Chapter 30

Megan

It took a good forty-five minutes for Sam to finish fishing out all the dead things from my hair, although he might have been playing with my hair the last few minutes, and because it felt good, I let him. But the dirt had to go. And I was going to need to buy stock in a razor company.

When I finally got up off the floor, my right leg had fallen asleep, and I leaned against the sink while the blood started circulating again. Sam brushed a final piece of leaf from my shoulder.

"You'll feel better after a shower. I'll sweep this up while you wait for blood to go back to your toes." He winked. How could he be so kind and so positive after all the crazy that had taken place over the past—was it really only two days? I angled my eyebrows. There was a literal imprint of my cheek and eye socket on his white shirt outlined perfectly in dirt wet with my tears.

"I'm sorry about your shirt." I bit my lip.

He glanced down and flicked at the dirt like one might flick a droplet of water. "Eh, it'll wash."

I smiled. A genuine smile. Sam was maybe going to be the bright spot in the next few weeks until my permanent human skin returned.

****

I didn't shift again Sunday night. It was well after midnight before we both fell exhausted into our beds, and we slept late again Monday. I woke before Sam, and eager to work through some of what had happened, I set to making bread. It was something I could do quietly, hopefully not disturbing Sam, and the texture of the dough as it made soft slapping noises against the counter was more soothing than sweet iced tea on a hot day.

The dough stretched and morphed as I kneaded, pushing my frustration and eventually the anger that resurfaced into the ball of dough. Long minutes passed as I worked the dough. I felt my anger receding as Wolf nudged me, apologetic for her wild traipsing last night. A sort of calm stole over me, and I felt my shoulders relax, the tension ebbing down to my arms and into my hands as I repeatedly stretched and punched down the dough. Wolf and I came to an understanding. I needed to commit to being a wolf for the next few weeks. I thought I already had, but last night's run had enunciated how clearly ill-adjusted I was for this life. It was obvious I was destined for skin, not fur, but I did need to fix my attitude, as Grandma would have said. I wasn't happy about being here, but I was stuck here for now. And how I reacted to this situation was on me. So Wolf and I were going to act as a team for the time being. I was going to be the boss, but she was going to help me understand how to maintain the balance I needed between skin and fur. With that settled, I exhaled a big breath and folded the dough into a neat ball and set it back in the bowl to rise.

Glancing up, I startled when I noticed Sam leaning against the back of the couch. His arms were braced on the couch, legs crossed casually as he watched me. Wolf wiggled in excitement as I registered his bed head and pajama pants. I refused to admit I found him sexy.

"Good morning," he said tentatively.

"Morning," I replied absently. "How long have you been standing there?"

"A while. You were pretty intent on beating that dough to a pulp. Everything all right?"

I felt a grin tip one side of my mouth. "Yes. I think Wolf and I have come to terms with a few things. The bread was helping us work through our issues."

****

The rest of Monday was spent texting back and forth with Rachel and talking to Grandpa, exercising the wolf, and working on shifting on my terms. Sam and I did some laps around the cabin, letting my nose and other senses get used to the surrounding areas on a smaller scale. It was helpful and not nearly as overwhelming as the run had been.

Tuesday morning, I baked another batch of cookies and then made yeast rolls while Sam asked me questions to help prepare for the English test. He was a good study partner. With nerves mounting about school tomorrow, Sam suggested we spend most of the afternoon in fur. I was ready to try anything to avoid a massive morph at school. Wolf was behaving herself, but it was like she couldn't help it sometimes either, and she just came out. And that made me nervous.

****

I was up with the dawn Wednesday morning. My heart pounded, and dread pooled in my stomach. Wolf nudged me encouragingly. We had been working as a team, and she was behaving well. She promised to try her best today. I was still concerned. I lay in my bed, twisting the covers in my fists, trying not to think about the one hundred different ways I could hurt someone or expose werewolves everywhere while attempting a physiology lab. Sam must have heard my thrashing. He sat up and scrubbed a hand over his face, hiding a yawn.

"I'm not sure I can do this," tumbled out of my lips.

He got up, shuffled over, and plopped down beside me on the bed. I was momentarily distracted. I wasn't sure how I felt about Sam sitting on my bed while I was still lying in it.

