Clawed: Wild Things, Book 3 (13 page)

The same thought had occurred to Chloe. “I guess it kind of figures that Billy might be since he’s with Conan. Although I would’ve assumed Billy was a bear too.”

Nina paced back and forth in front of the fire. “I’m not buying any of this. First one guy’s a bear and now you’re claiming to be a coyote. Are we in some kind of freaky
Twilight Zone
episode?”

Billy’s face clouded over. “I’m not claiming anything. I am a were-coyote. You can believe me or not. Either way, it doesn’t change what I am. And guess what, babe, I don’t care whether you buy it or not.”

“Then you won’t mind showing us, will you?”

“Fine. I will.” Billy stood and started shedding his clothes.

“Whoa, hold up.” Chloe bolted away from him. “What’s with the no-clothes routine?”

“I have to take my clothes off or they’ll get shredded in the transformation. Shifters aren’t like Superman. Our clothes don’t change along with our bodies, ya know.”

“No, I don’t know. How would I know? Conan didn’t exactly give me how-to manual.” Chloe covered her eyes as Billy started to unbutton his jeans.

“It does make sense, though.”

Chloe could hear the curiosity in Nina’s voice. She kept her gaze on the ground at her feet. “Yeah, it does. Just tell me when your private parts are no longer human so I can look up.”

A groan was her answer, but Chloe recognized the cracking sounds she’d heard when Conan had changed.

“Oh, my God. Billy, are you okay?”

“I know it sounds awful, Nina, but he’s all right. Just keep watching.”

“I don’t know if I can.” Nina’s voice sounded small. “H-he’s twisting, changing. Oh, hell.”

Billy’s groans, however, soon changed to whimpers accented by low growls.

“Holy shit. Are we safe? Will he hurt us?”

Chloe sensed Nina picking up the large stick she’d used before. “No. Don’t hit him. He’s still Billy inside the animal.”

Nina dropped the stick next to Chloe’s feet. The fear she’d felt coming from Nina changed, the tension in the air lessening as her friend accepted what she was seeing.

“Chloe, you should see this.”

“Not until he has fur on his body.”

“Look, Chloe. Now.”

Chloe raised her head to find a large coyote on the other side of the fire. His golden eyes, reminding her of Conan’s eyes when he was a bear, narrowed as his wide mouth lengthened, the tips curving into a smile that was not unlike his human one. Gray fur, growing darker toward his hind legs, led to a swishing tail tipped in black.

“Did you see him change?”

“Yeah, I did.” Nina’s voice was filled with awe. She grabbed Chloe’s arm, tugging her attention away from the animal. “Is this crazy or what?”

Chloe nodded. “Crazy? Yeah, it sure is.”

Nina dropped to her knees in front of Billy. Reaching a tentative hand out to him, she tunneled her fingers through his fur and sighed. “Wow, he’s so soft. Come on, Chloe, touch him.”

She shook her head, preferring to retrieve the wine bottle and refill her glass. “No, thanks. I think I’m going to sit by the fire and see if more wine will help me believe everything I’ve already seen.”

“I can’t believe this. I’m touching a coyote. No, nix that. I’m touching a man who changed into a coyote. Holy shit.” Nina’s cooing sounds echoed Billy’s soft growls.

The envy crashing through Chloe surprised her. If only the hunters hadn’t shown up, she could’ve spent more time with Conan the bear. She took a long drink, letting the warm liquid wash away the knot in her throat.

“Come on, Billy. Let’s get inside where I can watch you change back into a man.”

Chloe watched as Nina led the coyote into her tent.

“Hey, don’t forget his clothes.” Chloe giggled, then took a sip. Was she really telling her best friend not to forget her coyote-lover’s clothes? Could things get any weirder?

“I don’t think we’re going to need them anytime soon,” Nina answered.

The shadows of Nina and the were-coyote played against the side of Nina’s tent. Soon, however, the smaller shadow began changing, growing taller as Nina’s awed exclamations filled the air.

Chloe poured the last of the bottle into her glass. Where was Conan? Had the hunters frightened him away for good? And if they hadn’t, what would happen between them now?

“What do you mean you’re going home?”

Conan grumbled and repositioned the duffle bag over his shoulder. “I mean I’m going back to Colorado.”

“What the hell for?”

