A Shift in Ciara

Kildare, Ireland - Sunday.

Ciara.

I sit crouched in the wood line, watching the doe out in the field picking away at the grass. When I catch movement on the other side of the clearing at the same time as she does, she blows and takes off in my direction. I crouch lower, still undiscovered by my prey. My gut tells me not to show myself, however. The massive black wolf creeping toward me is not one I recognize, not a member of my family.

I melt lower into the ground, watching my dinner flee and keeping one eye on the approaching stranger. No natural wolf would be that size, or that shade of ebony, his eyes glint red as he pads toward me. I’ve clearly been discovered, my heart races as he closes the gap between us.

Deciding it is better to meet him head-on rather than have him approach me in my current hiding place, I rise. Stretching my paws and digging my claws into the dry leaves at my feet I make my way out of the woods toward him. I refuse to shift back to my human form, refuse to meet this stranger in a weaker state. I stride out to meet him, and we standoff in the field.

He surveys me, tilting his head to one side, and a shudder runs down my spine. Who he is and where he has come from, I do not know. But he is on my family’s lands, my lands, and I do not trust strangers. He stands before me on two legs when he shifts, and it is my turn to survey him. Trying not to get caught looking at how well-endowed he is, as my eyes hitch over his length, I quickly bring them back up to meet his.

Tousled brown hair, eyes the color of caramel, olive-toned skin, he is one hell of a specimen of a man. I have to keep from licking my lips at the thoughts running through my mind. A sly smile spreads across his face, and I know he has interpreted them anyway.

“Hello there, gorgeous.” When he speaks, my insides clench at the beauty of his voice, and I wonder, briefly, if it is merely the effect seeing his naked body is having on me or if I am about to go into heat. I don’t move, not a muscle, no shifting from foot to foot, no displaying signs of nervousness. No doubt he will be able to smell the arousal on me, and there is not a damn thing I can do about that. I continue to stare him down, waiting for him to speak again.

“I’m Rian.” Motioning to himself, he steps back from me, giving me my space. I let out a low warning growl at him, unhappy with his decision to move. “Down girl. I’m just trying to make you feel more comfortable by putting space between us. Are you from around here?”

I roll my eyes at him, obviously, he is not going to take a hint. Not wanting to turn my back to him, but refusing to shift and stand in front of this stranger naked, I hesitate for a moment more. Turning, I make my way into the woods and back to the patch of trees I was crouched in before he arrived. My clothes lay folded in a neat pile at the base of a white oak. I shift and dress quickly, still keeping an eye on him. My long black hair is matted with leaves from hunting. Attempting to look decent I pull it back the best I can into a high ponytail. Securing it and stepping out from the cropping of trees.

“What are you doing on my lands?” I ask him, getting straight to the point, hoping to show more bluster than I am feeling. Barefoot and prepared to shift and run in an instant if I must. My cut-off shorts and spaghetti strap tank top cover me, but barely. Wishing I had worn a bra I cross my arms over my large breasts. My eyes pass over him again, and I notice that he is now sporting one hell of an erection. Biting my lip, I hold back my gasp.

“I was just passing through. I’m from the County Clare.” Motioning over his shoulder in the direction of his home, I know he isn’t far from it.

“I wasn’t aware of a pack in Clare.” My eyes flick down of their own accord to his groin, again. “Rian?” I ask. “Rian, who?”

“Rian O’Sullivan.” Stepping toward me, he holds out his hand, amongst other things pointed in my direction.

I step back, still wary of him.

“Ciara Caomhanach.” I offer him my name and nothing more. In this county my name means something. Our packs rule Kildare and Wicklow. The name Caomhanach has ruled here for over five hundred years. My father is the leader of our pack, Alpha, and his name protects me now. Obviously recognizing the danger in who I am, Rian steps back from me. After all, being the daughter of the Alpha, of the strongest pack in Ireland is not to be taken lightly.

“Ah. Finn Caomhanach is your father?” His eyebrows climb his forehead when he asks. He looks down and blushes as if just now realizing he is naked. “My apologies. I-I… was just passing through.” Now that he is no longer posturing for me, a pretty peacock with his feathers puffed out for his mate, I realize he is rather cute. Down girl. I tell myself.

“He is,” I tell him matter-of-factly, letting a small giggle escape my lips at his blush spreading over his cheeks.

Nodding his head, he points at himself. “I’m sorry for my state. I don’t... I didn’t bring clothes with me on my trip. I was out for a hunt and picked up your scent after finding the doe. Sorry, I lost you your meal. I… well… I had to meet you.”

