Wicked, she must be wicked through and through, because the thought of being his weakness excited her. The tip of her fingernail glided over the tip of his manhood, and he shucked the cossacks altogether. He and Elise now lay naked together, and she instinctively knew there would be no turning back. Not now. Not ever.

"Do you know about the first time?" he asked, his heated gaze staring down at her. "Do you know about the pain?"

Pain? No, Elise knew nothing about intimate matters between men and women. Her uncle had only told her they were to be avoided at all cost until she went to her marriage bed. He'd offered her nothing else upon the subject. She shook her head.

Sterling sighed and pressed his forehead to hers. "I'll be as gentle as I can. Trust me, Elise."

She trusted him completely. A woman couldn't love a man she couldn't trust. "Make me a woman. Make me your woman."

Her trust should have been enough to shrivel him. But it did not. He wanted her more than life, more than a normal life, leastwise. A beast, whether brought by a curse or nay, lived inside of all men. The beast was upon him now, and having her beneath him, soft subtle skin stretched over womanly curves, he could not deny what she offered him. He could not resist the love shining from her eyes. He wanted that, to be loved. To love in return without fear of what the loving might cost him. Tonight, he would show no fear.

He touched her where he knew her sensation centered. Stroked her until she moved against him, hot, wet, ready for him. He took her to the edge of sanity, and as soon as he felt the tremors begin, he entered her in one great thrust. Her shocked cry of pain mingled with her moans of release and his own deep groans of heaven and hell. Hell that he had hurt her, heaven to be inside of her, buried to the hilt within her tight confines. The force of her release squeezed him until he thought he would spill himself. He grappled for control, then bent to kiss the tears from her cheeks. "The pain is over, Elise. Now there will be only pleasure." Eyes bright with tears, she stared up at him, and although her voice trembled, she said, "I could do with more pleasure and less pain. I trust you to keep your word upon the matter." He smiled down at her. What a marvel. How brave and passionate despite her strict upbringing. She was the type of woman men dreamed about but seldom found. And tonight, she belonged to him and he to her. He began to move, slowly, gently, to show her that the pain would not come again. Gradually, her hips arched against him of their own will. He lost himself inside of her. All thoughts but the feel, scent, and taste of her left his mind. He nibbled upon her ear and whispered, "Dance for me, Elise."

She did dance for him. She gyrated her hips against his, gasping when the motion drew him deeper-down into the very core of her. They were slick with sweat against each other, drowning in the moist heat of seeking mouths and tangled limbs. With each steady thrust, he fanned the flame higher and higher. She was consumed by him-by the friction of their joined bodies, the tingling, the building force that sent her ever closer to the edge of madness. When the shudders wracked her, she arched against him, calling his name over and over as she burst, heat and pleasure spreading through her like a slow burn. He thrust deep, paused as if on the brink of his own fall to death, then pulled from her abruptly, his body jerking, his words a jumble of curses and endearments that sent her cheeks to flaming even hotter.

He rolled to his side and pulled her close, their hearts pounding against each other in unison. "I didn't know," she whispered, awed by the force of what had taken place between them. "I didn't know it would be this way. That loving you would make me feel so complete."

Sterling kissed the top of her head. "I didn't know, either," he admitted. "Until you, I had only walked in darkness. My heart and my eyes closed. Now, all will be different for me."

Odd, but he hadn't made his last statement sound as if he found the change appealing. Elise snuggled closer to his warmth. "Would it shock you if I told you that I would like for you to love me again?"

His lips touched her ear. "It would shock and delight me," he said. "I had thought I would be forced to seduce you again before morning. You save me the trouble."

She sighed. "I would hate to be a bother."

"You are a bother," he assured her. "But you are worth it. You are worth everything."

And his lips halted any further comment she might make.

CHAPTER 13.

Elise woke with a man wrapped around her. She smiled, winced at the tenderness of her mouth, tried to move, and discovered she was tender in other areas as well. She glanced at Sterling. He looked almost boyish in sleep. Very much the innocent. She frowned, recalling last night when she hadn't thought him innocent-looking, when she hadn't even thought he looked like Sterling.

