Howl of the Wolf by N.J. Walters

if it was only part of a vision. Still, she wasn’t about to admit it. “Not afraid. Cautious.”
    His lips twitched, but he didn’t smile. She found herself wondering what he’d look like if he did smile. He was hotter than any underwear model or actor she’d ever laid eyes on. It was taking all her willpower not to melt into a gooey heap at his feet he was so darn sexy. Of course, he wasn’t real so it was okay to feel that way. Or at least that’s what she kept telling herself.
    “You were telling me about the curse.” she reminded him. If she could figure out why her subconscious had conjured him, she could get rid of him.
    She nibbled on her bottom lip. And she wanted him gone, didn’t she? Of course she did.
    He raked his fingers through his shaggy mane of hair, leaving it tousled and sexy. She curled her hands into fists at her side to keep from reaching out to touch his hair to see if it was as soft as it appeared.
    “I am an immortal warrior of the Lady of the Beasts.” There was both pride and affection in his voice.
    Okay, that wasn’t what she expected, not at all. She’d never even heard of the Lady of the Beasts. “Go on.”
    “I was one of seven, all part-men, part-beast. We lived in peace until the Greek gods came. They wanted power and took it, forcing my Lady to fight.”
    She took a small step back. Anger radiated from him as he spoke, and she didn’t want that fury directed her way.
    Eyes narrowing, he glared at her. “The battle raged for weeks, months, years. Who knows how long? Time is fluid during such times. There were too many of them—gods and goddesses, warriors and demons.”
    She shivered when he mentioned demons and wrapped her arms around herself, feeling a sudden chill. She was afraid the story wasn’t going to have a happy ending. “What happened to the Lady?”
    Anguish filled his eyes and his jaw hardened. “We fought and would have continued to fight, but Hades was getting too close.”
    “Hades?” She knew who he was. “What happened then, Arand?” His name flowed easily from her lips.
    “The Lady knew she couldn’t defeat them, that Hades would capture her.”
    “Not kill her?” she interrupted to ask.
    He shook his head. “No, a god does not kill another. That is the only rule they all abide by. It would set a bad precedent.”
    “Makes sense.” If one god killed another then no one was safe. “Then what did he do to her? And what happened to you?”
    He began to pace like a caged animal, striding from one end of the room to the other. Not that he had much space to maneuver, but he was using every square inch of it. The room seemed to shrink with him in it. He exuded such power and energy it filled the area.
    “What happened?” He whirled around and pinned her with a glare. “She cursed us, her loyal warriors.” He stalked toward her as she continued to move away until there was nowhere left for her to go. Back against the wall, she faced him.
    His breath was almost hot against her cheek as he leaned inward, blocking everything else from her field of vision. “For more than five thousand years, we sat in our animal forms, unable to move, to eat, to talk. The only thing that kept us sane was the ability to absorb the advancements of mankind. As history changed, we learned and waited.”
    His anguish made her heart ache, and she reached out to him, touching the hard curve of his jaw. “I’m sure she felt she was doing the right thing.”
    His glare let her know he didn’t share her opinion. She dropped her hand back by her side. He was crowding her, but she didn’t really feel afraid of him. Crazy, but true. His nudity was a bit of a problem though. His erection was bumping against her stomach. He seemed oblivious, but she certainly wasn’t.
    “Hades could not take us to Hell as he took the Lady, but he could not afford to leave us unattended. For century upon century, Hades’ minions guarded us, at first in damp caves, later in castles and