Free Betting the Moon: Cannon Pack, Book 4 by Beverly Rae Page A

I’ll stay calm.”
    “The Change isn’t easy, you know. Bones break and reform, and the noise can be unsettling to humans. In fact, the whole thing can be pretty gruesome to watch. You might want to close your eyes until it’s over.”
    “Not a chance. I want to see.” She clamped her mouth closed, catching the who I’m getting involved with from slipping out. As far as she knew, their involvement would be over once the tournament was finished.
    He tilted his head, his expression serious and thoughtful, and she waited for him to decide. At last, he flung off the covers and strode to the other side of the room. His enticing buttocks flexed as he kept his back to her, then swung his arms as though warming up for a run. The muscles in his broad back flexed with each swing.
    Damn, but he was hot.
    All of a sudden, he stopped. Had he changed his mind? She stared at him and was about to ask what had happened. She opened her mouth, ready to question him, then blinked once. Then twice. Was her eyesight getting bad? Why did he look fuzzy?
    Then it hit her. The distinct outline of his body was dissolving, growing hazy. He was shifting.
    Crack!
    The sound startled her and she clamped a hand to her mouth. Was that a bone breaking?
    Tucker’s arms twisted, turning toward the front of his body. His butt, so enticing before, became narrower, then lengthened at the end. More cracking sounds made her grit her teeth against the agonizing sounds, but she wouldn’t look away.
    Without warning, he dropped to the floor, still with his back to her. She yanked the sheet and held it under her chin like a protective shield and watched, mesmerized as his legs broke in half then reformed.
    Oh, my God.
    She pulled the sheet higher, just under her eyes, like she was watching a horror movie she couldn’t turn off. A film spread over his body, turning tanned skin to white.
    Fur. He’s growing fur.
    Spellbound more than any hex could ever do, she couldn’t take her gaze from him. Her gut clenched as she balled the sheet in her hands and waited, unable to look away. She gasped as a long, white tail broke through his skin. His body shook, then slowly, he turned to face her.
    His face contorted, growing longer and narrower. His mouth, no longer human, spread wider until jaws formed and fierce white teeth showed as he drew back his lips in a snarl. Ears sprouted from human ears, and the last resemblance to a human’s head was gone.
    The white wolf, bigger than any she’d ever seen, padded toward her, then stopped. He tilted his head to side, reminding her of how he’d done so earlier.
    “Tucker?” It was silly to ask, but she had to anyway.
    He bobbed his head once, then one more time, and took another step closer. She held her breath and waited. Would he attack her?
    They stood staring at each other for a minute or more before she found the strength to move. Dropping the sheet, she scooted toward the end of the bed on her hands and knees. He gave a low growl, one that sounded more tentative than angry.
    “Tucker?”
    Amber eyes regarded her as though waiting for her to go on.
    “Tucker. You’re frickin’ amazing.”
    The grin sliding over the wolf’s face was unmistakable.
     
     
    “Are you ready?” Tucker, dressed in a crisp white shirt and jeans that hugged his body in all the right places, closed the door behind him and strode into Mari’s hotel room. She tingled just looking at him, but once she started remembering him stuck to the chair, his wild eyes scouring her body, the tingle transformed into a full-blown bolt of electricity. If only they had time… She’d love to do more than imagine the possibilities.
    “I am.” Mari shoved her lustful thoughts away and tried to appear more confident than she felt. Tucker’s expectant look had her averting her face from his, and she checked her lipstick in the mirror, then fluffed her hair.
    Fake it until you make it.
    Was the phrase one of Tommy’s? Or one she’d heard somewhere