was scared and confused. I got cleaned up in a stream but couldn’t find my clothes anywhere, so I stole someone’s pants and shirt from a clothesline and made my way back to the reservation.
“Everyone was talking about this large wolf that had invaded the outlying farms through the night, slaughtering sheep and cattle. I started worrying and went back to Tala’s mother‘s house. She took one look at me and laughed. It was a cruel laugh. And then she shut the door in my face. I changed again that night, only this time I was aware of it and I was terrified.
“I never returned back East; I hired lawyers to take care of everything out there. I hid out in the woods for a time, not sure if it was safe to be near people. The wolf doesn’t think, not like you and I do, he simply feels and his feelings are intense. His every action is an instinctual response. In the beginning I had no control over those instincts but I was, and am still, consciously aware while in wolf form, like an observer. And it’s the same for him during the day. But over time we adapted. When I was sure I could control the beast, I bought the Cherry Farm and made a life for myself.”
“Wow, Aidan, just wow. First of all, there is no way Tala cursed you — she loved you. Second, he is not a beast, so don’t call him that. He’s beautiful and gentle and intelligent. He’s just you in animal form.” Aidan ducked his head at the offhanded compliment. He had been worried about Maggie’s reaction, but instead of being horrified or pitying him, she was defending the wolf. Defending him.
“Have you a name for him?” she asked.
“I call him Gealach. It means moon in Gaelic.” Maggie nodded approvingly.
“I like it. That fits. Now I know what to call him.” She leaned over and laid her lips softly against his. “Thank you for trusting me.”
They finished the ride in silence, both lost in their thoughts. After they’d returned to the stables and rubbed down the horses, they walked back to Aidan’s house hand in hand. He led her into his room and they loved each other gently in the sunlight.
Chapter Eleven
Maggie listened to the steady beat of his heart under her cheek while tracing little circles on his abdomen and enjoying the sensation of his fingers untangling her hair. They’d spent nearly the entire week together this way, stretching out their days talking and laughing and loving. Maggie walked in the woods with Gealach in the evenings, returning to the cabin to sleep around midnight each night. They ate breakfast together, either at the cabin or his house. She wondered when she’d fallen in love with him.
“Can I ask you something?” Aidan’s voice rumbled in his chest and Maggie smiled.
“Anything, baby.”
“What’s with the tattoo?” Maggie laughed, propped her chin on his chest and looked up at him as he traced it with his finger. The tattoo was low on her back, just above the crest of her left ass cheek.
“It’s a Celtic infinity knot; you know, no beginning, no end, the infinite power of the spirit, immortality, and so on. It’s also a sign not to drunkenly accept a dare in an Irish pub.” Maggie smiled when he chuckled.
“Well it seriously suits you, my love.” Maggie’s heart tripped at the casual endearment and she ducked her head hoping he didn’t see the emotion in her eyes. He seemed able to read her like no one else.
“Can I watch you shift tonight?” Maggie had taken to calling Aidan’s transformations “shifting” because she felt it was a just that: a shift in form. She felt his muscles tense and knew his answer would be no. Before he had a chance to refuse she softly added, “Please?”
“With one condition.” Maggie nodded eagerly. “You don’t walk with Gealach for the next little bit, and you either stay close to my house or close to the cabin, but I’d rather it be here. Since the damn cabin is literally in the woods and completely isolated.
“Mags, I saw people in the woods
“Everyone was talking about this large wolf that had invaded the outlying farms through the night, slaughtering sheep and cattle. I started worrying and went back to Tala’s mother‘s house. She took one look at me and laughed. It was a cruel laugh. And then she shut the door in my face. I changed again that night, only this time I was aware of it and I was terrified.
“I never returned back East; I hired lawyers to take care of everything out there. I hid out in the woods for a time, not sure if it was safe to be near people. The wolf doesn’t think, not like you and I do, he simply feels and his feelings are intense. His every action is an instinctual response. In the beginning I had no control over those instincts but I was, and am still, consciously aware while in wolf form, like an observer. And it’s the same for him during the day. But over time we adapted. When I was sure I could control the beast, I bought the Cherry Farm and made a life for myself.”
“Wow, Aidan, just wow. First of all, there is no way Tala cursed you — she loved you. Second, he is not a beast, so don’t call him that. He’s beautiful and gentle and intelligent. He’s just you in animal form.” Aidan ducked his head at the offhanded compliment. He had been worried about Maggie’s reaction, but instead of being horrified or pitying him, she was defending the wolf. Defending him.
“Have you a name for him?” she asked.
“I call him Gealach. It means moon in Gaelic.” Maggie nodded approvingly.
“I like it. That fits. Now I know what to call him.” She leaned over and laid her lips softly against his. “Thank you for trusting me.”
They finished the ride in silence, both lost in their thoughts. After they’d returned to the stables and rubbed down the horses, they walked back to Aidan’s house hand in hand. He led her into his room and they loved each other gently in the sunlight.
Chapter Eleven
Maggie listened to the steady beat of his heart under her cheek while tracing little circles on his abdomen and enjoying the sensation of his fingers untangling her hair. They’d spent nearly the entire week together this way, stretching out their days talking and laughing and loving. Maggie walked in the woods with Gealach in the evenings, returning to the cabin to sleep around midnight each night. They ate breakfast together, either at the cabin or his house. She wondered when she’d fallen in love with him.
“Can I ask you something?” Aidan’s voice rumbled in his chest and Maggie smiled.
“Anything, baby.”
“What’s with the tattoo?” Maggie laughed, propped her chin on his chest and looked up at him as he traced it with his finger. The tattoo was low on her back, just above the crest of her left ass cheek.
“It’s a Celtic infinity knot; you know, no beginning, no end, the infinite power of the spirit, immortality, and so on. It’s also a sign not to drunkenly accept a dare in an Irish pub.” Maggie smiled when he chuckled.
“Well it seriously suits you, my love.” Maggie’s heart tripped at the casual endearment and she ducked her head hoping he didn’t see the emotion in her eyes. He seemed able to read her like no one else.
“Can I watch you shift tonight?” Maggie had taken to calling Aidan’s transformations “shifting” because she felt it was a just that: a shift in form. She felt his muscles tense and knew his answer would be no. Before he had a chance to refuse she softly added, “Please?”
“With one condition.” Maggie nodded eagerly. “You don’t walk with Gealach for the next little bit, and you either stay close to my house or close to the cabin, but I’d rather it be here. Since the damn cabin is literally in the woods and completely isolated.
“Mags, I saw people in the woods
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