Memories of warm bodies moving against each other merged with those terrifying moments when she realized the cobra had crawled into her cot. Elise had no doubt now that the rumors surrounding Mora were true. She would unleash her snakes upon a woman if she fought for the same man's favor.

Sterling would confront the woman, but Elise felt it was her place, not his. If she planned to live a life of adventure with Sterling and the traveling troupe, Elise must learn to stand up for herself. She eased her body from beneath Sterling, careful to be quiet while she quickly prepared for the day.

The group had already gathered around the breakfast fire. Elise marched up to them and narrowed her gaze upon Mora.

"The next time you unleash one of your snakes inside my wagon, I'll chop off its head with a butcher knife! Then, I'll come after you."

Mora rose from her crouched position. "I do not know what you are speaking of, but I do not like being threatened, or accused of something that I did not do."

"Where is your cobra?" Elise demanded.

The snake charmer shrugged. "He must have gotten out at some time last night. I no longer have the snake."

"What is going on here?" Philip asked, stepping between them. "I settle disputes among the players."

"She turned her snake loose inside of my wagon," Elise informed Philip. "If Sterling hadn't come in and thrown it outside, I would most likely be dead."

The caravan leader frowned. "Did you do this, Mora?"

"It is her word against mine," Mora challenged. "The Beast Tamer would say anything she tells him to say. She has cast a spell over him."

Philip said, "No, Sterling is good for his word. Fetch him, Elise. I want his confirmation of your accusations."

Elise stood her ground. "It is my word that I ask you to trust, Philip. I danced last night to earn my way, will continue to dance. I ask you to accept me as one of your troupe, and judge me as a separate person from Sterling."

"Elise wouldn't lie," Dawn cut in. "She's my friend. If she says Mora tried to kill her, then it's true."

Elise smiled fondly at the girl, then turned her attention back to Philip.

He scratched his head and eyed Mora suspiciously. "You have never fit in among us, Mora. You keep your secrets and your company mostly to yourself. We are a family, and family do not try to kill one another."

The snake charmer hissed at him. Hissed like a snake, which made the hairs on Elise's arms stand on end. "She has cast a spell over all of you. It is her you should send away! If she is gone, I will have the Beast Tamer as my man."

"Which I'm sure was your intent when you slipped your cobra inside of her wagon last night." Philip glared down at Mora. "Get your things and be gone. I will not have one among us as cold-blooded as her snakes."

Again Mora hissed at them all, making more than Elise shudder in the early-morning chill. She cast Elise a threatening glance, then stalked from the fire.

"Thank you, Philip," Elise said. "Thank you for trusting my word."

"Never did care for her," he muttered.

"Good riddance to bad rubbish, I say," Sarah Dobbs joined in.

"Figured if I didn't keep an eye on my Dawn, she'd try feeding my girl to one of her snakes," Iris chimed in.

Sterling chose that moment to exit the wagon and join them. Elise caught his eye and felt a blush of pleasure run the entire length of her body. He turned to Philip.

"I want Mora banished from the troupe," he demanded.

"You're too late," Sarah said with a laugh. "Your woman has already sent the wench packing."

Elise smiled at Sterling and he smiled back, pride shining in his eyes, but only for a moment. Then it was as if a curtain fell over his features, blotting out all emotion. "I need to see to my cats."

And he walked away from her-left her as if nothing wonderful and magical had happened between them last night. Emotion closed her throat, threatened to send tears streaming down her cheeks. Elise wouldn't embarrass herself in front of the troupe members. Without a word, she hurried back toward the wagon.

Sterling had managed to avoid Elise throughout most of the day. He couldn't avoid her forever, and he couldn't avoid what was happening to him. He stared at the hand he'd unwrapped a while earlier. There was no scratch. It had disappeared. How could that be possible? Only one way he knew of-it had begun. The curse was upon him. He'd given his heart for his humanity.

But maybe it was better to have loved once and lost everything than to have continued his life as it had been for the past ten years. Hiding from the truth, hoping to hide from the inevitable. Elise bravely displayed her own emotions. She wore her love plainly for all to see. But that would change. His change would kill all the love she felt for him. She'd be as terrified of him as she was of the cobra last night. More so, because he was an unnatural being. A thing she would not be able to understand or accept.

