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Ethan was following her from a short distance behind, marking this as his territory all over the place.

She wanted to laugh if she could have. She knew it was an instinctual part of their wolf behavior, but she wouldn t give into it while she was running with another wolf.

When she was out here alone, sure, to let other animals know that a wolf was on the prowl.

She smelled the ocean, the rain, the scent of Douglas firs, and a bunny rabbit that had scurried off through the brush in a hurry.

She spied a red deer farther away in the woods, and when it saw her coming, it bounded away.

Glancing back to see if Ethan had seen it, she realized he was no longer behind her.

Then she heard movement coming through the underbrush to her left, and for a moment she was afraid it was a wild boar.

She turned to see Ethan and she smiled and shook her head.

He nuzzled her face in greeting, a few tendrils of black coastal huckleberry and red huckleberry threaded through his fur. She thought it was too funny.

When he shifted, they wouldn t need to pull the thorny plants off him.

They would just drop all over her floor.

That gave her an idea. Maybe she and he could pick berries sometime and make jam together.

That would be awesome, if he was willing to do that.

Tart Oregon grapes were out here too but they wouldn t be ripe until the fall, and they could make that into jam later on.

The more she did with him, the more she saw other possibilities.

They heard a coyote howl and others followed suit.

She hadn t planned to howl, but she figured now was the time to show she had a wolf pack out here.

Two wolves made up a pack, though she d never thought she would be thinking she would be part of a wolf pack that would include the wolf she had bitten!

She howled then and Ethan quickly joined her in her wolf s serenade.

She thought they sounded beautiful together.

She licked his face, and he nuzzled her neck, then licked her face too.

Then together as one, they howled, sending their wolves verse dancing through the forest, the coyotes now silent.

Good. Hopefully they had chased them away.

Then she and Ethan turned around and headed back to the house.

What a delightful night to run as wolves…

and with a companion? Even better. Especially when she heard the coyotes howling.

She suspected it might be a good idea if the two of them ran together anytime they wanted to take a run on the wild side and not on their own.

They made a dash for the patio that was covered, protecting them from the downpour, now that the trees didn t provide them with cover. Then she went through the wolf door first and Ethan followed her.

She shifted and got them some bath towels because although their bodies were dry, their legs and faces weren t. Did you have fun running through the berry bushes?

He chuckled as he dried off and then began pulling on his boxer briefs.

I thought I smelled a coyote or heard one so I headed in his direction to chase him off.

The next thing I knew, I was in a thicket of thorny huckleberry shrubs.

He picked up the thorns, stems, and berries he had dropped on the floor when he shifted, since the plants didn t have his fur to hold onto any longer.

He found her trash can in the kitchen and threw everything out but the berries. He set those on the counter.

If you would like, we could pick berries sometime and make jam out of them.

I was hoping you would say that.

She laughed. Right.

Yeah, right. I used to go picking wild blackberries and currant berries with my parents and we would make jam afterward. It s so much wilder flavored and beats anything you would find in the store.

Oh, I agree. Okay, that s a date. When we both have time…

Tomorrow afternoon? he asked.

She smiled. Sure.

Once they were both dressed, he gave her a kiss, not waiting to see if she would reject him. She didn t. She d had an absolutely wonderful time with him. It might not always work out that way as they started to really get to know each other. But for now, yeah, this was just what she needed.

She had enjoyed being in a relationship with a wolf and had dated wolves several times over the years.

One would never have left Florida, not even to visit Oregon with her.

One had a mother who didn t like that Charlene had been a homicide detective, and she was always finding ways to stop them from having a date.

Another just hadn t been romantic in the least. He had wanted to settle down, but she couldn t have imagined anything duller.

Date night was a TV show and popcorn—at home.

No eating out, movie theaters, or dancing at clubs.

But being with Ethan? This was lots more like what a good relationship should be.

Considerate of what she might like to do, no one interfering in their date plans, eager to get together with her. She loved that about him.

She opened her mouth slightly to his mouth in an invitation to take this a little further if he was game. And he was. He deftly kissed her deeply, like a man who knew how to do it in a sensuous way that made her want more of the kiss, and more of him.

But then she figured she had better cool it and call it a night before she ended up inviting him to stay over for the evening, when she was always a lot more cautious about new relationships than that.

He pressed his forehead to hers in a parting way, holding onto her shoulders, appearing to have a hard time letting go and leaving. She smiled. Tomorrow, be ready to pick berries. I ll make us lunch before we go hiking.

He smiled. That sounds good. What time?

Eleven? I like to do things early.

I ll be here at eleven. Then he pushed his luck and kissed her lips again, not softly or gently, but telling her just how much he liked kissing her, and she kissed him back in the same way, letting him know he was making all the right moves.

He smiled and left her house, and she locked the door after him.

She leaned her back against it, hoping she wasn t making a mistake or going too far too fast. She hadn t dated anyone new since she d called it quits with Noah so she was a little rusty at getting into a new relationship. She waved at Ethan out the window.

He was smiling, waving back. She was sure she made his night as much as he had made hers. She just hoped they would continue to enjoy the time together. It would be awful if they ended up not liking each other at all and had to live close to each other in such a small community.