Page 27

And then, I made up my mind. I had to protect her and love her no matter what. It wasn’t her fault after all. I guess I should learn to let go of the past and move on, like everyone else. Healers could be useful for those werewolves around the world today.
I smiled back at Tali and took three big strides towards her. Lifting my hand, I pushed it into her soft fur, enjoying how good it felt. I looked into those green eyes and said, “Hey, Talis. You’re beautiful, babe.”
Because it was true. She was stunning. A bit of a mess, like the rest of us really.
I sat next to her and rested my head against her tired body. I could tell she’d fallen asleep from being knackered after the first couple of changes, because her breathing was so deep. Then, I too was dragged into the darkness and pulled into a deep sleep.
Just to let you know, I’ve got a few more things to add.
I felt my head hit the ground hard as my pillow ran away, squealing. I opened my eyes quickly, rubbed the back of my head and groaned.
She should already be in human form.
I got up, brushing the dirt off my white polo shirt. “Talis?” I shouted, casting my eyes around, but I couldn’t find anything.
“Over here!” she shouted back, waving her hand behind a tree and sticking her head out. I smiled when I saw her sexy bed head, even if it were covered in leaves. Her cheeks were flushed and her head had a bit of dirt on it. I thought she was cute, but I have to admit that she did look sexy.
I started to walk over to her, but she picked up her hand and yelled, “Nuh-uh! Stay where you are!”
“What? Why?” I asked, sounding a bit hurt, from a distance. I made a face and put my hands in my pockets. She stuck her head out again, her cheeks all red, and gave me a pointed look.
“You know why,” she said, pouting.
“No, I don’t,” I said, confused, shaking my head and looking down. Was she worried that I might hate her for what she was? I didn’t want her to think that. I was about to say something, but she cut me off. “Come out from behind the tree so we can have a chat.”
“You don’t?” She asked, raising an eyebrow. She looked at my face as I nodded at her, taking a little step towards her. She hid behind the tree again before yelling, “Don’t come closer. I swear, Kieran Zachary Redford.”
“Why not?” I asked, waving off that she used my full name.
“Well, I’m not wearing anything, so that’s why!” She said what she was thinking. I froze as I was about to take another step and went red as all the dirty thoughts came into my head. Wow! I spent the whole night with my head on her soft skin and I didn’t even realise? I know it’s a bit weird, but if you were a guy, you’d get it. She poked her head out again and looked down at the bulge that had returned just a minute ago. Trust me. Waking up is the second hardest thing in the morning – if you know what I mean. “Oi, you pervert,” she said, blushing a deeper shade of red. I just laughed and let the awkward silence fill in. “Aren’t you going to give me my dress?”
“Nah,” I said. “It’s all torn up from when you changed last night.”
“Ugh!” She groaned and I couldn’t help but think something naughty as she said that word.
“Here, use my shirt,” I said, taking off my shirt and feeling eyes on my chest. I couldn’t help but shiver at her gaze, even if this was probably like the thousandth time she’d looked at my chest. It never got old for her and her reaction never got old for me.
I threw the shirt at her outstretched hand and she caught it perfectly. She stuck her hand back behind the tree and I heard her sigh as she put it on. I couldn’t help laughing when she said she didn’t like my scent.
She came back out, looking a bit shy, and I couldn’t help but look down at her long legs and curves that were on show in my baggy shirt. I was lucky that the white polo was made of thick material because if it was sheer and I saw every inch of her, I don’t know what I would do. She stopped a few inches away from the tree and shifted her foot as if she was self-conscious about her body. I couldn’t help but lick my lips at her body. It didn’t help with her bedhead hair. I groaned and said, “Why do you have to be so beautiful?”
“What? No sexy? No hot? Isn’t that what guys say?” She asked, laughing shyly.
“What? No way. When a guy says a girl is hot, he’s only looking at her body. If a guy says a girl is pretty, he’s only looking at her face. But when a guy says a girl is beautiful, he’s looking at her heart as well as her looks. Believe me when I say that you’re gorgeous. You’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.”
“And how many girls have you told that to?” She asked, laughing again.
“About thirty, but only once did I mean it,” I replied, giving her a heated gaze to tell her she was the one. I smiled gently at her and she smiled back. She gave me a playful roll of her eyes before going back to just chatting. But, of course, I broke the silence and joked, “Come on, big girl. Don’t I get a good morning kiss?”
I made a bit of a silly face as she laughed and came over to me. I felt a stronger connection towards her because she had changed last night. I felt so much better and more relaxed when I got her lovely strawberry smell and held her close to me, putting my arms around her tiny waist and enjoying the heat radiating off her body.
I pressed my lips against hers and kissed her deeply – every kiss better than the last. “Hi there,” I whispered, leaning my head against her forehead and watching as her eyes fluttered open.
Tali smiled and said, “Hey there, Kier. You’re so corny.”
“Just for you, darling,” I said, giving her a kiss on the nose.
Oh yeah, I was definitely going to love her no matter what form she was in.
Tali’s POV.
“Can I ask you something?” I asked Kieran quietly, thinking about what had happened last night. I’m still feeling the pain in my gut and can hear my screams in my ear. And the most important part of all… Why did I change into a werewolf?
Kieran squeezed my hand, which was holding his. He was shirtless and I really tried to stop staring at his chest. He kissed my forehead and sighed, like he was trying to calm me down. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure you’ve got loads of questions after what went down last night.”
I nodded and ran my fingers through my rough hair. For some reason, the bit of light that made it into the forest looked really bright. I could practically see the dust particles floating around. My sense of smell was also unavoidable. I could smell Aunt Mabel’s famous caramel nut pancakes even before I saw my house.
“Did I…?” I started to say, but then the loud noise of a bird’s chirp cut me off. It was like the sound of screeching tyres, but even louder. I jumped, cringing, into Kieran. I thought the best thing to do right now was to clamp my hands over my ears and squeeze my eyes.
“Talis, you all right?” Kieran asked, his voice cracking as he rubbed a hand down my back. “I promise everything’s going to be fine.”
“What the hell?” I screamed, and even my voice sounded more melodic – more smooth. I stopped, pointed my finger at him. “Kieran Andrew, what’s going on with me?”
He raised his hands up in the air and laughed. “Andrew isn’t my middle name, by the way! I don’t even have a middle name!”
“Stop changing the subject and tell me what’s going on with me,” I said, crossing my arms above my chest.
Kieran let out another sigh, running his hands through his unkempt hair. “Look, it’s not my place to tell you what’s going on. It really isn’t. But, what I’ll tell you is that your mum is hiding things from you that you have the right to know.”
“Are you going to tell me what’s going on, or what?” I said, seething. I was so annoyed that I grinding my teeth. That was the line. It was just a sign that I was angry, and nobody likes being around someone who’s had enough.
“Can you just wait, babe?” Kieran begged, grabbing my elbow. I threw his arm away, shocked at my newfound strength. I could feel the tears starting to well up, and my lip was quivering. Kieran noticed his shoulder was slumped and he let out a sigh. “Just a couple more minutes and I promise you’ll be in the loop.”
“You just don’t get it. How I feel?” Why the hell have I been feeling so emotional lately? I felt like an old, grumpy woman on the premenstrual cycle, but on rewind. I wiped away a stray tear. “I’m not sure what’s going on with me. Do you have any idea how I feel about not knowing if I’m dying or something?”
“Wow, Talis. You aren’t dying,” he said, sounding a bit annoyed. He ran a hand down his face. “I’m really struggling not telling you. Trust me.”
“OK then,” I said. Then, I started to walk away, ignoring his constant calling and the way he was walking literally on my heels.