Grayslake: Never Kiss a Wolf (Kindle Worlds Novella) Read Free

desire to linger at their table and he'd apparently grown tongue-tied.
    "She seems skittish," Calder said. "Wonder what that's about?"
    "I'm not sure, but I'd sure like to find out."
    Calder's gaze narrowed on him at that. He didn't say anything more, but he didn't have to. Greer was pretty certain the turmoil churning in his gut was written on his face plain as day. They waited in silence, both lost in their miscellaneous thoughts. The dull roar of diners eating and chattering with their companions filled the quiet as did the pitter patter of a steady spring rain on the tin roof.
    It wasn't until the waitress came back with their food that either of them paid any attention to the other. The nervous frown on the woman's face troubled him more than ever. Whatever it was or whoever it was that made her like this, he wanted to eliminate. He was on the verge of making the offer to make her smile when he blurted out an entirely different question like an idiot.
    "What's your name?" he asked.
    The dishes in her hand faltered for a second, teetering on her palms.
    "What?" She looked at him with genuine confusion stamped across her beautiful face.
    Greer cleared his throat and tried again for a more even keel. "Your name."
    "What he means is...” Calder turned on that famous bear charm with a Tennessee drawl. “Well, we're looking for someone last seen around here and we are hoping you can help. A place like this, you must see everyone in town at one time or another."
    Calder leaned forward and touched her arm. An event that made the wolf growl loudly. A sound that made both of them turn to him in a flash. His lips peeled back from his teeth as the growl grew louder. His friend got the message and released his hold on her. She in turn jerked free and lost her balance. Plates flew through the air as she tumbled to the ground. Greer jumped from the booth, catching her arm before her head slammed into the tile floor.
    Relief ripped a smile from him a second before the plates rained down on him, chili cheese fries and all. Dishes clattered to the floor and shattered into hundreds of little pieces. Greer slumped against the plastic vinyl of his seat with a hard thump as cheese dripped down his cheek and piping hot chili soaked through his shirt.
    The woman whose name he still did not know started thrashing around and wrenched free from his slippery hold. Black fur sprouted on her arms as she sprang to her feet and ran for the door. By the time she cleared the threshold he heard the distinct sound of her bones popping and a harsh scream rent through the air.
    Holy crust on a cracker. What had he gotten himself into this time?

3
    L ily ran behind buildings mid shift. She tried to stop the bear from taking over and failed. Her fight or flight mode had kicked in and there was no turning back. Except she was almost a full bear in broad daylight and in the middle of town.
    Lucky for her, the afternoon rains had kicked in and not a lot of people were on the streets. However, she still needed to find cover. It was too risky to make a run for her apartment, so she turned the corner of the building she hid behind, looked in all directions and made a run for the tree line.
    Most bears moved fast, much faster than humans, but Lily had always been an awkward runner. She didn’t spend enough time in her shifted form as a cub to get used to the natural rhythm her body was capable of.
    Bears were big and she already felt big enough as a human. Her thighs, stomach and boobs jiggled when she ran so she avoided that as much as possible. Then there were times like this she regretted not taking better care of her bear. Despite the fear of being caught, her senses were opening even further and the world took on an altogether different hue.
    Fifty more yards and she’d be free. Free to play with her bear away from prying eyes that might decide to hunt her down.
    Her legs faltered at the thought of what that kind of danger meant. If the humans got worried