"You're going to do fine," he said with a sleepy smile. "I'm not just saying it because it's what you want to hear. Your wolf knows who the leader is. And I'm one thought away. Seriously, I'll check in with you between every class."

"Promise?" I chewed my bottom lip.

"Promise." He tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear and I shivered. "Go shower, and I'll make you coffee."

"Okay. Coffee is good. Coffee helps everything."

****

Thirty minutes later, I was showered, dressed, and had my makeup on. My hair was still up in a towel, but I could fix it in a bit. Sam probably wanted to shower before school, too. Red infused my cheeks as I realized what a bathroom hog I was. I wasn't used to sharing space in the mornings.

"Sorry I took so long," I called as I exited to the aroma of fresh brewed coffee.

"That's okay. I don't take long. And we've got plenty of time before we need to head out." He nodded toward the table. "Although, a package came for you while you were in the bathroom," he said with a wink.

On the table was a square shoebox with a huge red ribbon tied on top. My mouth fell open. Inside I found a brand-new pair of my favorite shoes. Replacements of the leopard ballet flats that had been ripped to shreds in the woods when my paws shot through them. Tears sprang to my eyes at the thoughtfulness behind the gesture.

"Sam." I swallowed thickly. "How did you—?"

"Rachel helped," he confessed with a smile.

I couldn't believe it. Without another thought I crossed the distance between us and gave him a hug. His hands slid around my waist as his arms encircled me. It sent shivers up my spine and prickled goose flesh over my arms. Quickly, I stepped back.

"Thank you," I told him, meaning it down to my core. He beamed.

"You're welcome."

****

Not long after, we were out the door. New leopard spotted ballets completed my ensemble of skinny jeans and long black sweater. The closer we got to the school, the more my heart rate increased.

"Meg, relax. I can smell the tension coming off you."

"Sam, this is such a bad idea. What if I change? What if she gets overwhelmed? What do I do?" My voice moved up about an octave. "What if I hurt someone?"

He reached over and took my hand, giving it a quick squeeze.

"What's your wolf doing right now?"

I took a deep, calming breath. "She's sitting obediently. But probably only because you're right here." Wolf snorted. Maybe I wasn't giving her enough credit.

"Megan, you're the dominant half. You are in charge. She knows that. The moon is waning tonight. You should be fine until nightfall." He squeezed my hand again.

I blew out a breath, my gut twisting up in more tangled knots at my next words. "Will…will you calm her?"

His eyebrows raised.

"Of course. Between every class if you want." He grinned, and I could have sworn there was a mischievous twinkle hiding in his eyes. "We are supposed to be dating, after all."

"Right. We decided to start dating the night you took me home from the game. We've secretly been crushing on each other for weeks. Any other details I need to add to the cover story?"

His face tightened. "That's the gist of things. Just try to be more convincing about it. Maybe try not to look like you swallowed roadkill," he said sourly.

A nervous giggle escaped. It was the anxiety. I was so laughing inappropriately.

"Sorry. I'll try to be convincing in between making sure a massive wild wolf doesn't erupt out of my skin and wipe out the senior class."

"That's the spirit," he retorted dryly.

There wasn't time for more banter as we pulled into the parking lot, and Sam whipped into his usual spot near the back of the lot. I was grateful we were at the back. It would give me longer to adjust to the new smells and sounds before actually getting into the school building. We were early enough I could take things slowly. Sam put the car in park and turned off the engine. I sat, staring straight ahead, trying to take deep breaths. You can do this! I told myself. Wolf nodded encouragingly. Snakes writhed in my gut.

"Meg?"

I turned to Sam, the whole whites of my eyes probably showing like those of a terrified horse.

He took my face in his hands. Wolf curled up in a ball of fur and basked at his touch. "Listen to me. You are going to be fine. I will meet you after every class. I'll hold your hand in the hallway. I'll make sure she's quiet in between every period. If you need me, use the link. I will come."

"Promise?" I whispered, dazed, but mesmerized by the darker flecks of blue surrounding his irises.

"Promise. I will come. Every time."

I took a shaky breath as his eyes dipped to my lips and back to mine before he carefully dropped his head down and pressed his lips against mine. Wolf was already quiet, but I didn't mind the extra precaution. Some niggling thought at the back of my brain wondered what it would be like to really kiss Sam Wolfe. I immediately banished the rebel thought.

