Free Waking Sarah by Krystal Shannan Page A

proximity. And damn if he didn’t wrap his big strong arms around her every chance he got.
     
    Fuck the rules. She was quite sure her wolfly persona was just as hooked on Chris as she was. The dreams had been a little murky, but they’d all been about him.
     
    And what was this shit about Chase biting her? She didn’t want anyone biting her, wolf or otherwise. That little detail was bothering her, but Chris had said it was necessary. It bothered him though. She’d seen his fist clench.
     
    She sipped on her glass of iced tea and swiped the page on her reading tablet. She’d finished five books since arriving at this mountain retreat. Interestingly enough, two of them had been paranormal romances. Who knew it wasn’t all fiction. She shook her head.
     
    What the hell had she been thrown into the middle of?
     
    A thump at the door broke her stream of thoughts.
     
    “Hello, Sarah.”
     
    It was Kate.
     
    Sarah glanced at the clock on her night table. 11:45 p.m. It was time. Kate said midnight was the strongest time to connect with the magick. Something about the moon enhancing her powers.
     
    She slid off the bed and slipped her feet into her tennis shoes. “I’m coming. The door is open.”
     
    Kate pushed the bedroom door open and waited patiently.
     
    Sarah reached for her coat, but Kate shook her head. “You can take it, but you won’t need it for long.”
     
    “Why?”
     
    “You will have to undress for the ceremony.”
     
    Naked? Nerves locked her muscles in place. Nobody had said anything about being naked, though she should have put two and two together. That’s why there were clothes scattered all over the porch of the inn. She’d seen Chris grab those pants in a hurry when he’d changed earlier today.
     
    They were always prepared to be naked.
     
    “I’m not sure I’m okay with that. It’s freezing outside, and what about my mom and dad?”
     
    “They will not be there. It’s not safe. You won’t be cold once the magick is called up. The energy acts like a personal heater...and transforming in clothes is not an option.”
     
    “Explains why y’all walk around dressed like it’s the Fourth of July in Texas every day.”
     
    Kate smiled. “Come on, honey. It’s time.”
     
    “Why didn’t you tell me Chase was going to bite me?” Sarah asked on their way down the staircase. The inn was eeriely quiet. No one was in the main common area.
     
    “I was worried you would overreact.” Kate paused, looking over. “Who told you?”
     
    “Chris.”
     
    “It will hurt, but only for a moment. It’s not necessary for the transformation, but it’s necessary to ground your wolf. She’s been alone for so long. She will need the anchor.”
     
    Sarah followed Kate out the back door onto the deck behind the inn. The air was like ice, and the wind cut through the sweatshirt she was wearing, making her teeth chatter. Magickal heater, my ass. It’s freezing out here.
     
    Chris stood at the edge of the deck with a flashlight.
     
    “It feels like summer camp, and we are sneaking out after curfew.”
     
    He flashed a white-toothed grin and pulled her close, tucking her body under his arm and against his surprisingly warm chest, especially considering he was wearing only a T-shirt and jeans.
     
    “Sorry it’s so cold.”
     
    “I’m-m-m doing b-better now.”
     
    Chris and Kate both laughed aloud.
     
    “Laugh it up, b-but I d-don’t have a built-in magickal f-force field yet.”
     
    “It’s not a force field,” Chris snorted. “Our bodies are just always warmer.”
     
    I can tell.
     
    They passed through the edge of the treeline and continued down a narrow path. It seemed familiar, but it was very dark, and the trees all looked the same. When they stepped out into a clearing, she knew why the path had been familiar. They’d come to the same clearing where Chris had taken her before.
     
    A large bonfire was burning in the center of the clearing, and everyone was