I blink at him a few times, always the freak show for being the female werewolf in the pack. It has been this way all twenty-five years of my life. My twin brother Edmund giving me the most flack. At the same time I have this thought. I realize that this is the first time I am meeting a werewolf who is not already married or a part of my family. This is the only eligible man of my kind I have ever met. Assuming he is eligible.

I balk at my own thoughts, realizing that I am jumping the gun and again blame my hormones. So close to being in heat I should have reconsidered coming out, but again, this is the first time I have ever come across someone not a part of our two packs. So why would I have thought to avoid him?

“Well, I have to get going.” I interrupt my own musings and ignore his statement about needing to meet me. Turning, I head off into the woods, walking as fast as I can in my bare feet, picking over fallen branches and sticks. I would prefer to make my getaway in my other form, but I don’t want to ruin my good tank top.

“Wait! Ciara!” he calls after me.

“What, Rian?” I call back to him, not turning, unable to look at him again. Fear of what I might do if I see him naked again, creeping through my body. I realized when I turned to walk away just how wet I was at the sight of him. Just because I’ve never done it before doesn’t mean that I don’t have an idea about it, and by the looks of him, the time he could show me is better than anything I’ve done on my own.

“Damn it. Stop.” I curse myself for letting my mind wander that way again and keep storming through the woods. When the wolf jumps out in front of me, blocking my path, I stop and stare up at him.

He nudges me with his nose, nuzzling into my shoulder. The plea in his eyes is evident. I sigh. Maybe I need to give this a chance, I never considered a pack in Clare that may not be related to us, and I can’t die a shriveled up old maid, virgin until the end.

“Look, come back tomorrow. I’ll meet you here at dawn. But for heaven’s sake, bring some clothes next time!” Rian nods at me and pushes his nose into my shoulder again. I smile, unable to help myself. “Nice to meet you too,” I tell him, rubbing my hand along the top of his head. Stepping around him I watch as he leaves my woods and heads back in the direction of County Clare.

Slipping out of my clothes, I stash them back under rocks in the patch of trees and head home.

***

Rian.

As I run home, I think about the woman I just met. Her gorgeous green eyes and jet-black hair pulled high into a ponytail on her head, full of leaves and sticks from crouching in the brush. She looked adorable. Her body, perfectly curved in all the right places. I picture her in my mind while I run.

I’m not here looking for a mate. I am supposed to be looking for my father. This is the last place he was heard from or seen. But the moment I smelled her, saw her, I couldn’t turn and walk away. I needed to be closer to her, needed to meet her. I toy with the idea of going back tomorrow. She is the daughter of the Alpha of the most powerful pack of wolves in the region. I don’t want to bring his wrath down on me, but I can’t deny what I feel.

Her beauty as a wolf was incredible, her human form astounding. The horror I felt at my growing erection in front of her was awful. My stomach swirls now, just thinking about it and thinking about her, taking her, and mating with her. Again, my erection makes itself known as I run. Uncomfortable, I slow my pace. I need to get it together; I can’t meet her at dawn and have a hard-on the entire time.

***

The Burren, Ireland.

Rian.

Arriving back at the castle I call home in The Burren, I shift and quickly dress. Sitting down, I think through the information I have gathered on my father and my plans to find him. I try to put Ciara out of my mind.

The longer I sit and think, the more I see her face in my mind and the urge to go back to Kildare and track her down grows inside me. I can’t. I need to keep a steady mind and focus on my goal. I am here to find my father and confront him for leaving my mother and me so many years ago. I wonder for a moment if Ciara and her father would be able to help me in my search. No doubt she was not here, but her father would have been when mine was last seen in this region. Perhaps he could shed some light on what happened.

I lie and watch the sunset over the water and then fall asleep under the stars. I have lived this way for years now since I was a teen and discovered who and what I am. My mother, a human, was not able to handle a shapeshifter. Without my father to teach her and me what I was, I had to rely on figuring it out on my own.

I did the best I could with what I had, and now at thirty, I am able to control my forms. My mind turns back to Ciara and her dark hair cascading down her back. I close my eyes and picture her naked under me. I’m behind her and pushing forward into her. “Mmm.” I groan out my pleasure at the images in my mind. My cock alerting me to its desire to take her.

