My Neighbor is a Wolf

Chapter Two

Rachael

I should have been running. At the very least, screaming for help. But no. My dumbass was staring at the wolf in the middle of my living room.

I closed my eyes and willed it away. Obviously, this was a concussion-induced hallucination. There was no way this was real.

But when my eyes blinked open, it was still there. The wolf stared back at me, its gold eyes bright enough that they nearly glowed gold. They reminded me of Hunter’s, the man who just saved me from my ex. The man who had to live somewhere in this building because I always saw him in the laundry room downstairs in a hallway that seemed like it should lead somewhere, but didn't.

The man I always felt watching me after that day I introduced myself, but who never spoke to me again. Because who would be interested in a woman with thick thighs and a large belly? Definitely not a man who obviously had a six pack and whose biceps were as big as my head. He was built like a fucking tree, one I wanted to wrap my legs around and cling to like a koala.

A low growl snapped me out of my fantasy. Fucking idiot. There was a wolf standing feet from me and here I was daydreaming about mounting my neighbor.

The creature took a step towards me, baring its teeth in an angry snarl that had me gripping the bat in my hand a little tighter. It took another step and the breath caught in my lungs. I should have run, screamed, anything. Instead, when it was close enough that I could feel its warm exhale on my legs, I swung.

My bat made contact with something and the wolf went from advancing to lying on the floor. It was still, its fur as dark as the sky at midnight shining in the light cast from the small lamp on the end table.

“Shit,” I muttered, dropping the bat at my feet. Was it dead? “Shit, shit, shit.” I rushed forward checking for some sign of life. The rising and falling of its chest confirmed it wasn’t dead.

I plopped down on the floor as I exhaled, releasing some of the tension that had built in my chest. The hardwood was cold on my legs and I realized I never put on pants after Hunter dragged Chad out of here. I had been too worried about Hunter losing the fight and Chad coming back to finish what he started.

There was no doubt in my mind that Chad would come back. I still couldn't believe my ex broke into my apartment and tried to force himself on me.

Maybe I should call the police. The thought made sense but as my eyes landed on the unconscious animal still laying on my floor. Maybe animal control?

I realized none of that was not an option. What would I have even said? There’s an unconscious wolf in my living room because I hit it over the head with my baseball bat. There was just no way anyone would believe me. I pressed the palms of my hands into my eyes until I saw spots.

My throat tightened and the back of my eyes burned with the need to cry while I tried to figure out where I royally fucked up. I had kicked Chad out after the last time he came home drunk and got a little too rough for my liking. It was a consent thing and he was not doing it for my pleasure. His nasty hands were doing things I didn’t like and, when I told him to stop, he didn’t listen. So I kneed him in the junk and he waddled out of my place, my door nearly hitting his ass as I slammed it behind him.

Thankfully, I was in between clients at work and the next big project wasn’t starting for a few weeks so my boss was okay with me taking some time off. The space to clear my head and figure out what I wanted my next move to be was helpful. If I saved up for a few months, I could move to a new place.

Something called me to stay here though. It may have only been a few months, but I loved living in this small town. Maplewood Hollow had it all, from a little antiquities shop to a diner. Not to mention the cute guy from the laundry room–the same guy who came to my rescue tonight. Then in a blink of an eye, a wolf stood in his place.

A WOLF?

A laugh escaped my lungs because I knew how crazy my thoughts sounded. I mean, I believed in the supernatural stuff like witches and ghosts. The normal things. This town was known for attracting some weird stuff. But people who could turn into animals? There was no way Hunter was a wolf. Right?

A groan pulled me from my thoughts and I knew the universe was playing a cruel joke on me because it sounded human. I dropped my hands and froze when my focus landed on Hunter as he sat up, rubbing the back of his head and blinking.

His brows pinched together in confusion while he looked around my living room as if trying to understand where he was. When his gaze landed on me, his features relaxed for a split second before his eyes widened. He turned his body toward me and moved to stand.

