CANDACE

Whoever said sleeping alone in the wild is a good idea?I tossed and turned, trying to tune out the sounds of animals around me, seeking sleep but it came to no avail.I regretted leaving out of impulse, seeing as I wasn't in the right frame of mind to have taken things along.I had no money, clothes, or even food to eat.I had to keep walking straight, even though I'd lost track of where I was right now, yesterday, I crossed a large mountain sneaking past the barriers in search of food.Throughout my one-week self-imposed journey, I hadn't met anyone else on the route I took and many times, I thought about turning around to beg Tyler but once I remembered the humiliation and pain I faced at their hands, it strengthened my resolve to keep walking.Folding my hands beneath my head to serve as a pillow, I turned to lay on my back so I could watch the night sky.It was so calm and serene, coupled with the cool evening breeze, I didn't know when my eyes fluttered close and I descended into a dreamless sleep.I was a light sleeper, used to staying alert in case those wimps back home tried to pull one on me, so I was easily alert to noise.A light shuffling alerted her to the presence of something in those bushes, and my eyes flung wide open.I immediately rolled into a crouch, hiding behind the rock so I could peek out.My eyesight wasn't as clear as normal werewolves, so I had to creep closer to get a better look.It was a rabbit.That was when my stomach chose the perfect time to rumble in protest, reminding me that I hadn't had much to eat since I left.The rumbling sound alerted the rabbit and it picked up its pace.Realizing that this might be the only meal I might see for the next few days, I jumped over the rocks and gave pursuit.The faster I ran, the more my body became hot and I started to feel weird sensations in my body.It got so bad that my vision went double, making me misjudge the height I was supposed to leap over.My foot snagged on a rock, making me tumble down a small hill.I tucked my head into my chest as I rolled down, praying I didn't hit anything on my way down.A rock stopped my momentum, my back hitting it with such force, that I thought I heard my bone popping in pain.I wasn't sure if it was due to the pain but the weird sensations doubled in intensity.My hands were trembling so badly that I couldn't stand up.I gritted my teeth against the pain, practicing my breathing exercises to ride the pain out.It didn't work. If anything, it made it more acute.My head began to pound harder, and my stomach felt like it was being taken through the grinder.I lost my vision, and then that was when it happened.The most painful thing I never wished to experience in my life.The Change.I almost couldn't believe it but the popping and cracking sound my bones were making was a testament to what was happening.“Arghhhhhh!” I screamed, throwing my head back to yell into the clouds.The pain was indescribable, feeling hot all over.My bones popped, the bone coming clean out of my flesh.My leg lengthened, fur sprouting over my skin.In less than three seconds, the Change was completed, and where a helpless, young woman was replaced by a massive six-foot-tall brown wolf.Holy. Fucking. Shit!EthanWhy did I agree to marry Trish again? I thought, slamming the door behind me as I stalked outside to get some fresh air after a particularly heavy fight with Trish.Trish and I were to be mated soon but she was already proving to be a thorn in my flesh.The glass of whiskey was held loosely in my hand, the other gripping the edge of the porch.I gulped down the entire thing, relishing its burn down my throat.But it wasn't enough, I could still hear her tiny, whining voice in my head.Adding to that, it was a full moon and I felt restless, my wolf itching to get out and roam the wild freely.It was one of those nights that you couldn't ignore the call, so I said fuck it.Leaping over the edge of the porch, I started to run away from the house, heading straight for the trees.I grabbed the hem of my shirt, lifting it over my head as I ran.I called on my wolf, breathing in deeply while I let down the mental barriers that kept my wolf at bay, giving him free rein over my mind.It took me years to practice such self-control and only I treated my wolf form as an extension of myself.In seconds, the Change was complete and I streaked so fast into the bush faster than you could blink.I was wild and free, all worries, troubles, and responsibilities faded away and I was left to enjoy the serene atmosphere, chasing around small rodents.I was content until…“Arghhh!” A sharp scream pierced the air and my senses immediately went on alert.I changed direction, heading towards where the sound came from.It was up ahead, near the stream that I found her.She smelled different, so I instantly knew that she wasn't one of us.Coupled with the fact that she was beautiful as hell.She whimpered, curling into a ball and I snapped out of it, realizing that I'd been staring at a naked woman.I left her there, walking a couple of feet west to where I would find spare clothes tied around a tree, and changed back into my human form.I kept clothes stashed around the estate in case the urge to Change happened anywhere.By the time I got back to her, she was almost unconscious so I bent down to cradle her soft body in my arms.“You're safe now,” I whispered, walking towards the house