Page 35 of Bewitched by the Werewolf (The Bewitching Hour #5)

Ryder’s cabin is exactly that, a small single story picturesque log cabin set in a cute meadow surrounded by thick dense woods.

The road changed from paved to gravel about a mile or so ago and there are no neighbors to be seen.

A perfect spot for a killer beast, or a shifter who likes his privacy.

So far there’s been no indication that Ryder is a killer, nor his beast form.

He could have easily taken me out that night in the forest, but he didn’t.

I can only hope the other shifters are like him.

Ryder pulls up and parks not far from the front door to the cabin. We hop out of his pickup and I follow him, checking my surroundings for anything out of place or suspicious. Other than the fact that the front door is unlocked and we walk right in, nothing seems unusual about the cabin.

Inside is just as quaint as outside. Wood paneling and furniture, a soft cushy looking couch and chairs, a wood burning fireplace and paintings of landscapes hanging on the walls.

There’s a small kitchen to my right with a dining table and four chairs, while the cozy living room is to my left.

A small hallway is straight ahead leading to a few doors.

It can’t have more than one bedroom, it’s not big enough.

“Rustic,” I say as we enter the cabin.

Ryder looks around taking in the space as if he hadn’t realized it before.

“I guess you could call it that. I prefer comfortable, or lived in. This cabin has been in the family for generations and has been used for many occasions and guests. Lottie was staying here before she moved to the main house with Hunter.”

“You have a main house?”

Is Ryder rich? I hadn’t considered this before, since he’s just the sheriff. I did discover his brother is the mayor though. Maybe it’s Hunter’s house? But then where does Ryder live if this isn’t his home?

“Yeah, me and Hunter live there. It’s about a mile or so north from here. But he and Lottie needed some space, if you know what I mean. I just moved into the cabin today. It’s usually only used for short term stays but if Lottie moves in permanently, I may be staying here longer than expected.”

“Oh? Is she thinking about moving here? I didn’t realize she was considering it, since her life and career are back in Los Angeles. How long has she been in town?”

“About as long as you have,” he says completely casually.

“And she’s already considering relocating and moving in with your brother?”

Ryder just shrugs and leads me into the living room, where I plop down onto the sofa and realize it is as comfortable as it looks. Man, I could spend some afternoons napping on this thing like a cat.

“When shifters find their mates, they’re not likely to be separated from them so easily.”

I shift in my seat, repositioning to face him more fully as he sits on the other end of the couch. He’s already started dropping shifter bombs that I need to dissect.

“Mates? As in fated by the gods, mates? No other shall ever be enough kind of thing?” Ryder stares at me like I’m crazy, which to be fair, this entire situation is a little crazy.

“Something like that. More like they are perfectly matched to one another and no other shall fit as seamlessly. We have no idea if there is a god involved or not.”

“So, you don’t have like, special gods you pray to or something?”

He shakes his head and relaxes back into the sofa, his legs spreading to get more comfortable. I have the strangest urge to crawl across the couch and into his lap. Weird.

“No, we don’t pray to any god or gods, other than the ones humans do.”

“You’re telling me there are Buddhist shifters?” I ask incredulously.

“Probably. I don’t personally know any, but I’m sure they’re out there.”

Okay, wow, this is already a lot to take in. I’m also a little disappointed there isn’t some moon goddess and special religion or rituals they perform. I was kinda hoping to see one. Oh well.

I strip off my leather jacket and fling it over the arm of the couch and settle in for a long conversation, because I have a lot of questions.

~

“Okay, wait, so you’re telling me you can shift into two different wolf forms?”

Ryder just got done explaining his three freaking forms, and it had never occurred to me that a werewolf/shifter would have more than human and beast.

“Yes. A basic wolf to easier blend in when we feel the need to shift and run but can’t shift into our true form, or what many like to call our beast form. My sister likes to call it beast mode for some reason.”

I’ve heard more about his sister Ginger as he explained his family and how shifters are made.

Apparently, just like any human is made, with sex.

Shifters are born shifters unless they have a parent who is human, then they’re only half and their shifting abilities vary.

Ryder and his two siblings are full shifters, as both their parents are and their parents before them and so on.

His family also owns the land the town resides on, as well as hundreds more acres that they let any and all shifters access when needed.

Since they’re completely surrounded by national forest, it’s highly unlikely anyone would stumble upon them accidentally.

Which is why my appearance in town was so noticeable.

Ryder also informs me his sister is a tech wizard and hacker and has been keeping a close eye on my website. If the conspiracy theorists could hear this, they would be flipping their lids.

He goes over mates and how they sense each other, that when bonded they possess an internal radar to sense them and if they’re injured. Which seems pretty cool. I’m learning shifters are possessive and protective and being able to always locate their mate seems like something they would have.

As I ask more questions about shifters, I’m slowly learning they aren’t that different from the rest of us. Sure, they live longer, have super senses and the ability to completely transform their body into something else, but they’re also still just people.

“How often do you feel the need to shift?”

“It varies by person. Some more than others, but if we don’t shift often enough the beast inside gets restless and pushes its way out uncontrolled, and that can be a problem. Which is why we have all this land, so we can shift without fear.”

Makes sense I guess, now that I’ve completely abandoned any previous conceptions of werewolves.

“How often do you shift? Like once a week or every day?”

Ryder fidgets in his seat and averts his gaze. “I don’t need to shift very often.”

