull of the moon against gravity, and the magic of the night? It was better than I’d ever imagined. The silvery moonlight highlighted every leaf, the sounds and smells helped finish out the picture, and the forest was ours .
    Patrick’s wolf was clearly dominant, and my wolf had no problem letting him lead. She got a little ticked when he wouldn’t let her eat the deer with him, but it didn’t change the fact we couldn’t eat until he let us.
    Pronouns are so hard now that I’m two beings. Sometimes it feels right to say ‘ I ’, but other times the only way to explain it is to use ‘ us’ .
    Patrick and I slept in the woods, awakened as wolves, and made our way back to the farmhouse as the sun rose. We changed back to human at the last moment, just before we stepped into the back door, and then only because we needed thumbs to open it.
    We were both silent as we cooked eggs, bacon, sausage, gravy, and biscuits, and I finally spoke as we took our plates outside to the porch to eat.
    “Thanks for helping me stay human until last night. It wasn’t easy and I know I called you names a few times, but it’s appreciated.”
    “I fly out of town tomorrow and probably won’t be home until Tuesday, but I’d like for you to talk to Maggie about going back and forth from her house to mine, depending on when I’m in town. I think you gained something in the beginning by being forced into the alpha role, but Evie isn’t here and I’m not sure it benefits you to be the strongest wolf around anymore.”
    “Is that an invitation?”
    He nodded. “It is, and I don’t make it lightly. I want to get to know you better. I’ve already told you there’ll be rules — living with me won’t be easy, but most things worth doing aren’t easy.”
    “I’ll talk to Maggie and Angelica, but my initial response is to plan to spend two days with you next week, and then we’ll see where we want to go from there. I appreciate the offer, and my wolf wants me to take you up on it right away.”
    He tilted his head. “Our wolves are in agreement, then.”
    “Am I going to feel the moon all day today? Will I need to change tonight when it rises? Or should I be okay since we ran last night?”
    “You’ll feel it, but it won’t be like yesterday. I’ll go home when Maggie arrives because I know you’ll be okay without me. Also, it won’t set you back any if the two of you want to run together tonight.”
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    M aggie checked on the animals first thing, and then hugged me as she thanked me for taking care of them.
    “Not a problem. Well, waking up early to keep the cows on their milking schedule was a pain in the ass, but I’m glad I could help. How’s Evie?”
    “She’s doing amazing, but I worry