Brock O'Hurn as Colin Byrd
Faye's neck popped as she painfully straightened it. Sleepily, she blinked her eyes, looking confusedly at her surroundings. Her back groaned as she sat up from where she had been leaning against the base of the recliner. She was in the living room, the fire was dead in the fireplace, and outside, snow was sifting to the ground with a hiss. The ground was still warm enough that the snow was practically melting as it touched the surface.
"What a weird dream," she yawned.
She looked down at her lap as a snore met her ears. Tangled hair lay spread across her lap, two large arms tight around her waist.
"Aw hell," she muttered, looking down at the man curled around her like she was his favorite pillow.
"Why couldn't you just be a dream?" She groaned, trying to figure out a way to move without waking him up.
She eased out from under his head, sliding a throw pillow where she had been. He was reluctant to let go of her, Faye having to pry his arms from around her waist.
Her back hurt.
She glanced down again at the man and frowned, taking note of his shallow breathing and the bruises mottling his body. Gingerly, she squatted down next to him, feeling her knees pop several times, sounding like gunfire. Pressing her hand to his forehead, her eyes widened.
"You're burning up," she muttered, stroking down the guy's face, "But then again, don't canines run at a higher temperature than humans? I mean you're a dog after all."
Faye giggled somewhat hysterically and then sealed her lips shut. She was acting like a crazy person. Okay so maybe she was in a little bit of shock from last night. But talking to a sleeping Wolf-man wasn't going to make that any better.
With a snort, she straightened and went to start breakfast, wondering if the naked man under the blanket on her bearskin rug would eat anything other than raw meat.
She mentally gagged. Well that's all he had been eating. And her chicken! Faye froze.
He ate her chicken!
She glared over her shoulder at the lump on the floor that was too much beard and hair and attractive man. With a sigh, she left him there with toast in the oven and ran out to feed the chickens.
When she walked back through the door, she froze. He was gone. "Okay," she said loudly, peering around cautiously, "So not funny, Wolf-man. Where are you?"
Her bedroom door burst open and he stood, albeit on shaky limbs and clutching to the door jamb, a frantic look on his face.
And stark naked.
Faye was fairly sure her mouth was gaping as she realized this. Then, she snapped her mouth shut so hard her jaw ached and focused her eyes somewhere on the exposed wooden rafters of her home.
He grunted and her eyes flew back to him as he took an unsteady step forward, his face twisted in pain. His mouth worked and Faye realized he was trying to speak.
"G-gone?"
Faye squinted at him, pretty sure she looked like an idiot as she tried to make out what he said through the thick Irish brogue.
"You gone?"
Faye shook her head and turned to close the door behind her. When she turned back around, her eyes met male chest, focusing against her will on a little brown nipple on his right pec. How had he moved so silently? His chest was thin, his ribs poking out, but it was a nice chest all the same. Don't forget male. And that nipple was close enough she could stick out her tongue and lick it.
No! Bad! Bad bad bad!
Then his arms wrapped around her and yanked her into his body. Her eyes about to pop out of her head, Faye held her hands straight out from her body, and away from all that bare skin.
"Lord Jesus, please have mercy," she mentally screamed.
The strange Wolf-man nuzzled her neck, his beard tickling her, as he mumbled, "No go."
"Clothes!" gasped out Faye, "Need clothes now!"
She awkwardly pushed him off of her, then caught his arm as he swayed unsteadily, his eyes unnaturally bright. So his high temperature wasn't just a canine thing.
"You're sick," she said, shaking her finger at him, "And you ate my chicken!"
He hung his head like a scolded puppy and whined. "Stop that," snapped Faye, "I should kick you out right now."
Colin's eyes grew wide with fear. She couldn't kick him out! Where would he go? He didn't want to Change back to his wolf form yet; still afraid he would be stuck that way again. He shook his head frantically, his hair flying around his face. He couldn't leave his Promise. He had just found her!
Faye was still ranting. "God, you—you freaking turned into a man. Where's my wolf?"
Colin clasped his hand to his head, trying to hold it still so the room would stop spinning. His legs felt like jello and he desperately wanted to sit down now that he knew Faye had not left him like he thought when he woke up and she wasn't beside him. He pointed his finger at himself and said, "Here."
Faye grumbled under her breath and moved him back to sit on the bearskin rug before he passed out.
"Stay," she commanded. And with that tone, Colin couldn't have moved if he wanted to. He weaved slowly and then toppled over with a groan. His eyes closed as he pawed at the blanket, wrapping himself up in it. Why was he so cold?
Faye marched out of the bedroom with a pair of boxers and a pair of sweatpants that had been her fathers. It had only taken a minute for her to dig them out of the large trunk she had kept of her father's things.
The Wolf-man was curled on his side, his brow furrowed as he shivered under the thick blanket she had given him last night, wrapped up like a burrito. She regarded him worriedly before kneeling beside him and shaking his shoulder gently.
"Hey," she said softly, "I have some clothes for you. Can you put them on?"
He opened his eyes and his long body straightened out as he nodded, still shivering.
Faye handed him the clothes and stood watching as he tried to bend to reach his feet. It obviously hurt. Gritting her teeth, Faye helped him get the boxers and sweats started up his legs and then turned her back ignoring the urge to watch him dress.
With a start, Faye saw wisps of smoke coming from the oven and shrieked. A loud whine made her look over her shoulder at the only half-naked guy sitting on the floor behind her as she made a beeline for the stove. His hands clamped over his ears as he pouted adorably up at her, his sensitive ears ringing from her scream.
"I need a toaster," grumbled Faye.
She rescued the toast that was a little crispier than she liked but would have to do, and poured some milk over Wolf-man's piece. When she knelt down by him again, he clutched at her hips, his grip like iron despite the fact he was sick.
"Stop," said Faye, her voice softening as she saw how miserable he was, "You need to eat and get your strength back."
She had to help him sit up and lean him against the recliner and when he was finally propped up, his eyes half-shut, she then had to feed him.
As she sopped up the last bit of milk with the toast, she asked, "What's your name?"
"Colin," he murmured, his hand on her forearm as she fed him, "Wolfie."
"Colin," she said, blushing at the name she gave his fur side, "My name is—."
"F-Faye," he said with a soft smile, proud of himself for saying her name finally.
And as he looked up at her with his big golden eyes just like Wolfie's, a lazy smile barely quirking his lips, Faye couldn't help smiling back down at him as his eyes slowly drifted closed, his hand clasping hers to his chest like a child.
.........
Hello my shapeshifters!!! Welcome back! I had so much fun writing this chapter! Honestly!
So guys I'm going to shamelessly promote another of my work on here cause ya know I can! I've entered a short story into the #TKBMovieContest!
I can honestly say, writing a love story in under 500 words is a challenge....
If you can, head on over to my profile and check it out.
It's called Into the Rain!
As always, don't forget to vote and comment! Hearing from you guys is the highlight of my day!
See you in the next chapter.
Sincerely,
Scarlett