“Like what? Once a month? Every other week? When you shifted in the woods the other night and I saw you, how long had it been since you last shifted?”

My questions and pestering seem to make Ryder increasingly uncomfortable and I’m not sure why. He was the one who brought me here to talk about shifters. So why would he be uncomfortable?

He clears his throat before answering. “Less than a week. Which is unusual for me. It’s because of the blood moon.”

I perk up, having completely forgotten about the blood moon and how I used it as an excuse to be in town. I’ve been a little preoccupied with Ryder and learning about shifters.

“That’s right. I kept hearing about the blood moon in town. What exactly is so special about it?”

“Lunar eclipses are always more significant, it being a blood moon just amplifies the effects. As I’ve said, the full moon doesn’t force us to shift like those stupid movies and stories claim.

A lunar eclipse and blood moon, however, does in a way.

It’s a need and desire that we can’t ignore.

If we do, the beast just takes over and forces a shift.

Some can control it but not many. We don’t become mindless monsters,” he clarifies. “We just shift like normal and…”

His words drift off and I can’t tell if he’s going to continue or not.

“And what?” I push. He can’t dangle that carrot in front of me and leave it at that.

“Well, most of adult age, become…excited.”

“Excited?” I deadpan. He’s going to have to be more specific than that. “Excited how?”

Ryder shifts in his seat again, straightening his back and rubbing his palms on his jean clad thighs. “ Sexually excited,” he finally admits. “It’s a very carnal reaction. Our beasts may not be monsters, but we do revert to more basic needs. Eat, hunt, chase…fuck.”

Well okay then. Horny shifter beasts will be running in the forest in a matter of days getting their freak on. Cool. That’s not weird at all.

“Oh. And all shifters participate in this fuck fest?”

“Most. Some just run until the urge passes. Especially those who don’t have someone to chase and work out their needs with.”

I wonder if he’s one of those shifters. Does he have someone to chase and work out his need within the forest during this heated frenzy?

The thought is unsettling, and again a flutter of jealousy spikes my pulse.

Then an unbidden image appears in my head of Ryder chasing me through the forest and pinning me to the ground, which only increases my heart rate.

At first, he’s the beast I remember from the forest, but by the time he has me pinned under him he’s all man and completely naked.

I can feel heat warming my cheeks and I try to steady my breathing. The image is exciting to say the least.

Ryder’s attention returns to me, and he looks me over curiously, sniffing the air. Shit, can he smell jealousy? Forget that, can he smell horniness?

“What are you thinking about, little Red?”

Ah crap, he can smell me.

“Nothing.”

He inhales another long deep breath and lets out a soft growl as he exhales. “You’re lying. I can smell you. You like the idea of being chased through the woods?” he asks in a low raspy tone.

I should probably lie and say no, but he’d probably just be able to tell I’m lying again.

“Maybe. It sounds…interesting.”

“How interesting?”

Ryder is now fully focused on me, his eyes hooded and dark are locked on me like a laser target.

He twists to face me, placing one hand on the cushions between us and leaning in closer.

The couch isn’t huge, just one of those standard three cushion ones.

Which means when he leans over the middle cushion, he’s close enough I can smell him. Citrusy orange and cinnamon sticks.

I can’t take my eyes off him as he subtly shifts closer to me on the couch.

I swallow hard when I notice the bulge at his groin.

I should really not be looking at his groin, that is a bad idea.

I scold myself and force my eyes back up to his.

He’s closer now and I can see his pupils expanding, nearly consuming the silver ring around them.

Even if I didn’t know what he was, I would know he was a predator with the hunger and focus in his gaze.

“Um, I don’t know. The average amount of interesting?”

My tongue becomes limp and useless in my mouth as he scoots even closer.

His arm stretches across the back of the couch, surrounding me in his scent and presence.

But I’m not afraid, oh no. I’m only getting hotter and more aroused with every inch that disappears between us.

His entire being calling to me and demanding I reciprocate. Lean in and press myself to him.

The urge is so deep in my soul, I’m almost to shocked by its intensity to do anything. Apparently, where my brain is incapable of understanding what’s going on between us, my body knows exactly how to behave.

Since I’m shorter than Ryder, it’s easy to slip under his raised arm, positioning myself perfectly against his side and chest. Pressing gently into his heated skin.

His chin dips and his nose grazes against my temple, sending a shiver down my spine.

“Tell me again how interested you are in being chased, Red. Would you let me catch you? Or would you shoot me with your crossbow again?” he whispers against my skin causing goosebumps to appear where his breath touches. Somehow I manage a response.

“I would never let you catch me. You’d have to do that yourself.”

A near painful groan slips from Ryder as his head dips lower and I feel his lips brush against the sensitive skin of my neck. “If you were to run from me, I would always catch you.”

“Awfully sure of yourself, Officer,” I gently tease in a breathy tone that was intended to be sassy but comes out more sultry.

Ryder’s low chuckle reverberates against my neck and shoulder, and I can feel the smile on his lips as he again speaks directly against my skin.

“You want me to catch you, therefore, I will. It’s as simple as that.”

I don’t think there’s anything simple going on right now. I’m actually considering letting this man chase me through the woods as a beast, just so he can catch me and fuck me as a man. The words explaining it may be simple, but the meaning behind them is not.

I want him. Even knowing what he is, I still want him. Like a coyote on a carcass, I can’t pull away. I found him and he smells delicious. I want to devour him.

Then all rational thoughts flee as his lips make contact with my pulse against my throat.