Conan’s patience was wearing thin, but it was his own fault. He shouldn’t have mentioned leaving until this morning. Instead, he’d mouthed off and told Billy his plans when the were-coyote had shown up late last night. “I can’t stay.”

“Will you stop and talk to me?”

Billy grabbed Conan’s arm, trying to force him to turn his way. Letting his inner beast a small bit of freedom, Conan turned on the small man, his teeth bared in the same way he’d bare his fangs. “Watch it, pup.”

Billy backed off—at least physically. “I don’t get it. You and Chloe are getting along right now, right? She even knows what you are. Hell, she knows what I am. So why cut and run, big guy?”

“What do you mean she knows what you are? What happened?”

Billy’s shrug wasn’t as nonchalant as he tried to make it seem. “Hey, you exposed yourself to Chloe so I figured I could do the same and show my inner handsome self to Nina. Chloe was there for the unveiling, too.”

Damn, he knew he should’ve stuck around after following the hunters and Chloe back to the campsite. But who knew Billy would decide to bare all for both women? “Great. So now they both know.”

“Yeah, and now we can both stay and be ourselves around them. What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing, I guess. Except the more people who know, the riskier it is for us.” And for Chloe and Nina? Did knowing put them at risk, too?

“Look, man, don’t blow this. I know you’re not into finding your mate and all, but I want to spend more time with Nina.”

“Then you stay. But I’m done.”

“Really? Then why are we headed toward their camp?”

Conan glued his attention on the path in front of him, unwilling to look at Billy. His friend would no doubt see the truth written on his face. “I want to check on them one last time. To make sure you didn’t upset them last night by showing your scrawny ass.”

“My scrawny ass? Trust me. When they got a glimpse of my fine tail—”

Shouts startled Conan and Billy, halting them in their tracks.

Chapter Eight

Conan tossed his duffle bag onto the ground a second after he’d broken into a hard run. Billy ran behind him on the narrow trail. A few minutes later they came to the edge of the girls’ campsite.

Conan skidded to a stop, bracing his arm out in front of him to keep Billy from running past him. He held his finger to his mouth, then whispered, “Hold up. Let’s find out what’s happening before we barge into this.”

Billy nodded, then tilted his head at the scene in front of them.

“Roger, get the hell away from me!”

“I just want to talk to you.”

Chloe faced the wooded area where Conan and Billy hid. Feet planted apart, she fisted her hands and glared at the man trying to take her by the arms. Every time he tried, she yanked out of his grip. Nina took a similar fighting stance and tapped a large stick against her palm.

“You heard her, dirtbag. Leave before I bash your brainless head in.”

Chloe held up her hand, warding Nina off. “Hang on. Let’s let him talk.” She thrust a finger at the man. “But once you’ve had your say, Roger, you have to get out of here.”

“Come on, sweetie. Be reasonable. I’ve missed you.”

“Oh, sure you have. What’s the matter? Did Jilly wise up and kick you to the curb?”

Although Conan couldn’t see Roger’s face, the sudden stiffening of his body relayed his anger even if his tone hadn’t already done so. “That bitch was never anything but a quick fuck.” He noticeably relaxed his body. “You’re the one I want. No one else was ever as good as you in bed.”

Chloe’s surprise resonated in her harsh laugh. “So that’s all I ever was to you? A good fuck? No, wait. I was more than that, wasn’t I? I was the idiot who fed you and gave you beer money. Crap, I can’t believe how stupid I was to think you ever loved me.” She stalked closer to him. “No, that’s not right. I was stupid to think you ever deserved me.”

The growl came from deep inside Conan, and without thinking, he began to take off his clothes. Billy started to unbutton his shirt, but Conan shook his head. “No. You stay out of it.”

Although his animal instincts alerted him of the impending danger, Conan couldn’t believe it when Roger grabbed Chloe around the throat.

He was naked and shifting before the next growl erupted from between his fangs. Roaring, he broke through the bushes and barreled toward Chloe and her attacker.

Chloe couldn’t scream. Not when Roger wrapped his large hand around her throat and not when Conan burst from the forest, shifting from man to bear as he ran. Nina yelled at Roger, but her cry died when she saw Conan pounding toward them, each hand-turned-paw striking the ground to send dirt flying into the air.

Chloe gripped Roger’s hand, struggling to peel his fingers off her neck. She fought to breathe, gasping air in short, agonizing breaths, but the vise he held on her grew tighter. She struck out, landing blow after blow against him, but he acted as though she were merely a pesky gnat.