He pulled back, watching my face. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply through my nose, steeling my resolve.

"Okay. Let's do this." I texted Rachel to let her know we were coming in. I knew having her with me would help me stay calm. She had play practice before school but promised she'd meet me when I got there. My phone dinged. She was waiting by the doors.

Crisp air met my nose as I shut the car door and leaned against it for a minute, trying to get my sensory bearings. I could smell the food in the cafeteria, and there was a definite stink of unwashed bodies coming from the gym as the doors were opened with the entrance of students.

Sam took my hand. "Ready?"

"Nope." We walked toward the front entrance.

****

Eyes followed our progress across the chilly parking lot. We were early, but not so early that other students weren't coming in, too. Every eye trained to our linked hands as we shuffled to the door. I hadn't thought to check who might have witnessed Sam calming the wolf. Heat raced to my cheeks as I thought about Brody flirting with me last week. I was pretty sure he had been planning to ask me out, though I wasn't sure if I'd have said yes. Walking across the lot with my hand linked in Sam's was going to get the gossips going.

Sam was one of the it guys. He was gorgeous, nice, and everybody liked him. He was popular, even though he didn't do sports, and he didn't date much that I knew of. I knew a lot of girls had pined after him most of high school. My skin crawled as I felt more and more attention drawn our way. Wolf's hackles prickled, uncomfortable with all the stares. I didn't dare let go of Sam's hand. I had it gripped in a death vice.

"Relax. This is just school. You've done this your whole life."

"I hadn't counted on being the new school attraction."

"Oh." His mouth tipped up in a goofy grin. "It'll be old news by second period."

A flash of red caught my eye as Rachel bounded out the doors to us.

"Hey!" she said with far too much enthusiasm. Having her there made me sag with relief.

****

First period was history. I loved history. True to his word, Sam walked me to the door of my class, but I couldn't make myself let go of his hand. I probably looked like a whiny, clingy girlfriend, but I really couldn't help it.

Before I could say anything, Sam leaned down to whisper in my ear, "You can do this." His lips grazed my ear and practically put Wolf in a stupor. He was right. I had to do this. I could do this. I would do this.

"Okay." Quick breath. "I'll see you after class."

"I'll be here. Let me know if you need anything." A quick nod and I forced myself to let go of his hand and go into the classroom. Rachel followed me in and sat at our table, thumping the seat beside her.

After all she'd experienced this weekend, she appeared no worse for wear. She wasn't nearly as fazed at learning of the existence of werewolves as I was. I hesitated a moment before sinking into the chair.

The bell rang for class to start, and within the minute, Mr. Steidman was beginning his lecture of the colonization of India. Before I realized it, I was drawn into the facts and stories of the lecture, letting myself absorb the information, letting Wolf fall to the background.

When the bell rang for class to dismiss, I was surprised when I discovered that Wolf was dozing as I shoved my notebook back in my backpack. Sam was waiting by the door.

"That went much better than I imagined it would," I whispered. He smiled as he wove our fingers together.

"I knew you could do it." His confidence was warming.

Rachel smirked. "You're a natural." She grinned. I rolled my eyes.

Sam had requested my schedule yesterday and steered me toward French. Rachel split at the end of the hallway on her way to Speech. She waved and gave me a thumbs-up with a wink. "To the ends of the earth!"

I nodded.

Before I realized what he was doing, Sam swung us into a blind spot behind a stand of lockers and quickly put his mouth to mine again. I nearly squeaked in protest, taken off guard, but quickly stilled. Wolf smiled lazily, raising her head from her nap. Sam pulled back, and she dropped back to sleep. He grinned down.

"After French?"

I nodded, took a breath, and went into the room. Chemicals burned my nose as the synthetic sickly-sweet strawberry of Madame's air freshener slapped me in the face. I nearly gagged and started breathing through my mouth.

Once the chemical odor burned away all the hairs in my nostrils, it became a dull scent in the background. Madame ran us through some verb conjugation and some new vocabulary words. It wasn't hard work, but it was enough to keep my mind engaged.

Another class down, and I was starting to think that maybe this wasn't going to be such a disaster. If only I'd been right.

Sam met me again and walked me to Calculus. He confirmed things went well in French.