“Rachael, I…” His words trailed off when I scrambled away from him. My legs failed me as I attempted to rise and put space between us. Instead, I not so gracefully backed into the end table, sending the only source of light in the room crashing to the floor. As soon as the ceramic base hit the wood, it shattered and plunged my apartment into darkness.

“Shit,” I muttered. Feeling for the edge of the end table, I used it to pull myself up so I could go in search of the light switch in the kitchen.

“Rachael, don’t try to walk around. You’re going to step on—” His words were cut off by my scream as I stepped directly onto a broken piece of lamp. Pain sliced through the underside of my foot while a string of expletives left my mouth. My nails dug into the wooden top of the table I was still holding onto, trying not to fall over as a shooting sensation spread through my lower leg.

“Don’t move,” Hunter said. I could barely hear his words over the pounding of my heart in my ears. Rustling sounds were followed by the kitchen light being turned on. Hunter began rummaging around my kitchen drawers like he was searching for something.

Tears clouded my vision as I looked down at my right foot. A piece of thin ceramic, slightly bigger than a quarter, stuck out from my heel. There was a throbbing ache that radiated from the wound, made worse the longer I stared at it. I leaned onto the small table and settled my foot on my left knee. Without thinking, I pulled out the offending shard.

Blood flowed from the wound in a steady stream. Time slowed as I watched it leave a thin line of scarlet down my leg until it pooled on the floor.

“Fuck,” Hunter shouted. Or at least I think he did. I lifted my head in time to see him close the distance between us in several large strides. “Why in the hell did you do that?” He pressed one of my kitchen towels to the wound, causing a hiss to escape from my clenched teeth. I remained perched against the end table while he worked to tightly wrap the towel around my foot.

Trying to find a way to distract myself from the dagger-like pain that was radiating from my foot, my eyes followed a path of ink that started at Hunter's forearm. It wrapped around his bicep and led to an intricate piece that connected his shoulder and arm. The tattoos stopped there, but a patch of the same dark hair that was on top of his head lined his chest. My hand flexed as I stopped myself from reaching out to run my fingers through it.

The hair continued down in a dusting along this man's well defined ab muscles until it disapp– Wait, it didn’t disappear.

Hunter straightened himself at that exact moment and offered me his hand, but I was frozen, my gaze locked on his giant cock. Did this man not realize he was standing in front of me like the statue of David?

“You should probably sit down.”

I still couldn’t move, perched against the end table. My eyes found his face once again. Our gazes met and my knees threatened to give out as I stared into those bright brown eyes of his. I would let this man do anything he wanted to me.

What the hell is happening to me? I gave myself a mental chastising for thinking about sex right now. It was the blood loss. Because that's the only reason I would be having these thoughts after the shit show that just took place.

“You should go,” I muttered, setting down my foot and doing my best to balance on my toes. Pain like a bolt of electricity shot through my leg. Tears pooled in the corners of my eyes but I blinked them away. I ignored his outstretched hand as I sidestepped him and hobbled towards the kitchen.

“Rachael, let me help you. You need stitches. And that towel definitely isn't sanitary.” The floor creaked under his steps as he spoke, and within seconds, warm fingers wrapped around my upper arm. I froze, certain that if I turned around I'd give into whatever carnal desires were coursing through me right now.

Hunter took my silence as me needing further encouragement. “Please. I’ll explain everything. I promise I'm not going to hurt you.”

Why did he assume I thought he was going to hurt me? He was the one who had rescued me like a knight in shining armor from my asshole ex.

Then I remembered the whole wolf thing.

He thought…

I spun my body around as I yelled, “Hunter, it's because you're naked!” Instantly, I regretted the action. My head began swimming and my vision tunneled. I swayed where I stood, reaching out for something, anything, to help steady myself.

“Rachael?” Hunter sounded far away. The last thing I remembered before I slipped into the darkness was the sudden warmth surrounding me as my body was cradled against something hard.