Roger, his focus centered on her, followed her gaze as it shifted to the side. He twisted his head to the left, a smirk plastered on his face, and froze. Shock undulated through him and his mouth dropped open. At last he loosened his hold on her. “Shit! What the hell is that?”

Taking her chance, Chloe wrenched him off and stumbled toward Nina. Nina caught her seconds before she would have fallen to the ground. Roger, his expression almost laughable, gawked at Conan and turned his body to face the charging animal.

Conan, now fully transformed, rammed into Roger, knocking him several feet in the air to land on his back. He lumbered over to the terrified man and growled, baring fangs dripping with saliva. Rising up on his hind legs, Conan towered over the dazed man, claws extended, ready to tear into flesh. His fur stood on end as he shook his massive body. Anger rippled off him in waves.

Chloe gasped, fear warring against the need to believe Conan wouldn’t hurt Roger. She’d never seen such ferociousness, such brutal strength. Conan was a predator, a wild, untamed beast that could kill with one blow. Would the man inside realize what the animal might do? Would he care?

“Help!” But Roger’s shout was stifled as he clutched his fist to his mouth. His eyes, wide with panic, locked on to the bear.

“No, Conan! Don’t.” As much as she disliked Roger, as much as she might want revenge, she couldn’t let Conan hurt him. To do so would take her down to Roger’s level and involve Conan in a problem not of his making. But how could she stop him?

The furious bear roared an ear-splitting sound and she clamped her hands over her ears. Nina stumbled backward, away from the fight, and seeing Billy motioning for her at the edge of the clearing, dashed toward him.

Chloe’s feet seemed rooted to the ground. Her pulse thundered in her ears. Unlike the gentle giant at the pond, this Conan embodied all that was predatory, all that was wild. Her mind pushed her to run, but another part of her, the part that had seen the gentler side of both man and beast, couldn’t leave. Was she willing to place herself in danger to help Roger?

Gritting her teeth, Chloe rushed over and placed her hands above her head and tried to reach Conan’s paws. Fresh alarm hit her as the hard amber gaze met hers and his mouth pulled back into another snarl. Did he recognize her? Did he understand her? And even if he did, would he stop because of her? Or would his temper overrule his human side? Would he want Roger’s blood enough to hurt her, too?

“Conan, don’t.” Her breath hitched as the smell of the bear’s heavy breath swamped her. Somehow he was larger than before, as though his fury had added bulk to his already immense frame. “Let him go.”

Roger lay on his back, his hands held in front of him in a feeble attempt to thwart a blow. “Get that thing away from me!”

Conan roared again and swiped his paw at Roger, raking his leg and drawing four lines of blood. Roger screamed, his features contorted in pain and panic.

“Please, Conan. No.”

Conan growled, this time lower and softer, the sound reverberating in the air around them. The growl seemed more ominous than any of the others.

If she could do anything to stop Conan from hurting Roger again, she had to do it now. Stepping toward the bear, she closed her eyes and put herself inches from his belly.

“Please, stop,” she whispered, then laid her body against his. She stretched out her arms in a hug and found she couldn’t reach around his massive torso. But it didn’t matter. If she meant anything to him, if she could reach the man inside the beast, her touch would be enough.

Fur tickled her cheek and the heat from his body soaked into hers. His breaths pushed his chest against her, filling her nostrils with the scent of animal, woods and more. Keeping her eyes closed, she concentrated on listening to the rapid beat of his heart and waited.

Conan moaned, a small sound for such a large creature. The sound pulsed into Chloe’s body before it filled her ears.
He understands.
Relief swelled with gratitude. She gave him a squeeze, opened her eyes and backed up. Dropping to his paws, Conan shook his entire body in a bear-like denial of her request.

She touched her palm to his jaw and sought the man she knew was inside the animal. “Please, Conan. You’ll leave him alone?”

He shook his mighty head again, denying her once more, then took a step forward and bared his teeth at the cowering Roger. Bouncing up and down on his front paws, he shook his head and roared, the sound deafening to her ears.

“Please. Stop.”

His fur bristled and she sensed the terrible war raging inside him, the man fighting to control the beast. Almost as though she could see the cold predator side of him, Chloe stared into the ferocious face and prayed the gentle man would win the battle.