"Cindy is in Calculus with you. She's not as dominant as you, but she can help." He smiled and pressed his lips to my cheek while I held perfectly still. My face went red as two freshmen girls tittered as they observed our awkward affection. I rolled my eyes and went into the classroom before I could overhear anything else.

There was a sub today, and the first new curl of unease bloomed in my belly. I took my usual seat and got out my book and notebook, studiously laying out my pencil while biting my lip. The sub took roll and then pointed to a section on the board that had our assignment for the day. I was pleased when I realized what had been assigned were problems that I'd already worked through on my own for practice to make sure I was understanding the concept.

I took out my papers and reviewed what I'd done, correcting one problem that I realized I'd messed up. But after that, the class was quiet. Since the work was done, I pulled out a novel from my backpack. I hadn't touched it in over a week with all the excitement but thought I might be able to enjoy a couple of quiet moments.

Things went well for a few minutes. Then the scratching of pencils became louder. And Anthony Perkins sat behind me. Breathing loudly through his mouth. I blinked hard a few times and tried to get back into my book. But it was no use. The mouth breathing sounded louder and louder, the pencils scratching on paper were a deafening drum. Wolf started pacing. We were becoming increasingly agitated together. She was holding it in, and I was holding it together, but suddenly, her limbs started shaking.

Sam! There is a mouth breather in here, and we're both about to have a fit!

Suddenly, a noise startled us from our rapid heartbeats. Cindy dramatically clutched her belly as she stood up from her desk.

"I think I need to go to the nurse," she stammered.

Wolf nudged me into action. "Here, let me help you," I offered quickly.

The sub raised an eyebrow then noted Cindy's pale face. He nodded us toward the door.

I nearly bolted the both of us from the classroom, panting in relief when the quiet of the hallway surrounded us.

Cindy stood up straight and winked at me. "You okay?"

"Much better now. Thanks. Are you okay? I'm guessing you're not actually having the mother of all stomachaches?"

"All part of helping each other out." She grinned again as we walked to the nurse's office. Sam met us halfway down the hall.

He looked me up and down, and Wolf was immediately soothed. I had to admit, I felt better having him in my sight, too. It was like he was the leader, and I was the follower, and I knew he would take care of everything, so long as he was there. Wolf and I sighed collectively.

"Mouth breather, huh?" he said, a gentle smile on his face.

"Anthony Perkins is going to have to get over his cold before I can go back to Calculus." He and Cindy chuckled.

"It was kinda loud," Cindy said. "Even I was getting a little annoyed, and I've had years more practice at this than you have," she said sympathetically. I gave her a weak smile.

"Thanks."

Wolf had settled back down, trying to be obedient, and happy with Sam near us.

We got Cindy to the nurse's office where she lay down until her stomachache miraculously passed. Sam claimed a headache and totally charmed the nurse.

****

The week progressed well. There were only a few incidents where I felt uncomfortable enough to need Sam's help. He dutifully played his boyfriend part, walking me to each class, holding my hand, quieting the wolf when she needed it. We ran each evening, and I was slowly starting to acclimate. I still didn't like most of it, but it was tolerable. Grandpa and I talked every evening, and it was a huge influence on my comfort levels about living away from home. At school, Sam and I were still a hot item. Brody had not been pleased, I could tell, but Sam had assured me that in the locker room Brody didn't speak well of the girls he dated, so maybe it was a good thing I hadn't gone out with him.

Friday at lunch we all sat down at our usual table. Our circle of friends hadn't changed much, just reorganized our table since Sam always sat beside me now.

"You guys, we need to go catch a movie tomorrow. We all said we'd go to The Fifth Day. It's supposed to be epic, and it's finally out," Jeremy called from down the table while his girlfriend nodded her agreement.

She asked, "Rachel, weren't you the one telling me about the new trailer they released for it?"

"Yes! The effects are supposed to be cutting edge."

"And Eric Dayton plays the jailer. Did you catch him in Dusty Road?" Luke chimed. He was a drama nerd along with Rachel.

Rachel's eyes glittered as the conversation continued. I knew she wanted to watch it. It was fantasy, adventure, action, and a love story all rolled into one if the trailers were to be believed. It was on my definitely-want-to-watch list, but I wasn't sure how that was going to work out with the need to burst into fur. A little sigh escaped. Rachel's expression fell. She wouldn't go without me, and that made guilt slosh in my belly.

