Welcome to Crazy Land

CASSANDRA

With the alpha guy yakking to Agnes and Joel, I browsed the books to keep myself busy. I saw some of my favorite authors there, much to my pleasant surprise. Seems like we had something in common. I loved reading. Yeah, I was a nerd. But no one had to know, right? A werewolf nerd. I couldn’t help the insane laughter bubbling up in my throat.

“What’s so funny?” a deep, sexy voice asked right behind me.

I wheeled around right into the circle of hard, muscled arms. Holy shit! Why was he so close?

“Are you creeping up on me, Connor?” I let mild irritation sharpen my tone. I felt flustered, but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing how flustered he made me feel. Like panty-damping flustered.

The damn man smiled, and two dimples appeared on both cheeks. Of course, there would be dimples! As if he wasn’t sexy enough, damn him. And that made him dangerous in my book.

“No, I wouldn’t do such a thing. I see you’re admiring my book collection. You like to read?” He wasn’t letting go of me. I was intensely aware of the heat from his hands on my hips. His lips were moving, but I couldn’t understand a thing. My brain suddenly turned to oatmeal. There was only one thought in my depraved mind and that was I wanted to taste those lips. Those plump, gorgeous lips…

“Cassandra?” The sound of my name snapped me back to my senses. What the hell was I thinking?

“Umm…” I batted his hands away from my hips and took two steps away. “Yes, yes, I like to read. Where are my parents?”

“Oh, they went home,” he said. “I thought I could show you around the pack grounds. Introduce you to some of the pack members.”

I didn’t want to be alone with him. “Maybe some other time. I should go.” I hustled towards the door leading to the stairs. “Thank you for breakfast, though.” I remembered my manners in time.

“Wait up!” The demand in his tone stopped me dead in my tracks. I couldn’t move. As much as I wanted to. “I need to talk to you, Cassandra.”

I turned around slowly. “About what?” I asked sharply, narrowing my eyes. Dangerous.

“About your place in the pack.” He wasn’t smiling then and suddenly my legs moved towards him out of their own.

“Are you doing this? Are you making me walk to you?” I screeched.

He chuckled. “Yes, and no. Your wolf must submit to me. She has no choice but to obey her alpha’s command.”

Oh, fuck this. Again, with the wolf schtick. “I don’t have a wolf! You people are all batshit crazy.”

He held out his hand for me to take. “Please, come. Sit with me. Let’s talk about this, Cassie.” And hell, if I couldn’t resist his soft voice. It was hypnotic. I took his hand and let him lead me to the lounge. “See, it’s not that bad to comply.”

“I don’t like not being in control.” I told him rather breathlessly. He pulled me down next to him, our thighs resting against each other. He still held my hand.

“Sometimes to give up control is freeing, Cassie.” Blue eyes smiled into mine. “Why is it so hard for you to accept your wolf spirit?”

Ripping my hand out of his, I tapped my temple. “It’s not real. Next thing, you’ll tell me vampires exist and fairies and…” I didn’t know half the urban legends.

“I hate to break it to you… All of them are real, except the tooth fairy, Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. They are not,” he said without cracking a smile.

I burst out laughing, holding my stomach and letting it rip. “Oh…” I wiped tears out of my eyes. “You guys are good.”

“Cassandra….”

“How about a demonstration, Wolf man?” I wasn’t laughing anymore. “I’ll believe it if you turn right here and now, in front of me.” Let’s see if he would rise to the challenge.

He looked hesitant. Of course he hesitated! He maybe had a big black dog that looked like a wolf following him around. That was what I saw on the porch.

“Are you sure?” he asked, his brows lifted slightly. “I don’t want to freak you out.”

“I don’t think… Hey!” I clapped my hands over my eyes. Because he pulled his shirt over his head and kicked off his shoes. Trousers followed. Okay, I peeked between my fingers. I’ve never seen a naked man in the flesh. I’ve looked at p**n- I mean, who doesn’t–but this was actual flesh and oh god, so much of it.

“I don’t want to ruin my clothes.” He said, but his voice had changed, became rougher.

My mind said run, you fool, but my stubborn body refused. I sat glued to the couch, peeking between my fingers. And what I saw next boggled my mind.

Fur appeared on his face and spread rapidly over his body. He sank to the floor on all fours, face elongating. I heard a popping, snapping sound as his bones shifted. They shifted! There was a buzzing sound in my ears and the lounge swam in front of my eyes.

I bit my tongue, hard. I was not fainting. I don’t faint.

“No. Fucking way,” I gasped.

There he was, a big, black as midnight wolf, biggest creature I’ve ever seen. No Connor in sight. He sat on his haunches and grinned at me, red eyes glinting like rubies.

‘That proof enough for you, Cassandra?’ I heard his voice droning in my head.

This was impossible. But there he was. “I have just crossed over to crazy land.” I tasted blood in my mouth. This was real. Then I fainted.

***

I woke up to Connor’s worried face hovering over me on the couch. Screaming like a banshee, I bolted from the couch. I didn’t get far, though.

“Cassie!” Again, that voice froze me to the floor. I had no control over my shaking body. “I’m sorry. It wasn’t the best idea to shock you like that.”

Connor was behind me, stroking my upper arms vigorously. “Are you alright? Can I get you some water?”

“I could use a brandy. Or vodka or jet fuel.” I said through chattering teeth.

“You’re underaged,” he said with a laugh. “I’ll get you some juice.” He put his arm around my shoulders and steered me back to the lounge. Thank Jesus, he was dressed.