There was nothing to do now but wait... and he did wait, out in the forest until darkness had almost fallen; then he moved toward his wagon. He must tell Elise that he was leaving the caravan, and he must try to explain why.

Elise had already retired, but she'd left the lantern burning. She turned to look at him when he entered. Her cheeks were stained with teardrops. His heart twisted at the sight.

"I am a fool," she said softly. "I thought I had grown up, but I am still a child. I thought that because I love you, you must love me in return. I thought that last night meant as much to you as it did to me."

Her honesty never failed to amaze him and endear her more to him. It also made him feel all the worse for deceiving her. She would never keep secrets from him; this he knew about her. Elise wasn't capable of lying. Shamed, Sterling went to her, settling beside her upon the cot.

"I do love you, Elise." He gently wiped a tear from her cheek. "I have tried not to, but I have failed. I have shielded my heart for the past ten years, and yet you came into my life and, in the space of moments, crashed through all the barriers I had erected around myself. You will cost me my humanity, but you were worth it. Every moment spent with you will be worth the lifetime of loneliness I am forced to endure."

"You love me?" she whispered, and he realized she hadn't heard anything else he'd told her. "You honestly love me?"

"Yes," he answered. "But-"

She sat and threw her arms around him. "Oh, Sterling. You will not be alone. I want to stay with you always, be a part of your life, be a part of this life. The troupe members and you are the family I have longed for. My aunt will surely understand, and I will have the adventurous life I've secretly dreamed of. I-"

"Elise." Sterling felt a lump form in his throat. What a wonderful picture she painted, if only it could be. "You are not listening to me. We cannot be together. We are not suited for one another. There are things about me-"

"Don't." She placed her fingers against his lips. "Don't spoil my happiness with talk of social positions and a past that I care nothing about. Give me another night to simply be loved by you. Tomorrow is soon enough to discuss realities."

Was one more night with her too much to ask for all that he must sacrifice? His question was answered when she pulled his lips to hers, offering him his heart's desire. To be only a man in her eyes for a while longer. Sterling lowered her to the cot. He took what she offered, and took it greedily. He savored every human emotion she stirred within him, and later, while she slept, he slipped outside to berate himself for being a coward.

The moon hung full in the sky. Sterling stared, mesmerized by the glowing sphere. Stark loneliness rose up inside of him, and for a moment, he felt tempted to throw back his head and howl. The snap of a branch alerted him to another presence. He sniffed, strangely capable of identifying the intruder as Sarah Dobbs. She came upon him a moment later.

"Sterling." She placed a hand to her heart "Gave me a fright. Thought everyone was abed. Couldn't sleep myself, so I took a short walk, which sometimes helps. What..." Her voice trailed off. The fortune-teller's eyes squinted at him through the darkness. Her face paled.

"What is wrong?" he asked, but his voice sounded strange. Garbled and deep.

Sarah opened her mouth and screamed. The woman kept screaming until he heard the sounds of the troupe members hurriedly fumbling inside of their wagons. Elise stumbled outside, clutching a blanket around her nakedness.

"What's happening?" she breathed, staring at Sarah Dobbs. Elise turned to look at Sterling and stumbled back a step. "Good Lord," she whispered. "Your face."

Sterling lifted his hands to his face. He felt tufts of thick hair covering his cheeks. He ran his fingers over his teeth. They were long and sharp. Pain ripped through him, and he doubled over.

"Sterling!" Elise cried, and she was there a moment later, touching him.

He jerked from her grasp. "Don't come close to me!" he warned. "It's the curse. My family curse. To give my heart, I must sacrifice my humanity."

"You're talking nonsense," she insisted. "Let me help you."

"You can't help me!" he shouted, and another pain ripped through him, sending him to his knees. The other troupe members were now gathered around him, their eyes wide and their mouths hanging open. "I should have told you," he rasped. "Forgive me, Elise. I only wanted to love you, to be yours and have you for mine for a short time. Our time is over."

"No!" she cried again, and took a step toward him. "Sterling, allow me to help you. You're obviously sick with some disease."

When he held up a hand to warn her away, he saw that the hair had now spread to his hands. His fingers were bent and misshapen. "This is a Wulf's curse, Elise. Wulf is my family name. This is what I have been running from since I first saw it take my father ten years ago. The witch who cursed us took perverse pleasure in turning all Wulf males into our namesake. She loved one of my forefathers, but he would not acknowledge their love. He married a woman suitable to his station instead, and as punishment, the witch cursed him with this affliction, cursed all males of his bloodline, then and future generations."