A chorus of agreement circled the table. Sam squeezed my hand, his eyebrow raised. I widened my eyes at him. Had he lost his mind? I couldn't go to the movies Saturday night or any night.

"Do you want to go?"

"Don't we, um, have plans Saturday night?"

His blue eyes twinkled at me, and I tamped down the urge to glare at him. "Sure, but what about a matinee?" I raised my eyebrows. I hadn't thought about that. Would it be done early enough that I could survive without alerting all of Rock Falls to the wolves that lived there? I glanced at Rachel. Her face lit up, all hopeful. I gave Sam an unsure shrug.

"Hey, Megan and I have plans tomorrow night. Can we do an early matinee?"

Since it came from Sam, it was well received, and before lunch was over, the whole group of us had plans to meet at the theater for the three o'clock matinee of The Fifth Day. Rachel was ecstatic.

"This is going to be awesome." She grinned at me, grabbing my hand as she trotted out of the lunchroom. "Maybe we can sneak away for a few minutes, and you can finally let me know what's really going on. This is so unfair." She rolled her eyes for dramatic flair. "Sam would have to have supersonic ears."

I laughed a little, but uneasiness still wriggled in my middle.

****

It was a relief when the week ended, and Saturday morning passed uneventfully. I worked on my English essay, and we did some calculus together. Sam was a whiz at numbers. I wasn't any slouch at it, but I had to confess that it was nice to work on it together. We had settled into a rhythm by the end of the week, and it was gratifying that our first "normal" Saturday together since I became a werewolf wasn't awkward or too weird without school to keep us on our semi-established routine.

The washer dinged, and I got up from the table to change the laundry.

"Do you want to go for a quick run before we go to the theater today?" Sam offered as I tried not to blush when a pair of my lacy underwear fell from the washer on its way to the dryer.

"Probably. I'm still a little nervous about going anywhere this close to dark."

"I know. You'll be fine. I'll be there right with you. Besides, going for a quick run now should help wear her out." Sam gently teased, not missing the fallen underwear. Mercifully, he said nothing else.

"What time do you want to leave for the movie?" I squeaked as I flung the offending garment into the dryer.

"Probably about two. Movie starts at three, that gives us time to get there and get settled and whatever."

I appreciated that Sam was always punctual. It reminded me of Grandpa. Shaking my head, I stopped that line of thought. Comparing Sam to Grandpa and finding more things they had in common was not going to help my staying-human cause.

"Do you have any other laundry you're planning to do?"

"No, I'm good after this."

"All right. Why don't I throw some of my stuff in and then we can go for a run. Sound good?"

"Sounds good."

I watched as Sam crammed whites, darks, and a few colors into the washer and wondered if he'd have anything that remained the same color by the time it came out.

****

We took a few miles at a good clip, and though part of me didn't want to enjoy it, the other part of me, and the wolf, relished the cool air brushing over my fur. It was invigorating and refreshing. It felt so good to stretch my muscles. It was like they'd been cramped for ages and getting out and running was exactly what I needed. The wolf tossed her head and raced forward, passing Sam. With a playful bark, Sam chased after me. He nipped teasingly at my heels. Wolf sprung ahead as the human part of me smiled, realizing that Sam was flirting with me. I narrowed my eyes as I conferred with Wolf, letting her know the plan. As one, we stopped and wheeled around to the side. Sam lunged past us and barked in surprise when he missed me. I laughed, the sound coming out like a chuffing noise. Wolf urged us forward again, going after Sam's heels. But instead of catching his heels, Sam anticipated and moved slightly to the side. I had overestimated the distance between us, and instead of missing him completely, my teeth caught the side of his flank. Essentially, I bit him in the butt.

Sam yelped and spun around, totally surprised. I was utterly mortified!

There was a startled minute between us, then Sam flopped onto his back with snorting, huffing noises coming from his mouth, tongue lolling out of his mouth. He was laughing. At me. He was laughing so hard that he couldn't even roll over. He just lay there wheezing like a dying goat. I was still too stunned to do anything. Sam reached a paw out and looped it around my head, dragging me down to his side. His other paw awkwardly patted my head, all the while, he was trying to stop laughing.

