Tasha’s eyes darkened and the smile that touched her lips did not reach her eyes. The she-wolf lay down and rested her head on her outstretched paws. William held his eyes wide in faux shock as he waited for her to tell him something he didn’t know.

Tasha looked down at the ground. She jerked her head up and as she did so her long blonde hair was whipped up and around and cascaded down her back. He couldn’t help but glance down at the curves of her breasts. Why don’t you just go and grab them? I’m sure she’d love that. He shook the thought away and he forced his eyes to meet hers.

The direction of his eyes was not lost on Tasha and she smiled another mirthless smile.

“You’re a comedian. It’s nice to hear sarcasm every once in a while. I was just like you when I joined my first pack. I was twenty-two years old.” She smiled at the thought. “I was so young, so naive. I thought I was some kind of demigod. I had power over my world and I could make things happen for myself. I could have any guy I wanted and I used that power foolishly.” Her eyes focused on William once again. “I’m sure you’ve felt the pure rush of changing and all the things you can do, all those powers of super human speed and strength.” He nodded. “You don’t have to admit to anything. I already know. I can smell it on you. It’s the smell of the forest and the kill. The smell of fresh, hot blood that can never be washed away from your soul. I can see it in your eyes. And yet, your alpha tells me that you have lived out in some valley about a week’s travel south of here.”

“I have no idea what is going on but I am the alpha of my pack.” He thought it best to keep his responses brief for now. The one with the most information in a game like this had the upper hand and he was obviously at a huge disadvantage.

Tasha threw her head back and laughed, her rich full laughter filled the trees. “I knew you didn’t know anything, but this is ridiculous.” She looked at William and it was like he was looking into her eyes for the first time. Those deep blue orbs were beautiful. He found himself content being in this woman’s presence. He hadn’t felt this content or this happy ever. He loved her. Right then he would have done anything for her.

The she-wolf was on her feet, growling. She barked once and William could sense, even though he didn’t care, that the hair along the she-wolf’s back was raised. Tasha looked away from William and bowed her head to the she-wolf. Once she had looked away, William shook his head violently. What the hell just happened? It had really felt like he loved Tasha. He didn’t love her, he had only just met her for Christ’s sake,

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“Forgive me, Aceso,” Tasha said to the she-wolf. She turned her head back to William while still speaking to the she-wolf. “He had to be shown this isn’t a joke.”

William averted his eyes and focused on a spot in the middle of Tasha’s forehead. He wasn’t going to have... whatever the hell had just happened, happen again.

Tasha cocked an eyebrow and smiled at him. “What’s wrong, William? You can’t look a woman in the eye?”

He hesitated for an instant. “How did you do that to me? What the hell just happened?”

“Pheromones.”

“What?”

Tasha breathed a sigh and looked at William. “Pheromones are a natural scent that every creature has that directly affects the brain chemistry of others of their species. Like when a cat goes into heat. Her body produces a sort of natural perfume that the male cats are able to smell. That smell interacts with their brains, and they become horny and ready to mate with the female.

“You see, Will, since I was reborn during the crescent moon phase, I was gifted with the power of an extremely sensitive nose. I can smell things that even a wolf could not detect. More than that, I can change my biochemistry. I can produce scents and chemicals like a pheromone complex that worked directly with the pleasure center of your brain, causing an intense feeling of pleasure and contentment, which mirrored love. In actuality, it was nothing more than your subconscious brain telling you to be extremely relaxed and horny.”

She glanced over at the she-wolf standing next to William. The she-wolf was looking and watching Tasha’s every muscle. The she-wolf’s muscles were wound as tightly as steel springs. He had never felt her this tense. Were they in danger here? He shifted his attention back to Tasha.

“Your alpha was only able to detect what I was doing because I wanted her to. That, and the amount of pheromones I released.” She arched an eyebrow. “You were able to smell something just now, right? Like a sweet perfume?”

He thought back to what had happened to him, and he had smelled something. He hadn’t registered the smell at the time. It had smelled like his valley, running through the woods. It had smelled like blood and dirt, the thrill of the hunt and the pure joy of running with his pack.

“Yeah, I smelled something faint, like dirt and wind mixed together.”

Tasha looked back and forth between the two of them. She looked at the she-wolf, who hadn’t relaxed at all. “Should I formally introduce you to your beta, Aceso?”

He looked over at the black furred she-wolf. She turned her head back toward him and he saw something in her eyes that he hadn’t seen before. It was almost sadness, remorse?

“William, may I introduce you to the alpha of your pack, Aceso.” Tasha motioned from him to the wolf. The wolf ducked her head while looking up at him.

William shook his head, “I told you that I am the alpha of my pack. This wolf is my guide. She led me here and she helped me escape numerous times but that doesn’t mean she’s my alpha, not by a long shot.”

Tasha locked eyes with him. “You did say that you would follow her, didn’t you?”