"Two. Words."

"Smart ass." He dropped a tiny kiss on her bare neck, making her quiver.

"Darius..."

"Sorry. Forgot myself. You're so fucking gorgeous. This is going to be hell. Pure hell."

"Maybe we can ask for separate townhomes."

"Darling, separate states wouldn't help." He dragged in a deep breath and met her gaze in the mirror. Desire had darkened his blue eyes and a pulse beat madly in his neck.

His jet black curls were damp from showering, and he was barefoot, though he'd changed into a tight black T-shirt and faded jeans. The shirt molded to his thick biceps and muscled chest. Sam moistened her mouth, everything female in her roused to full awareness.

The wolf was devastating, and she wanted nothing more than to roll around the sheets with him. Well, more than roll. Get naked, wind herself around his gorgeous body, feel him push slowly inside her...

Awareness filled his gaze. Darius ran his hands down her arms, and her body tightened. She wanted to turn around, pull his mouth down to hers and surrender to the raging need. But she remembered how his eyes had turned amber, and how feral he'd been in bed.

Sam tensed. Would she turn that feral? Turn into a Lupine with a thirst for hunting prey as she had when she was twelve? Become a beast that killed rabbits as she'd seen Maxim kill her pet long ago?

What was she?

Darius nuzzled her neck and then drew back, his gaze glinting. "Come with me."

She followed him to the kitchen.

"We're going to shift and run in the forest."

Panic clogged her throat. "I haven't shifted in a very long time."

"I know. And it's about time you did. You've been living in Skin too long, Sam. There's raw meat in the fridge Ryder skinned and left for you."

Her stomach roiled. "Let me guess. Rabbit. I can't eat it, Darius. Please. Any meat but rabbit."

"You must, if you want to remain here in the pack." He herded her into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door, removing a plastic container. "Ryder's carved up the meat into bite-sized pieces."

Nausea rose in her throat. She watched him open the container and saw the fresh meat and her stomach contracted.

Sam raced for the sink and retched. She heard him swear softly, the container dropping onto the counter. Then he was at her side, brushing back her hair as she emptied her stomach.

When she finished, she rinsed out her mouth, and sat at the kitchen table. Darius wet a dishtowel. Gently, he wiped her face. Then he fetched her a glass of water. She drank deeply, grateful for the icy coolness.

"What's wrong, Sam?"

Setting down the glass, she shook her head. "I never told you what I did when I was twelve. We had just joined the pack, it was my first change and I didn't want anyone to know, I was so ashamed. I was afraid if you found out, you'd make fun of me, or worse, Maxim might throw us out because I didn't fit into his pack."

His face solemn, Darius shook his head. "He's not here, sweetheart. And I would never make fun of you. Tell me. I need to know."

"I had a pet rabbit in the woods. An older bunny, it was kind of lame and you could tell it was old. It used to come to me when I'd go for walks in the woods. I snuck it lettuce. And then the night of the full moon..." She swallowed past the rising nausea. "I changed into a wolf for the first time, and your father took me on my first hunt in wolf-skin. He saw my rabbit in the forest. And snapped its neck...and ate it."

She looked at Darius, waited for his reaction, wondering if he'd find her weak because of the love she'd held for a creature all Lupines learned to kill as wolves.

He merely looked stunned. "No wonder you never hunted rabbits back in my father's pack. And you refused to eat them until I cooked the meat a little."

"I was afraid to tell you because you'd find me weak."

Sympathy filled his gaze, not disdain. Darius reached for her hand. She let him take it, feeling his strength and gentleness as he stroked her fingers with his thumb. "Never, Sam. I'd have avoided hunting rabbits, too."

A little relieved, she sat back. "You? Macho wolf?"

"Hell yes." His expression tightened. "Why did your mother allow you to keep a pet rabbit? She knew what would happen to it, living among wolves."

"She didn't know I'd made the rabbit into a pet. After, she told me that it was merciful, because the rabbit was old and sick. What Maxim did was good because the rabbit would have probably died a painful death from starvation instead of a quick one. To me, it was horrible and savage."

Moisture flooded her eyes. She went to turn to hide the tears, but Darius held out his arms. "Come here."

She sat in his lap as he wrapped her in his strong embrace, stroking her hair. Darius kissed the top of her head, and she felt an awful weight lift. "I'm sorry you had to endure that, sweetheart. It would have traumatized the strongest Lupine at that age. I promise you, no more rabbits."

As she sat back, he gently wiped a tear trickling down her cheek.

"But Lupines hunt and eat rabbits."