It was a little funny.

Wolf cracked a smile and before long, Sam and I were both laying there in a heap in the grass, a pair of snorting wolves.

****

Eventually we made it back to the cabin, both a little rubber-legged from all the laughing that had released some pent-up tension from the week. I was certain Sam was never going to let me live that one down. He let me have the bathroom first, and as I was getting ready to put my long purple sweater on over my head, I caught my reflection in the mirror.

My cheeks were flushed, and my eyes were twinkling. I knew that look. Unease slithered down my spine. It seemed to confirm what I refused to think about. Wolf smirked. Shaking my head, I pulled my sweater down over my black skinny jeans and slipped on my socks to go with the boots. I had intended to wear my leopard flats that Sam had replaced. But after watching my expression in the mirror, I thought better of it. Wolf nudged me, unhappy with my thoughts. I swallowed. I had to keep myself in check.

****

Sam put the car in park. We were here.

Nerves flapped in my stomach, and Wolf pranced around even as Sam opened the car door for me. I left my coat and snagged my purse.

"Sam," I whispered, "she's still all jittery. I don't like this."

"Relax," he replied softly. He took my hand as we crossed the parking lot and Wolf settled a little. I squeezed his hand.

"You sure I can handle this? It will be close to dark when we're done."

"Meg, you've done fine at school.Yyou'll do fine here. Besides, your wolf definitely had some action this afternoon." He smiled and bit back a chuckle, his blue eyes light.

I snorted. Definitely never living that one down.

Wolf was jumpy, and the human part of me was trying to ignore the tingles going up my arm as Sam held my hand. Pretending to be dating at school was one thing. But an actual date in public was a bit different. I gave myself a mental shake. I'd been on dates. For mercy's sake, I could be on a date with Sam Wolfe.

Sam bought our tickets, and we met the rest of our group in the lobby. We were the last ones there.

As soon as we reached the rest of the group, Rachel grabbed my hand and dragged me toward the bathroom.

"We'll be back in a sec! Save seats for us!" she called over her shoulder. I glanced back and met Sam's eyes. His mouth tipped up at one corner. He was ridiculously handsome in his navy-blue sweater.

"Okay, spill!" Rachel squealed once we were in the bathroom and she'd done a quick scan for feet. We were alone.

"Spill what?" I felt my cheeks flush. Her face said, Seriously?

"I know you guys are pretending to be dating at school and stuff, but something is different today. Am I right?" she prompted.

I gulped. The wolf was restless. She was completely on edge today, was that what Rachel was noticing? Or was is that maybe the human part of me was finding Sam to be more than I'd expected?

"I think I may be crushing on the wolf boy," I confessed in a whisper.

Rachel clapped her hands once with a silly grin on her face. "I knew it!" she whispered back enthusiastically. "So has he kissed you yet?"

"Um, no, not like that. I mean, we're still pretending, you know? And it's only been a week! But, he has, um, quieted my wolf down a few times. But I'm not sure that counts as kissing."

Rachel smiled knowingly. "Interesting," was all she said.

I rolled my eyes at her. "Although—" I covered my face in mortification. "We went for a run this afternoon…and I definitely bit his butt on accident."

"You what?" she whisper-shrieked.

I quickly filled her in on the details.

She collapsed over the sink, laughing so hard her breathing came in pants.

"Come on, we'll miss the movie," I complained. "Besides, if we don't go get to our seats, you won't be able to gawk at Sam and me and help me over-analyze every possible detail later."

I smiled despite myself as I dragged a still-gasping Rachel out of the bathroom and found our theater.

Our group was scattered. Sam and a handful of others were about halfway up and seated in the middle, while I noticed Tammy, Raven, and a few other friends were seated farther down, closer to the front. I smiled and waved at Tammy as I caught her eye on my way up to the seats Sam had saved for us on the end of our row. I took the one next to him, and Rachel plopped next to me on the aisle seat.

"All good?" Sam leaned in and whispered as he took my hand again. Rachel subtly elbowed my arm. I wanted to jab her back, but Wolf was getting worked up again as she noticed Shelby Atwood on the other side of Sam, practically draping herself over the side of the chair and invading Sam's space. My wolf did not like that. At all.

