Page 5 of Wishing for a Werewolf

Babybelle’s tail flicks, and she bleats a challenge as she races around the Wishing Well.

I take off after her, keeping my pace slow to prolong the chase.

We run around and around the well, and Autumn starts laughing, the throaty, rich noise bewitching. “You two look like a cartoon!”

“I don’t know what that is.” Speeding up, I lean over and scoop Babybelle from the air at the apex of one of her skipping hops. Her little heart pounds a quick flutter in her chest as my hand cradles her, racing from the run.

“It’s an animated TV show, usually for children,” Autumn says, as I stride toward her.

“I still don’t know what that is, but if it’s something pups like, I want to find out.”

“You have children?”

“Not of my own.” I shake my head and hand Babybelle to her. “I have a niece and nephew. Now that I’ve secured a house, they’ll visit soon.”

“Which house?”

“The one this property belongs to.”

“You bought the old Clemmons place? That makes us neighbors.” She hooks a thumb over her shoulder to point south. “The Ferndale Falls Goat Farm is right on the other side of the property line. That’s not going to be a problem, is it?”

A frown tugs at my lips. Does she dislike fae? No, I’ve seen her glance admiringly at the orc bartender in the town pub, so it can’t be that. Is itmeshe doesn’t like? A growl vibrates through me at the thought. “What do you mean?”

“You know. You’re a wolf.” Autumn flaps a hand toward me, then cups it around Babybelle’s head, pulling the animal closer in a protective gesture. “And we raise goats. Aren’t they your prey or something?”

“The cu sith donothunt domesticated animals.” My lips peel back from my fangs. “There’s no honor in it.”

“Okay, okay, don’t get your panties in a twist.”

“I assure you I’m not wearing panties.”

“More of a boxers kind of guy?” Her lips curl at the corners, and she snaps her fingers and points at me. “Or no! I know! Boxer briefs. You seem like the athletic type.”

“Wrong on both counts.”

She shoots me an assessing gaze as if trying to see through my pants, and part of me wants to rip free of the restraining fabric. I’m not yet used to wearing clothing, but I’ve learned enough to know humans have some fairly odd nudity taboos.

“Well, then what is it? Because putting a good-looking guy like you in tighty whities should be a crime.”

“You find me good-looking?” I lean forward.

“Not the part of the sentence I wanted you to focus on,” she mutters under her breath.

“And yet it’s the part I find most fascinating.”

“You heard that?” she yelps, her eyes going wide.

I touch the pointed tip of one ear. “Fae, remember.”

“Damn,” she breathes. When she sees my lips twitch, she groans. “You heard that, too. Okay. That’s it. You owe me embarrassment points or something, so fess up. What kind of underweardoyou have on?”

I lean even closer, pulled like a moth to her flame. Her hair is fire,myfire. I growl, “I don’t wear underwear.”

CHAPTER THREE

Autumn

Deep breaths, Autumn, I tell myself. Keep taking deep breaths.