CHAPTER 14.

Elise shook her head in denial. Curses were not real. What she saw happening could not be real. As Sterling knelt before them, he began to change. His clothes fell away, exposing strips of thick hair where there once had been skin. She could not bear to watch him lie in the dirt, his body contorting with pain, but she could not look away. The metamorphosis took place in a short time, and yet it seemed to her as if time had ceased to exist. One moment a man had knelt before them; the next, a beast, a great wolf, stood in the man's place.

There was nothing of Sterling left, nothing except the eyes, and as he stared at her, she knew he saw the fear, the repulsion, she felt inside. She also knew instinctually that he not only saw her emotions but also understood them.

The wolf howled, a heart-wrenching sound of despair mixed with rage; then he disappeared into the night. Elise didn't realize she trembled so badly until another blanket was suddenly thrown around her shoulders. Dazed, she turned to see Philip standing beside her.

"Sarah, take her inside and stay with her through the night," he said, but even his booming voice had lost its strength. "We've all had a shock."

Elise felt as if her wits had deserted her. She allowed Sarah to help her back into the wagon, even allowed the woman to dress her in nightclothes and settle her back onto the cot. She lay awake for a long time, staring at the ceiling. It became blurry; then darkness finally claimed her. She awoke with that first wonderful lack of awareness, the sleepy lull before the storm of remembrance jolted her fully from sleep.

She sat, looking around the wagon. All appeared normal. A nightmare? Elise breathed a sigh of relief. Yes, she'd had a horrible nightmare. She dressed for the day, all the while her stomach tied into knots and a feeling of unease riding her emotions. She stepped outside, certain she would see Sterling gathered around the morning cook fire with the others. The others were present. Sterling was not. As all faces turned toward her, she understood that she had not been dreaming last night. Even Dawn appeared as if she'd aged a decade overnight.

Philip rose and came to Elise. He helped her to the fire and Sarah shoved a plate into her hand. "Here, eat something to help you find your strength."

Elise's hands shook as she held the plate. "What I saw last night cannot be," she finally whispered. "It is not possible."

"Maybe not in the world you came from," Sarah said. "But out here, on the road, among the caravans, anything is possible. These old eyes have seen far worse than what we all witnessed last night."

Tom grunted his agreement.

"Sterling's different now," Taylor muttered. "Like the rest of us."

Elise couldn't fathom their calm acceptance of what had taken place last night. "Sterling is cursed," she said. "He is a wolf! We must help him!"

"There is no help for him," Sarah said. "He knew the curse was tied to his heart, but he gave it anyway. He made his choice."

Angry, Elise threw her plate to the ground and stood. "I will not accept what has happened to Sterling. I cannot. I love him. I want him back the way he was!"

"If you love him, then you must love him the way he is," Sarah countered.

"Will you disown him now?" Dawn asked softly. "Will you disown us all?"

Elise's heart constricted. She was the one who had told Dawn she must love unconditionally, and yet Elise was suddenly unsure that she could follow her own order. Sterling should have told her about the curse. God, she'd been chasing him like a fool since the night that she met him, and he'd been running... but not from her, from what would happen if he dared love her.

Confused and sick at heart, Elise returned to the wagon. She threw herself upon the cot where Sterling had made love to her, and cried at the injustice of life. As the shadows lengthened and night approached, she wondered if Sterling would return to her. She wondered if he did, if he would come in the form of a man or a wolf.

A voice inside of her head, one she wanted to ignore, suggested that she did not want Sterling to return in either form. It would be simpler on her heart and her mind if she were to find her aunt in Liverpool and forget she'd ever met Sterling Wulf.

His name stirred a memory. Whispers of the Wulfs of London. He was one of them, she realized. The youngest, who had mysteriously disappeared years ago, after his parents' deaths. Not privy to much gossip, Elise had heard little about the family. She'd dismissed what little she had heard. Men could not change shapes. Or so she had thought. Now she understood why Sterling spoke elegantly despite his coarse appearance. She understood all too much.