"So nice of you guys to finally join us," Shelby said. "Poor Sam has been sitting here all alone."

Not alone enough, I thought, eyeing her proximity.

Sam was pressing as far back into his chair as he could, attempting to distance himself from Shelby. I found the gesture gratifying. Wolf snapped at Shelby, and my hand tightened on Sam's. Something about her put Wolf on edge. Probably her blatant flirting.

"Shelby, do you want to sit in your own chair, or would you like to come sit in my lap?" Sam asked, sarcasm dripping. My wolf was crouching, ready to pounce at Shelby. Sam squeezed my hand, and Wolf relaxed a fraction but kept her attention on Shelby.

"Oh, please, Sam. If you wanted me to sit on your lap, you could have said so earlier, while Megan was gone." She batted her eyelashes, returning the sarcasm but with a hint of innuendo of what might have gone on while I had been away.

My teeth clicked shut with an audible snap.

Shelby's eyes narrowed at me as incredulity stamped her face.

"Did you just—"

"Oh, shut up, Shelby," Ryan interrupted. "I want to watch the movie."

Clearly Ryan didn't care that his date was more interested in another guy.

Shelby huffed and slumped back into her seat. I tried to relax into my seat, but Wolf was not having it. I took a deep breath the way Sam had taught me. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Feel the air come in. Feel the air go out.

Shelby assessed Sam. I caught it out of the corner of my eye. She was totally ogling his sweater-clad bicep on the sly. That was the last straw for Wolf. She lunged, and I felt my shoulders ripple softly.

No, no, no, no, NO!

As if in tune with my temperamental wolf, even as I gripped Sam's hand hard enough to break his bones, he was in my space.

His lips softly brushed mine, lingering just long enough to quiet my wolf.

Instantly the wolf settled, practically basking in the presence of Sam's lips.

The only problem was that now my wolf was calm, my human side was getting a little friendly. His lips felt so good. I knew he wasn't really kissing me, only kissing me to calm my wolf. But…I wanted him to kiss me!

Sensing that Wolf was calmed, he slowly broke away. I knew I should let him go. I did not need the complication of liking Sam Wolfe any more than I already did. Daydreaming about his lips was not going to help. At all. I was going to be human again in a few weeks, and all of this wolf business would only be a weird dream.

With that comforting thought I resolved to sit back in my chair and enjoy the movie.

I opened my eyes and saw his lips still in front of me.

With no intention to do so, I leaned my head forward three inches and put my lips back on his.

We were still for a full second, then his lips moved ever so softly against mine. I didn't dare pull away, even though a thousand different thoughts jammed in my brain. I forced them all away, intent on being rational about this, and then his mouth moved again.

His lips were hesitant but eager. They moved against mine again. He'd never done that while calming the wolf. My lips moved, too.

What was I doing? This was such a huge mistake…

My treacherous mouth opened, inviting him in.

He moved slowly. The very tip of his tongue brushed against my bottom lip, and I about melted into the red upholstered seat. Wolf urged me on with an encouraging grunt.

I might have made a similar noise because with the barest scrape of his teeth on my bottom lip, his tongue was in my mouth. His lips were soft and wanting, his tongue searching, probing.

My lips and tongue were doing things on their own, but Sam must have enjoyed it because he kissed me harder, pushing my head against the back of the seat. His face pressed into mine; his lips moved over mine with single-minded purpose.

Someone cleared their throat, and I froze.

Oh—my—word. We were in a movie theater filled with people. Sam must have heard it, too. We jerked apart at the same time, eyes meeting and then darting away. My face flamed hotter than a super nova. I hoped Sam's did, too.

I turned horrified eyes to Rachel, whose mouth was hanging open, her eyebrows raised halfway up her forehead.

"I'm going to grab a drink. You want one? Okay, I'll grab you one," Sam blurted as he bolted from his seat and leaped over our legs. I'd never seen him so flustered. I wasn't sure I'd ever been this flustered. I watched his retreating back, stunned. I so knew kissing him would be a mistake of epic proportions.

"Um, so that was hot," Rachel said.

I held up my hand. "I have no idea what just happened."

Rachel smirked smugly and turned to watch the movie.

A few rows down at the front, I caught Tammy scowling, her face dark. She turned her back to me.

What had I done?