Free Changed: 2 (Wolf's Den) by Aline Hunter

“Do you think she’ll hurt me? I thought you said you wouldn’t
let that happen.”
    “I’ll never let anyone hurt you,” he murmured, moving his
arm from the back of her head. He swept the backs of his knuckles over her
cheek. “Never, Rachel.”
    “Never is a long time.” It was supposed to be a joke but it
came out as a stark reality. Time wasn’t her enemy anymore. She didn’t have to
worry about old age, arthritis or cancer. She wasn’t susceptible to those
things anymore.
    “You have questions.” It wasn’t an observation but a
statement of fact. “Ask them.”
    Her heart raced, the fear of what she didn’t understand
suffocating her. Unable to look him in the eye, she lowered her gaze and asked,
“Where does your family live?” It wasn’t even close to one of the questions she
wanted to ask but it was a start.
    “Not far, just a few hundred miles away in Northridge.” He
turned his hand, palming her face. She didn’t want to meet his eyes but he
forced her to, waiting until their eyes met to say, “Now ask me the questions
you’re afraid to. You’ll stay terrified if you don’t. It’s understandable but
avoidable at this point. There’s no reason for you to be scared. Not anymore.”
    “Do werewolves eat children?” She winced at the accusation
in her tone. Now she sounded like a terrified child recanting the horror
stories of her youth. “I mean,” she tried to explain, “I’ve heard you
do. I’m not saying you do.”
    “Sunshine, no offense,” he sounded good-humored as always,
curiosity shining in his eyes, “but that’s probably the stupidest question I’ve
ever been asked.” She gritted her teeth, embarrassed yet again. He tempered her
anger with another gentle touch. “No, we don’t eat children. What other
nonsense have you heard?”
    A better question would be what nonsense hadn’t she heard.
When her mother was good and smashed she took joy in sharing horror stories.
Once Rachel assumed it was to keep her informed so she’d stay safe. As she’d
gotten older she’d questioned her mother’s motives. It didn’t make sense,
really. Not when her mom didn’t seem to care about the dangers of bringing
strange men to their home.
    “It doesn’t matter,” she confessed, humiliated at her lack
of true knowledge, “it’s probably all a lie anyway.”
    “If it scares you then it most definitely fucking matters,”
he corrected, an edge of anger appearing in his voice. “I won’t have you
frightened. Not when there’s nothing to be afraid of.”
    “Do you have any idea how terrifying it is to know I’m going
to turn into a wolf?” Maybe she should have kept it to herself but the idea did
frighten her—the mere thought of her body changing like that—more and more with
each passing second. “I’m not like you. Have you thought about that? Chloe told
me the first time could have been horrible if it weren’t for Jackson and she’s
half of what you are. What do you think it’ll be like for me? Let me clue you
in. I’m pretty sure it’ll be pure misery. And what if…” She didn’t want to say
it but she had to, she’d already opened the door to the barn, freeing all the
creatures inside. “What if it kills me? I’ve seen the news. Iknow that
humans have been bitten, gone to hospitals and didn’t make it out alive.”
    “I’m not going to lie to you.” He didn’t falter, staring her
down. “There have been humans who have died under rare circumstances. It
doesn’t happen often. The people you heard about on the news went to human
doctors for human medicine. We don’t work that way. I can’t describe it to you
but soon you’ll feel it. The connection of the pack makes sure changed members
find their way.” His faced softened, his eyes changing color, shifting from
brown to amber. “That’s one reason I’d like to get to know you. If you accept
me—if you’ll let me claim you before the full moon—there’s no chance anything
will happen