Free Standing Before Monsters (Vorans and Vampires) by Donald Wigboldy

see a movie later this week. That’s all.”
    Nick frowned and replied as Charlotte looked surprised to hear his words, “She started with getting more and more worked up hormonally this morning. When we got home, the itching started. We had rolled around on the mats during some sparring. If touch activates it, then it was maybe an hour or so before Charlotte began having an allergic style reaction. How long ago did you leave her?”
    As the werewolf’s cell rang, he stated, “A little more than an hour ago.” He checked his caller ID and cringed, “ It’s Kate.”
    Flicking his receiver on, they could hear crying.
    “Kate, are you all right?”
    The voice coming through the speaker sounded pained and worried, “Logan, I feel sick. I can’t stop scratching and my head is throbbing.”
    Nick shook his head and stood. “Find out where she is now and we’ll go pick her up.”
     
     
    Chapter 5- Mating Ritual
     
    The black Escape pulled up to the park and Nick thought uncomfortably how a black SUV with tinted windows sitting at a park could be construed as something more insidious. As the three unloaded from the vehicle quickly, Nick didn’t need Logan to point the way towards the werewolf woman who was in love with him. While he didn’t know her well, even after joining the wolves in an alliance a couple months earlier; his radar could pick out the only other werewolf in the park.
    They found the distressed brunette sitting on a park bench looking miserable. Her face was red and Nick could see hives starting to break out on the Kate’s skin. Green eyes looked up at him feverishly and she whimpered as she spied the large, blonde haired man coming for her, “Logan!”
    She was wearing shorts and a short sleeved shirt, which would make some of the healing process easier. The voran ordered Logan, as the former doctor looked ready to try and assess the situation rather than acting, “Hug her, touch her under the shirt even. I’ll use the towel on her legs.”
    Pulling Logan’s towel that he had used after his shower that morning from a gym bag with a couple pieces of clothing underneath, Nick rubbed it gently against her legs. Sighs of relief came from the suffering woman’s lips almost immediately. The red hives on her legs began to lighten like magic, while Logan placed his hands on her cheeks giving her a kiss before rubbing her arms. As Kate could feel each brush of the doctor’s hands bringing comfort with just a simple touch, the grateful woman hugged him even as he lifted her untucked shirt to touch her front and back.
    “What?” the woman started in confusion. She tried to clarify her questions, even as she spied Charlotte looking uncomfortable just seeing how much worse her situation could have been. “Did Eric tell you about this? You’re a life saver. My skin was burning everywhere.”
    Logan shook his head as he was the only one facing her at the moment, “Charlotte’s going through the same thing.”
    Looking over at the other woman, she smiled and asked, “You found a werewolf you like? I didn’t think any of the men in the pack were your type.”
    Charlotte averted her eyes and started to look away as if ashamed, but she answered even as her eyes glistened with unshed tears, “No, they aren’t my type. I don’t have anything in common with them other than being what we are.”
    Sliding her forefinger beneath her eyes to wipe away the oncoming tears, Charlotte couldn’t bring herself to finish the answer. Nick felt for her. It wasn’t like she had chosen him intentionally like Kate had with Logan. She liked him and he had been around for feelings to grow enough for the process to work, that was all.
    As they stood the girl up after easing most of her problem areas, Logan explained, “Charlotte bonded on Nick.”
    Her eyes widened and she asked, “I didn’t think we could do that with a human.”
    Shaking his head as the four started towards the car, the big man clarified for her as