The Phantom Touch

Apologies

I couldn't scream. Not with my throat still searing with pain and deeply bruised by Mercedes' attack. Instead a raspy cry squeaked past my limp lips while my sore body pushed me as far back as I could go, uncertain what might happen now that the wolf was turning his sights upon me.

In my heart I knew the beast to be Everett. His fur bore the same dark reddish-brown as the rugged sheriff's hair. His eyes, now large and almond shaped, still carried the same exhaustion that I often spotted in Everett. And then, there was simply the way he looked at me. Standing at about six feet tall upon four massive paws that could crush me with ease beneath his sharp claws, he towered above me, his gaze distant and dark. However, concern and regret still bent his brow. With his teeth no longer bared, he lowered his head with ears folded back and his tail hung low. That, however, didn't stop me from jumping with fear when his cold, wet nose nudged me.

"Everett," I cried, hopeful my words still made sense to his wolfish ears, "please, I can't take the paranormal right now. Please be you again." I closed my eyes, turning my head away as he whimpered and nuzzled me with his large muzzle. However, after a moment or two, I felt him move away and soon heard the gruesome snap and pop of bones reforming. Once the street grew silent and I no longer saw the large shadow of a wolf cast over me by the street lamp, I took a deep breath and turned to face him with tears bordering my eyes.

"I'm sorry Delilah, the scent of your fear was so strong that it was hard to think straight in that state. We have such a heightened awareness and...you know what, it doesn't matter. I'm just sorry, okay."

I watched him, my eyes wide as my hands rose up to cover the surprise stretching my mouth. Perhaps sensing my renewed burst of panic, he lunged forward, scooping me in his arms and cradling me against his bare chest. Against his bare everything...

"Please forgive me, Delilah," he said, pressing his cheek into my hair. "I know you can't understand it, but I just have certain commitments to my pack and things are more complicated then they seem. But, screw all that for now. Right now, I just want to make sure you're okay. I promise you're safe. I will protect you. I radioed in the assault before transforming and Kyra is out there with her vampires and so are many of my wolves. They'll catch her. Please, just relax. Your whole body is so tense..."

"E-e-everett," I stuttered, my breath hiccupping as I struggled to keep my head from spending too much time considering what parts of Everett's firm, muscular body were pressed against me at that moment. "You...you are, uh, I don't know how to say this, but, um, you are...naked." I gulped down that last word and turned my gaze to his, watching him from the corner of my eye. For a moment, his dark brown eyes stared back at me, his lips a loose O-shape. I saw the pins clicking into place with slow, painful turns. Then, my words hit him and a flush of color burned his shaggy cheeks.

"I'm...I'm so sorry." His voice was unusually high as he did a quick circle, trying to decide where to place me back on the ground. After a moment, he gave up and simply laid me against the wall that Mercedes had so recently pinned me to. Noticing the store we were situated in front of, was in fact a clothing store, he ran over to the door and gave it a powerful jerk. He broke the handle and the lock that came with it. With a bit more work he managed to pry it open and soon I was left alone on the sidewalk, staring up at the moon with eyes glazed and breath slow.

It was dark, his body had been centered before a street light, so the whole front of him was in shadow. I couldn't even tell if Everett's body was just as hairy in his human form as it was as a wolf. It meant I also didn't see anything he wouldn't want anyone other than a lover seeing. That, however, didn't stop me from conjuring up my own interpretation of what had been standing before me. Using what details I discerned from the press of his body against my torso and hip, my imagination sketched up quite a picture. I bit my lip to fight off a smile.