Make Me Howl

Cool air stirred my hair, tickling the back of my neck and down my spine as I slowly drifted toward consciousness. I was a bit light-headed and my eyes were all but glued shut. And the really bad part, my mouth tasted as if it were full of cotton that was downtown Dallas dirty.

The morning was fragrant with a light scent. Wildflowers? Unable to imagine where I was, I rolled over, then stretched the kinks out of my arms.

Another breeze wafted over me, swirling over my naked breasts, down my belly and along my thighs.

"Jazzy?"

Hearing Bella whisper my name, I was tempted to pretend I was still sleeping. "Um?"

"Jazzy, look at me."

After working a moment, I was able to open my eyes. I tried to look at Bella, but her face kept going in and out of focus behind the bars.

Bars?

Abruptly I sat up, my head swimming at the sudden motion. "Bella?" I practically coughed the word, my throat hurt so.

Her gaze was filled with concern. God, I hated that look, as if as the moments-older twin, she was responsible for me. "Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not okay." I paused to control the bristle prickling down my spine. Then I whispered between my clamped jaws, not bothering to use telepathy since there was no one around. "What am I doing here? Naked?"

She reached through the bars to brush back my hair, now at its longest length, so she could touch my shoulder.

I jerked away. "Answer me. Where am I? Who put me here, and where are my clothes?"

As her anger flamed to match mine, she narrowed her eyes. Not a good sign. "You're in the isolation cage here at Safari Land. And I don't know where your clothes are."

"Who put me here and why haven't you gotten me out?" I would have shouted, but my throat hurt too much. That should have been a clue, but I couldn't begin to imagine it.

"Tony locked you up until the zoo officials could decide what to do with you." She lost all her anger, then looked to her right and left. "And you aren't out because this is quarantine. Doc has the only key."

Although I'll never admit it to Bella or any of the rest of my family, when my hair is at its longest, I'm not always the sharpest stiletto on the shelf. Of course, when I draw it in all the way, I get a little fuzzy minded, so it all evens out as Grandmother used to say. Today was one of those dull stiletto days. But shortening my locks to regain my reasoning powers would mean exposing too much of my body. "Why did Tony lock me up?"

"You treed Norman on his car." 

I tried to comprehend what she was saying. And I have to be honest, it took a moment. Or two. "I'm sure he deserved it."

As she nodded, her face clouded until I thought she was going to cry. "Tony thought you were a wild Mexican Gray."

"I must have had Jose Eber go too heavy on the highlights the last time." I gave a quick shrug. "It could have been worse. He could have thought I was an Arctic."

That infuriated her. "How can you make jokes at a time like this?"

I have to admit, my temper was a little short that morning. "What do you want me to do? Bite someone?"

Then we heard voices.

Bella looked around wildly. "Doc's coming back, and Norman's with him. You'd better go primal. Quick."

As if it was that easy. I couldn't just wiggle my nose like some TV witch—I had to allow myself to release. And after a lifetime of learning control, that wasn't easy.

I took a moment to settle myself, to find my center. Pulling my hair around so I was well covered, I got to my knees, then sat on my heels. "You know, last night, when you and Doc abandoned me, Norman became a huge pest. He kept at me, wanting me to dance with him."

Bella's "Um," was irritating.

Annoyance tingled my exposed skin, running along my collarbone and down the insides of my arms.

"He wouldn't leave me alone. It was so gross." I straightened as angry lightning strikes marched down my back.

"Then he insisted I finish my drink because he wanted to buy me another. Bella, I thought I wasn't going to have to decapitate him to get him to leave me alone. I decided to just leave and let you find another way home. But after I finished my drink—and I only had the one Doc bought me—I don't remember anything. It's as if I got lost in the night."

I gathered my fury like a fiery orb in my chest. "You know I never have a memory lapse unless it’s a blue moon or I lose control. I wasn't that angry."

And a simple full moon hadn't done that to me since I was three years old.

I allowed my rage to explode. My body stung as the bristles burst through my skin, but I exalted in the sensation as my face narrowed, then lengthened. I loved the feeling of my body shifting from human to wolf shape. There's never anything better than the power surge as it fills my muscles. It's exhilarating. 

That morning, the only downside was the sharpening of my senses. I could smell Norman a long time before I saw him. He smelled of his breakfast, last night's strong cologne and sex. The only odor I picked up on Doc was soap and fresh coffee.

At that moment, I could have killed for a cup.