"You don't need to hunt rabbit to shift. All you need is fresh meat. I asked Kara to stock the fridge with raw hamburger. She seasoned it with spices, the way Lupine mothers do when their young are getting close to the change, to introduce them to raw meat. Come with me."

In the kitchen, Darius put the container of rabbit meat in the refrigerator and removed another container. He popped it open and held it out to her. A dozen small, uncooked meatballs sat inside.

"Try this."

He popped one into his mouth. Hesitating, she did the same. It tasted surprisingly good. Fresh energy surged through her body.

Sam ate until the container was empty. Darius set it into the sink as she beamed at him. "I did it!"

Giving her a tender smile, he touched her cheek. "I knew you could."

Darius went into the living room and began to strip. "Get undressed."

"You want me to get naked..."

He paused in unbuckling his jeans. "Darling, you haven't shifted in years. Part of the energy you need to shift requires magick to eradicate your clothing. You'll avoid draining your powers this way."

Hookay. But she stole glances at Darius, at the firmness of his taut buttocks as he bent over to tug off his jeans, at his heavy sac and thick penis.

Her nipples turned rock hard. Sam finished undressing as Darius padded over to the sliding door and opened it to the night air. He went into the kitchen and snapped on the range light, then returned to the living room and shut off all the lights. She blinked in the gloom.

"Your eyesight will be very sensitive when you shift back. It's best to have total darkness, but since you haven't shifted in years, I'll leave the kitchen light on. Let's go outside."

Standing on the dirt path leading to the river bridge, she watched him. Beneath the moonlight, he faced her, his expression grim. "I'm giving you signals so you understand me in wolf-skin. A nip on your flank means you're wandering and you need to follow me. Nose to the ground means I'm following a scent trail. Tail moved to one side and I sense danger ahead. Any time you see my tail up, you let me clear the way."

"What about my tail?" Sam wriggled her bottom playfully. "What do I do with my tail?"

He grinned. "Move it to one side. That's the symbol to mate, darling, but we're not there yet. Basics first."

When he'd finished going over the symbols, she felt foolish and nave and way out of her league. Calculating figures and analyzing data to compartmentalize it for a proposal was a cakewalk. Shifting into a beast that could tear and rip and rend?

"Darius..."

Instantly he was at her side, cupping her face, his palms warm. "Sam, you can do this. You did it before, remember? It's in your blood."

"But what if my blood isn't all Lupine? What if I am something else and my wolf is suppressed by it?" She bit her lip. "I never did find it easy to shift, except around you."

His gaze remained steady. "That's why you're here with me, darling. I'll teach you once more to let the wolf out. Watch me. And take a minute to acclimate yourself once you're in wolf-skin. Your senses will probably explode. It is overwhelming."

Raising his hands to the moonlit sky, Darius shifted.

Gray-furred and blue eyed, the big wolf gave a mighty shake, fur rippling sleekly in the crisp breeze. Then he stilled, watching her.

I can do this. I must do this. Sam lifted her hands to the sky, fighting the fears that had gripped her since Darius had taken her, savage and rough, back at the beach house. She tried to call upon her magick. Nothing. Not even a spark.

Despondent, she sank to the ground. "This isn't working," she told the wolf Darius.

He loped over and gently licked her cheek. Sam flung her arms around the wolf, feeling thick fur and bone and muscle. She breathed in his scent and then a thought flickered in her mind. Pack. Connection. Bonding.

Maybe she couldn't do this on her own, but Darius was here. They'd forged a connection. She tunneled her fingers through his thick fur, dragging his unique scent into her lungs. Sam closed her eyes and let the night sounds sweep over her. She heard the buzz of insects along the river, the gurgling water, leaves rippling overhead in the night breeze.

She remembered shifting into wolf form when much younger, chasing Darius across forest and glade, relishing the pure joy of being wild and free.

The change came swiftly, with only a flash of pain. When she opened her eyes, she was sitting on her haunches. Thick fur covered her body. She smelled the night air, so cold and sharp and crisp, heard the scuttle of creatures among the trees and bushes. Sam lifted her head and blinked hard, the sensations overwhelming her, her vision seeing the rushing river, the trees and blades of grass in sharp relief. She felt as if someone had shot her full of a drug, making her wild and free.

And very uninhibited. Sam pawed at the ground, eager to run and play. Darius playfully butted his head against her flank and wagged his tail, baring his teeth in a wolfish grin. Then he barked once.

The signal for "let's go."

She followed Darius across the bridge, padding into the thick forest. Silvery moonlight dappled the pine and oak trees, spilling onto the ground. After they crested a ridge, a narrow pathway cut through the forest. Darius stopped and sniffed at several trees, lifting his leg on a few. She loped over to a nearby pine and sniffed. She scented the same woodsy scent she had earlier with Ryder, twined with rich spices. Elf.

