Bite Me.

Ch 8

The house was exactly the same except now all the furniture was in its place and totes and totes of decorations and various nick knacks sat in the living room. "I figured you'd better help me with those," Heath explained sheepishly making me laugh. He threw his bag down in the entry way and grabbed my hand leading me out to the back yard. I guess we were doing this now. Heath started peeling off layers of clothes and when he started on his pants I felt my face flush. "Um, Heath?" I questioned gesturing to the discarded clothing. "Oh, right. It's easier to shift if you start naked."

"Right, duh. That makes sense."
"You can look if you want, darlin'. It's all yours anyways," came his cheeky reply and a pair of briefs hit my feet making my blush deepen. He laughed as I struggled to keep my eyes on his face. That treasure trail was so tempting... I snapped my eyes back up at his clearing throat. His eyes were serious and I remembered why we were standing out here in the first place. "No matter what you see, don't get any closer until it's over, okay? Promise me that," he demanded. My mind that had steadfastly chanted 'he's insane' was having a hard time now facing his dead serious expression. I promised and his face relaxed. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His face was impassive and suddenly his body jerked unnaturally. It was disturbing to watch and my breath caught in my throat as bones reshaped and his face elongated. Fur erupted in tufts and within seconds, Heath was no longer in front of me. Instead, there stood a tall black wolf. It was huge and strong, coming up to my chest. I whimpered in fear as it approached me, but it just wagged its tail and cocked its head like an oversized dog. When it was closer, I saw its familiar dark grey eyes. Heath's eyes. "Not possible," I whispered before promptly passing out.

Something wet on my face woke me up and I looked up in confusion as I realized a pink tongue was licking me. There was still a black wolf. It still had Heath's eyes. "Not possible," I repeated and the wolf whined, butting its head softly with mine. I sat up and absently scratched behind its ears like I would with a dog. I swear it purred and I took a deep breath. "Okay, so very possible. Also very real. Heath?" I questioned taking in the beautiful, if not slightly terrifying creature in front of me. It just rubbed its head against my cheek and barked softly.

"Right." I muttered under my breath. Slowly, I raised myself to my feet an turned to face the wolf. Unlike that one that had bitten me, Heath's wolf wasn't mangy or skinny. It was all muscle and power and had a coat so soft and sleek I wanted to cuddle with it all day. His breath smelled like wet dog and not death. And his eyes were that beautiful velvety grey. He still had that human intelligence, but it was gentle this time.

"I'm sorry I fainted," I said, scratching his big head. I swore I saw him shrug and I laughed at the gesture. It was so...Heath. There was no denying it. "Does this mean I can call you fluffy?" I teased with a laugh and he just butted me with my head making me fall down. And in the next second, he was next to me nosing me and licking my face, whining in concern. "I'm fine, ya big oaf," I reassured him, shoving his slobbery tongue away from me. He just curled his big body around me, laying his head on my lap with a huff. I pet him softly marveling at the knowledge that this was real. I suppose my books and overactive imagination had somewhat prepared me, and I'm sure I wasn't freaking out as much as I should have been. But this was Heath and I trusted him with my life so I knew everything would be okay.

"You have some explaining to do, mister," I groused, still petting his silky fur and he just nodded. "So can you like change back on command, or is it more like a gradual thing?" He gave me a look asking if I wanted Heath back and I nodded. Standing up, I watched as he walked about six feet away. This time I turned my head, not wanting to watch as his bones reconfigured themselves. A hand on my shoulder made me start and I sighed in relief when Heath stood before me back in his clothes. I touched his cheek just to make sure he was real and he smiled gently, before taking my hand in his own. "Let's go inside. You look cold." I nodded and followed, suddenly aware of the crisp October air that cut through my jacket.