When I finally fall asleep, I dream of the first time I shifted back in my mother’s home in Dublin. She knew what I was, had known what my father was. But since he left when I was five, she had no way to teach me, as a sixteen-year-old boy, how to handle it. When I wake, the anger towards my father has bubbled up to the surface again. I consider blowing off Ciara to go and do more research.

I was on my way back from Wicklow when I met her yesterday, and there was no help there. The pack in that county refused to entertain my questions. I shift in my makeshift bed and try to get back to sleep, needing to be well-rested for my trip back to see her at dawn.

Kildare, Ireland.

Ciara.

I go in search of Rae as soon as I get home. I need to tell her about Rian. It is Sunday night so she should be around the keep for our regular Sunday night dinner, rather than off on a date with who knows what guy of the week. I figure she will be in the kitchen with Lydia and make my way in that direction, letting my nose lead the way, following the delicious smell of roasted lamb and potatoes.

I smile when I see Rae sitting at the kitchen table with a roll in her hand. My best friend and I grew up together, she is only a few months older than me, and we are more like sisters than friends. My smile falls when I notice my brother Edmund sitting next to her. All hope of getting in some girl talk with Rae and my grandma before dinner fades.

“Hey, Ciara!” Rae smiles and nods to me. “How was your hunt?”

“A bust,” I grumble, picking up a roll. More upset over the fact that I can’t get time alone with my friend than I am at not getting my kill out in the field. I glare down the table at my brother. “Don’t you have somewhere else you could be right now? Like anywhere else?” Hoping he gets the hint, I make sure to lace my voice with my disdain for him being in my presence.

“Wow. What crawled up your ass?” he shoots back at me. I fidget with the roll in my hands, my stomach still swirling with the feelings of need that built inside me as I stood, trying not to stare at Rian’s naked body.

“Nothing, I’m sorry. I was just hoping I could talk to Rae alone.” I drop my roll on the table, not hungry for it anymore.

“Then why don’t you two go somewhere else? I’m not leaving,” Edmund replies, a snotty look spreading over his face. He sticks his tongue out at me when I don’t respond.

“Real mature, Edmund. Come on, Ciara.” Rae stands and takes my hand in hers, pulling me from the kitchen in the direction of the staircase. She turns at the last minute and sticks her tongue out at Edmund, and we giggle as we head toward the hall. “What’s going on?” she asks in a hushed tone as we walk down the hall, making sure to be on the lookout for any signs of our fathers.

“I’ll tell you once we get to my room. I can’t tell you out here in the open.” Rae’s eyes go wide at my words, and I get the flutter in my stomach again. Excitement coursing through me, I know I’m going to gush the moment we’re alone.

Closing and locking my bedroom door behind me, we sit cross-legged on my bed, and Rae’s eyes tell me to spill.

“I met a guy!” I nearly shout the words at her. Quickly looking back at my door over my shoulder to make sure I did lock it.

“No way! On your hunt? Like a human?” Rae’s knees are bouncing, and she is moving her hands in the air as she speaks, clearly excited by my news.

“No, better. A wolf. From County Clare,” I squeal, unable to hold my feelings back any longer. A blush warms my cheeks as I think about Rian standing naked in the field.

“What?” Rae’s eyes go even wider. “What happened? You’re blushing, Ciara!”

“I saw him naked.” Covering my mouth with my hands I hide my smile.

“No way!” She grabs my hand and pulls it away from my face. “Tell me everything!”

I recap meeting Rian and how he shifted and was naked, our conversation, and my plans to meet him again in the morning.

“Oh my gosh, Ciara. It is actually happening like you’re actually going to be able to spend time with a wolf who isn’t your brother or cousin. I’m so happy for you.” Still holding my hand tightly, she squeezes it gently now.

We both jump when a knock sounds on my door. “Girls! It’s time for dinner!” My mom’s voice comes through the door. “Why is this door locked?”

“Mom. We are twenty-five years old,” I start as I climb from the bed and make my way to the door unlocking and opening it to see my mom standing in the doorway. “If we want to lock the door, we will.”

“Ock.” She rolls her eyes at me. “You will always be my little girl.” I look into my mother's green eyes, her brown curls resting on her shoulders. She doesn’t look a day over twenty-five. We look like we could be sisters more than mother and daughter. She stopped aging the moment that she got pregnant with Edmund and me, or rather her aging slowed dramatically. We aren’t exactly sure. My great-grandmother Lydia is over three-hundred and looks like she isn’t a day over sixty. My father hasn’t aged a day since he turned twenty-five. I expect the same to happen to Edmund and me.

