Moon Dancer Page 18

  And I knew in that moment that the cave girl or her daughter or perhaps her daughter’s daughter had traveled north then west for months and miles. She’d found this cave when it was more accessible, had painted her history and proven she survived.

  In the process, she’d imbued the space with power I sorely needed. The waiter, like other adults I’d run into, had resisted shifting. I’d bring him here and see what happened. I’d....

  Voices intruded upon my plans.

  VOICES, THEN THE RUMBLE of a not-so-distant boulder. Someone was out there. Someone was closing me in...or opening the entrance up.

  I knew it was the latter as soon as I smelled them. Butterscotch, honey, licorice. Our pack could be mistaken for a candy store.

  I expected werewolves to arrive in a rush of fur and excitement. But, instead, a single set of human footsteps rang dully through the dark.

  “It’s beautiful.” Val emerged sweat-streaked and smiling. It was hard work to run with the pack while human. Hard work, but also so buoyant it filled her up like a helium balloon.

  I wished I’d been with them. I wanted more than anything to answer Val or at least to join in her conversation. But I stood mute and uncertain, afraid of scaring her back out the way she’d come in.

  She glanced at me sidelong, then laughed at my timidity. “I’m not mad at you Olivia. You know that, right? It spooked me—that terrifying wolf I turned into. But I know it won’t happen again.”

  Around us, drumbeats deepened, strengthened. That was Jacob, outside the cavern. And also the cave girl or her daughter.

  Reverberations filled me, nudged me sideways. My fingers slid up against Val’s....

  As if she was a werewolf already, her hand pounced on my fingers. I relaxed and let myself be caught.

  “Are you ready?” she asked.

  Intertwined fingers turned us into one being. Her hips swayed. My wolf frolicked inside me. Hers peeked out from beneath slitted eyelids.

  I forced myself to ask the necessary question. “Are you certain?”

  “Shut up and Change me.”

  United, we kicked up our heels and started to dance.

  OLIVIA’S ADVENTURE is complete, but more werewolves will be coming your way shortly. While you wait, why not take a quick side trip? See through Claw’s eyes when he first meets Olivia and learn more about cave paintings in the Moon Blind bonus pack, free to newsletter subscribers. To sweeten the pot, I’ll throw in two additional werewolf novels so you don’t have to come up for air for days.

  Thanks for reading! You are why I write.