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 Not until he has fur on his body.
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Clawed
 Look, Chloe. Now.
Chloe raised her head to find a large coyote on the other side of the fire. His golden eyes, reminding
her of Conan s eyes when he was a bear, narrowed as his wide mouth lengthened, the tips curving into a
smile that was not unlike his human one. Gray fur, growing darker toward his hind legs, led to a swishing
tail tipped in black.
 Did you see him change?
 Yeah, I did. Nina s voice was filled with awe. She grabbed Chloe s arm, tugging her attention away
from the animal.  Is this crazy or what?
Chloe nodded.  Crazy? Yeah, it sure is.
Nina dropped to her knees in front of Billy. Reaching a tentative hand out to him, she tunneled her
fingers through his fur and sighed.  Wow, he s so soft. Come on, Chloe, touch him.
She shook her head, preferring to retrieve the wine bottle and refill her glass.  No, thanks. I think I m
going to sit by the fire and see if more wine will help me believe everything I ve already seen.
 I can t believe this. I m touching a coyote. No, nix that. I m touching a man who changed into a
coyote. Holy shit. Nina s cooing sounds echoed Billy s soft growls.
The envy crashing through Chloe surprised her. If only the hunters hadn t shown up, she could ve
spent more time with Conan the bear. She took a long drink, letting the warm liquid wash away the knot in
her throat.
 Come on, Billy. Let s get inside where I can watch you change back into a man.
Chloe watched as Nina led the coyote into her tent.
 Hey, don t forget his clothes. Chloe giggled, then took a sip. Was she really telling her best friend
not to forget her coyote-lover s clothes? Could things get any weirder?
 I don t think we re going to need them anytime soon, Nina answered.
The shadows of Nina and the were-coyote played against the side of Nina s tent. Soon, however, the
smaller shadow began changing, growing taller as Nina s awed exclamations filled the air.
Chloe poured the last of the bottle into her glass. Where was Conan? Had the hunters frightened him
away for good? And if they hadn t, what would happen between them now?
 What do you mean you re going home?
Conan grumbled and repositioned the duffle bag over his shoulder.  I mean I m going back to
Colorado.
 What the hell for?
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Beverly Rae
Conan s patience was wearing thin, but it was his own fault. He shouldn t have mentioned leaving
until this morning. Instead, he d mouthed off and told Billy his plans when the were-coyote had shown up
late last night.  I can t stay.
 Will you stop and talk to me?
Billy grabbed Conan s arm, trying to force him to turn his way. Letting his inner beast a small bit of
freedom, Conan turned on the small man, his teeth bared in the same way he d bare his fangs.  Watch it,
pup.
Billy backed off at least physically.  I don t get it. You and Chloe are getting along right now,
right? She even knows what you are. Hell, she knows what I am. So why cut and run, big guy?
 What do you mean she knows what you are? What happened?
Billy s shrug wasn t as nonchalant as he tried to make it seem.  Hey, you exposed yourself to Chloe
so I figured I could do the same and show my inner handsome self to Nina. Chloe was there for the
unveiling, too.
Damn, he knew he should ve stuck around after following the hunters and Chloe back to the campsite.
But who knew Billy would decide to bare all for both women?  Great. So now they both know.
 Yeah, and now we can both stay and be ourselves around them. What s wrong with that?
 Nothing, I guess. Except the more people who know, the riskier it is for us. And for Chloe and
Nina? Did knowing put them at risk, too?
 Look, man, don t blow this. I know you re not into finding your mate and all, but I want to spend
more time with Nina.
 Then you stay. But I m done.
 Really? Then why are we headed toward their camp?
Conan glued his attention on the path in front of him, unwilling to look at Billy. His friend would no
doubt see the truth written on his face.  I want to check on them one last time. To make sure you didn t
upset them last night by showing your scrawny ass.
 My scrawny ass? Trust me. When they got a glimpse of my fine tail 
Shouts startled Conan and Billy, halting them in their tracks.
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Chapter Eight
Conan tossed his duffle bag onto the ground a second after he d broken into a hard run. Billy ran
behind him on the narrow trail. A few minutes later they came to the edge of the girls campsite.
Conan skidded to a stop, bracing his arm out in front of him to keep Billy from running past him. He
held his finger to his mouth, then whispered,  Hold up. Let s find out what s happening before we barge
into this.
Billy nodded, then tilted his head at the scene in front of them.
 Roger, get the hell away from me!
 I just want to talk to you.
Chloe faced the wooded area where Conan and Billy hid. Feet planted apart, she fisted her hands and
glared at the man trying to take her by the arms. Every time he tried, she yanked out of his grip. Nina took a
similar fighting stance and tapped a large stick against her palm.
 You heard her, dirtbag. Leave before I bash your brainless head in.
Chloe held up her hand, warding Nina off.  Hang on. Let s let him talk. She thrust a finger at the
man.  But once you ve had your say, Roger, you have to get out of here. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]