But we are the first of our kind, my great-grandfather and his brother awoke something in the night in a battle against evil over three hundred years ago. That Druid spell changed them and now we are werewolves. We aren't too sure what that means for us in the aging department. One day we may realize we are immortal. One day my great-uncle may die of old age. Until then I live under the illusion that I am going to live every minute to its fullest because you never know.

I smile at my mom now and reach out to hug her. “Love you, Mom. But please don’t treat me like I’m a little girl. What are you going to do when I’m one hundred? Still make me brush my teeth and check on me every night?”

“Absolutely, you bet I am,” she tells me as Rae and I step out into the hall and head downstairs for dinner.

I try to focus on the family’s small talk and the meal, but I still don’t have an appetite. My nerves are a bundle in my chest and my heart is stuck in my throat. In less than twelve hours I will see Rian again, I think as I check the clock over the mantle and push the food around on my plate. Glancing around the faces at the table, my aunts and uncles, are all here. Sam and Alec, our resident warlock, sit and chat with Rae’s parents, Summer and Donnie, about some spell they’re working on together. As I listen to my mom and dad grill Rae on the guy she brought home a few weeks ago, I roll my eyes. When they pass over Edmund, he sticks his tongue out at me. I think my twin will forever be a twelve-year-old boy.

“Really, Aunt Melody, Uncle Finn. Please, it isn’t like I can convince people to stick around when we live in a castle full of werewolves, vampires, and warlocks.”

“What’s wrong with my food?” Lydia asks. I nearly jump out of my skin as my thoughts having turned back to Rian again. Her tone warned me that I better at least eat some of the dinner she made or there will be hell to pay.

“Nothing. I just had a big doe.” I lie, scooping a forkful of potatoes into my mouth.

“She is fine.” Rae comes to my defense. “I, for one, think it is delicious. As always, Lydia.” I know that she is just trying to take the heat off of me, but I can’t help but think she is a bit of a suck-up.

“Well then, here have some more, dear.” I giggle as Lydia piles more food onto Rae’s plate, and the look she shoots me tells me that I owe her one.

***

After dinner, we head out to walk in the garden and hopefully have a little more privacy than what can be found in the keep. With my family, Rae’s family ,and our parents’ friends Sam and Alec in the house on Sunday, there is little space to be found that someone doesn’t come stick their nose in our business.

“So, what are you going to do? Tomorrow, I mean?” Rae asks me as we walk down the small path in the garden.

“I really don’t know. Have a kind of date, I guess. Do you think he thinks it is a date?” I jerk my head toward her, unsure if I misread the situation, and feel queasy all of a sudden.

“Well, from the reaction you said he had to seeing you. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that he wants it to be a date.” Rae wiggles her eyebrows at me, bringing up the massive erection I told her Rian had when I shifted. I didn’t go too into detail on the skimpy outfit I was wearing. I make a mental note to take a better change of clothes with me in the morning.

“So, you think this is a date? I’ve never been on a date! I don’t even know how to act.” I’m nearing frantic now. Stopping in the middle of the path, I shift from foot to foot, sweat breaking out on my upper lip. I chew on my bottom lip, waiting for advice from my friend. “You’ve gone on a date. How do I do this?”

Rae just shrugs at me. “I can’t tell you how to date. You just have to figure it out. But be yourself. That’s the most important thing.” She pauses, thinking through her advice. “And make sure you act interested in him. There's nothing worse than being on a date, and the person you’re with doesn’t seem interested in you or what you have to say.”

Nodding as she goes on, I take notes in my mind, making sure I have it all straight in my head. “Okay.” I smile, trying not to let my nerves get to me. But my heart is still stuck in my throat and I feel like I may gag on it. “I don’t think I’m going to be able to sleep. But maybe I shouldn’t go. I mean, the feelings I had. I’m super close to going into heat. Do you think it is a bad idea?”

“I think it is an awesome idea! Don’t worry about your hormones, girl. You got this.” We make our way back to the keep as she gives me her pep talk, and I battle the internal voice telling me this is a bad idea.

Curled in my bed, all I can see when I close my eyes is the gloriously toned figure of Rian in my mind. His massive erection lay flat against his stomach, the chiseled abs, and perfect hair. No man has a right to look that good. He should be a model, not strolling around in my woods naked. When I finally fall asleep, I dream of him slipping his hand up to cup my cheek and kissing me—running his hands over my breasts and down my hips. All of it brings me to a climax that wakes me in the night. I toss and turn the rest of the night, unable to get back to sleep.