Isabel and the Werewolf Beast (Vampire Tales #1)

18. Dante

Chapter eighteen

Dante

I placed the last book on the pile and sighed. “If you want to learn about potions and herbal remedies, then I’m sure I could whip them up from your herb garden.”

Isabel rolled over from her supine position of lying on her stomach reading a book. “I believe my collection on witchcraft is useless.”

“About as useful as the ones on vampires. I thought your library held expert knowledge, but these books are decoys.”

“We’re powerful. Why would we share the secrets of our powers with others?”

“Secrets. Lies. Diversions.” I stood and paced around the twisted branches of the tree.

Isabel’s eyes followed my movements. Even if I wasn’t watching her, I’d sense the touch of her look. The interest behind her study. She closed the book and stood.

“We need a break and you need to learn how to shift into a wolf.”

“How will you teach me that, you’re a vampire?” I paused my pacing near her. Always drawn by her scent. Her beauty. Her very presence.

“Let’s walk to the corpse of trees.”

“So, they can attack us too.”

“Good point,” she said. “But wolves love forests. It will give your inner animal a sense of home and you might be able to call upon your other form easier.”

“Okay, but if the trees attack us, then I get to tell you I told you so.”

“Deal.” She laughed.

She walked toward the pond. The skin on the back of my neck rose into a prickle of unease. I didn’t want to go near that hell spawn in the pond. Isabel neared the pond then shook her head and walked a large circle around it. In the distance, a dark grove of trees stood out in the moonlight. Every step closer, the pine scent wafted in the breeze. Deep inside my body a sense of peace washed over me. Maybe Isabel was right about the forest being home. She slipped between two trees and disappeared into the shadows.

“Isabel,” I called and ran forward.

Her laughter rang through the trees. “Find me wolf.”

“This isn’t funny.” I lifted my nose to catch her scent, but the pine overwhelmed her aroma.

“You’ll need your wolf nose to track me.” Her voice arose from a short distance away.

I ran in that direction but she was no longer there .

“Stop hiding. What if the trees attack you?”

“Then you need to hurry.” Her voice emanated from further away.

My stomach churned. I needed to get to her and drag her from the forest before anything bad happened. I ran toward her voice, but I couldn’t find her scent. Nothing. No shadow even. She’d vanished. Panic engulfed my system. This was bad. So bad. If the trees ate her, then what? Trees couldn’t eat a vampire. Yeah, right like the bush couldn’t poison a vampire.

“Isabel,” I roared into the forest.

“Dante.”

A piece of fabric floated from the tree above my head. I caught it in my hand and scanned the treetops. Isabel sat in a tree above my head.

“Get down.”

“My you can be so bossy and dominant sometimes.” She tossed back her hair.

I scowled. “How is this helping me turn into a wolf?”

She jumped to the ground in front of me and poked me in the chest. “It’s in here. Your power. Embrace it. Now use your wolf to hunt me down.”

“I can’t hunt in here. The pine is too strong.”

“Your wolf can.”

“I don’t have a wolf.”

“You do, Dante. I believe in you.”

She tapped my chest with her fingertip and then dashed into the forest.

“Don’t forget to take your pants off.” Her voice emanated full of humor through the forest.

I almost smiled at the thought of taking my pants off for her in another way. I stripped my pants and hung them over a branch, said a small hope that they’d be there when I returned. So how did one embrace being a wolf? Howl? I lifted my head and howled. Of course, I could do that in my half-form. It didn’t change how I felt. I pouted. Should I crawl on the ground? Now I was being ridiculous.

“Here, Wolfie,” Isabel’s voice sang out through the forest.

I lifted the piece of fabric she’d torn off the bottom of her dress and inhaled her scent. It was so sweet and mouthwatering. Urges to catch her and mate with her filled my body. My skin tightened. Need hit my gut like a sucker punch. Mate with her. I shook my head. My ears flapped side to side as though they were longer. I lifted a hand and stroked soft velvety pointed ears on my head. Was it working? Was I changing into a wolf? I inhaled her scent again. Bite her. A growl rumbled from my chest. Hunt her down.

My mind sharpened into that one focus. Chase. Catch. Claim. My limbs shook. My skin grew tighter still to the point of pain. I fell to my hands and knees. Claws dug into the dirt under my fingers, then before my eyes, my fingers turned into paws. Perfectly formed wolf paws. I scratched the soil testing my new limbs. My senses sharpened. My ears caught the snap of a twig in the distance. Prey.

I dropped my nose to the material and inhaled her scent then I sniffed the soil picking up her trail, I took off at a lope keeping my nose to the ground following the scent that was driving me wild with need. I stalked through the dark forest, my night vision even more perfect in this form. Isabel’s form weaved through the trees up ahead. I gave up the scent chase and sprinted after her. She glanced over her shoulder and laughed. Her laughter filled the quiet of the forest and circled my heart.

In another dozen strides, I caught her, but she ducked to the side just as I lunged, and I missed taking her to the ground. She leaned against a tree trunk and grinned.

“Look at you. You’re really beautiful. ”

Warmth glowed inside me at her words. Before I’d been hideous. I wanted to learn what I looked like but there was no mirror in the forest. I’d have to go inside the castle for one of those. I kept my focus on Isabel though. The chase had inflamed my lust for her to no end even in this animal form. She kneeled on the ground, and I inched closer until she touched me with her palm to the top of my head.

I touched my nose to hers making her giggle. Her laughter filled me with such happiness that I stayed where I was.

“I knew you’d do it,” she said.

Never in my life had anyone believed in me. No parents, or family apart from my brother. He might love me in the way of a brother but he’d never been one to advocate what I wanted. My werewolf state was evidence of that. If he’d asked before biting me, would I have said yes to this life? And if I’d said no, then would I be here with this gorgeous vampire woman right now? I couldn’t be mad at him. I loved him. Flaws and self-centered tendencies. He was my brother.

I swiped my tongue over her cheek. She shoved me back. I nudged my head into her chest.

“Change back now,” she said.

Change? Why would I want to change? She was all but hugging me. This was the closest I’d probably get to her. I licked her face again.

“Dante. Change.” She held me back.

I forced my body into her hold.

“Dammit Dante. Stop being an animal and talk to me.”

I stopped struggling with her immediately and my body shifted with a suddenness that left me with a naked fur-covered man in her hands.

“Oh,” she whispered.

“What?” I gritted out through clenched teeth.

“You’re back to your half-form. ”

“I tried for human.” I shrugged. “It didn’t work.”

“Never mind. Next time you’ll get it.” She shifted under me.

Her leg brushed my raging erection and her eyes flew open. I rose a fraction so my cock wasn’t touching her anymore, but I couldn’t make myself step away from her.

“Do we need to talk about this?” she asked.

“No. I get it. I’m an ugly werewolf. You’ll never want me the way I want you.”