In the distance, she heard a sweet melody of harp and lute. Sam's ears pricked up and she whined, her blood charging to follow the pathway down the ridge to the source. Sam loped toward the path, then felt a sharp nip on her flank.

Shaking her head, she turned and saw Darius, his blue eyes gleaming. She turned and followed him as he ran through the forest in the other direction.

But part of her longed to draw close to the strange, enchanting music and explore each lovely note.

When they returned to the townhouse porch, he shifted back. Sam did the same. Naked, Darius padded inside. She followed him, looking at their discarded clothing lying jumbled on the carpet. She dressed quickly.

Darius remained naked.

He faced her. In the dim light, she saw his gaze smolder with sexual intent. And as if she had any doubt...

Sam glanced at his groin and saw his thick penis jutting upward.

"Running brings out the wildness in me," he said, his voice husky. "Shifting into wolf charges up our sexual energy. Passion is part of our nature. It awakens the primal urge to mate and breed. I want you Sam. Badly. But I'm not letting the wolf take over this time. The wolf in me wants to throw you to the ground and cover you and fuck you hard. But the man in me wants to love you, as you deserved to be loved."

Her heart turned over at the raw honesty in his voice. Darius shuddered, as if he fought his very nature. She went to him and put a hand on his arm, feeling the powerful muscles quiver under his smooth skin.

He tucked a lock of blonde hair behind her ear. "I fucked up badly our first time together. But I'm not letting it rule my life. The way I see it, you can live life filled with regrets for mistakes you've made. Or you can push on and resolve to become better for it. I want to try again with you and give you a pleasure you've never felt before."

Bending his head to touch his forehead to hers, he whispered, "If you'll allow me, I'll show you. I promise, this time I won't lose control."

"People have been making me promises for a long time. What's to stop you from going feral again?"

Tension rippled through his powerful body. Darius held up his hands. "No pressure."

Doubts filled her. "None? What if we go too far? What if..."

"No pressure." Taking a lock of her hair, he wrapped it around his finger. "I will stop, if you wish. All you have to do is safe a safe word, and when you say it, the minute it leaves your mouth, I'll stop."

Sam's heart pounded harder. "What kind of word?"

"Something that will get my attention quickly." He gave a crooked grin, the same endearing one she remembered from their earliest days together. "Sprouts is a good one. I hate them."

"That's it? All I have to do is say 'sprouts' and you'll stop? No matter, um, how turned on you are?"

"My sweet Sam, sprouts is one word guaranteed to turn me off." Gently he tugged on her hair, drawing her closer. "Deal? Are you all right with that?"

"Okay." She drew in a deep breath. "I think...I'd like you to kiss me now."

Darius looked at her, his gaze turning dark. He dropped his hands. "Why don't you kiss me, sweetheart?"

Sam leaned close and stood on her tip-toes, sliding her arms around his neck. She kissed him, her eyes open, watching him. Darius closed his eyes. His mouth was firm and so warm. Old fears flickered down her spine, then disappeared when he did not turn aggressive, nor seek to deepen the kiss, merely let her take charge.

He continued to let her kiss him, and when she sighed with pleasure, he kissed her back. Slow and softly. Hormones began to flood her body. Arousal bit, sharp and sweet. Sam squirmed against him, and remembered he was a wolf with excellent senses. He could scent her desire.

Drawing back, she opened her eyes. He looked down at her with a smile.

"Did you enjoy that?"

"Very much."

And she wanted much more. Sam curled her fingers around his rock hard biceps. Darius could toss a fully-grown adult male across a room. Strength and gentleness. The intoxicating combination excited her.

She found herself wanting to confide a deep secret. She cupped his cheek, enjoying how he leaned into her touch. Lupines craved touch, she remembered.

"I've fantasized about you, Darius. All these years." A blush heated her cheeks.

"Really?" His voice deepened. "About what?"

Pulse jumping, she gazed at him. "Us, naked. Doing everything. Your mouth on mine." She swallowed hard. "Your mouth...everywhere on me."

"I've had my fantasies about you as well." Darius leaned close, stroked a finger over her exposed collarbone. Sam shuddered. She hadn't known a single touch could be so erotic. Her nipples turned rock hard at the gentle caress, combined with the smoldering look he gave her. "Would you like to hear one?"

At her nod, he traced her kiss-swollen mouth with his finger. "You're lying naked, on my bed. Red velvet ropes around your ankles and wrists. Helpless before me and I can do anything I wish."