The Passion by Donna Boyd Read Free Book Online Page B

his muscles released its hold in a visible wave of laxity that smoothed first the corded tendons of his neck, then the bunched ligaments of shoulders, arms, abdomen, hips.
    Thighs lengthened, calves strengthened, knotted hands opened. His head was thrown back, his arms upraised as though to embrace a miracle. And a miracle was exactly what it was.
    Tessa, sinking to her knees, saw it in the air first, smel ed it, tasted it, felt it deep in the pit of her stomach, in her bones; no, in her soul. Afterward she would not be able to describe it, or even remember it in ful . She knew only the feeling of ecstasy that swel ed within her, the great and wondrous certainty that she was witnessing something beyond al human imagination.
    Was she terrified? Yes, in the sense that al creatures are held in terrified awe of that which reminds them of their own insignificance. But no thread of horror penetrated her raptured paralysis, no finger of dread. This was magnificent, this was beautiful. She could not be afraid.
    There was a tingling of light, a dancing of energy, a pure and powerful radiance that held him in its grip yet seemed to emanate from him; a swel ing whirlwind of power that seemed to suck the very essence of life from air and light and to transform it into something greater than it had ever been before.
    There was an explosion of color and soundless delight, and what once was human was no longer.
    The wolf came down on four paws, shook itself with a rippling of satiny pale mink-colored fur, and looked straight at Tessa. It was a magnificent creature, as large as a man if not larger, with a blaze of white gold arrowing from its temple. Its eyes .were ice blue, and there was a bleeding wound near its sternum which stained the pale fur dark.
    She could see its sides bel owing in and out with quick harsh breaths in the way of an animal in pain.
    It lowered its head and curled its lip over sharp canine teeth. It moved toward her, a low growl reverberating throughout the room. Tessa knew then to be afraid, but it was too late. He sprang at her.
    The blow knocked her sideways and onto the floor so hard that she lost her breath, her lungs expanding and contracting uselessly for several endless, agonizing seconds while the room spun around her. When she regained her senses she was flat on her back on the floor, the heavy weight of his two forepaws pinning her down, his hot breath searing her face. Saliva dripped from his bared teeth onto her throat, and blood from his wound dampened the thin muslin that covered her breast.
    The rumble of his anger was her death knel as she looked up into the eyes of this wolf and saw hunger there.
    His lips curled back, and with a great snarling, tearing sound he lunged at her throat. Tessa had no time to scream or to even think of doing so. She waited for the sharp teeth to sink into her flesh, for blood to spurt and breath to die, and then—nothing happened.
    His eyes were an inch or less from her own. The hot juices of his mouth wet her throat, and perhaps there was pressure there, tooth or muzzle. But then she saw the most peculiar thing of al the incredible things she had seen this night. His muscles stiffened, and into his eyes there came a moment of what was clearly decision. The instinct of the beast waged war with the higher processes of denial, and reason won. She felt his muscles trembling with the effort of self-constraint, but he backed away from her.
    He let her live.
    He took another few steps backward, breathing hard, sides heaving. Then he col apsed upon the floor.
    Tessa lay where he had left her, dragging in little gasps of air that sounded like sobs in the suddenly stil room, shaking, wondering, trying to grow accustomed to the fact that she was alive when in fact she should have been dead.
     
    As should he.
    Panic struck her like a cold blade when she looked over at him. He was stil , quiet; even the fur had lost its sheen. A seeping crimson stain matted his fur and spread upon