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My heart pounded in my chest as I thought
this is it, last night was the moment when Jace realized that I wasn’t what he wanted after all
. I took a step back as Jace stood and reached into the pocket of his pajamas pants. Then, seemingly in slow motion, I watched with wide eyes as Jace got down on one knee.

“
I’ve given you things you’ve always wanted, but never knew were possible to have,” he said, looking up at me through nervous eyes. “I’ve given you the wind—never have you been able to run as fast as you can now. I’ve given you the moon—now you’ll always be able to enjoy its luminous beauty and feel its power against your skin. But there’s still one more thing I’d like you to know that I’ve given you…” A hesitant smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he held up a ring. “My heart. Tessa Morganton, will you marry me?”

His words lingered between us in the air and for a long moment I forgot how to breathe as my eyes remained frozen on the glittering ring between his fingers. It was gold with two delicate looking hands clasping around a heart with an intricate crown resting on top.

“
It doesn’t have to be right now. It can be whenever you want… I’ll wait forever if you need me to,” he insisted. “I just saw it and thought of you and how much you mean to me. It’s a Claddagh ring, and there’s this cool little saying that goes along with it.”

“
What?” I asked, my voice sounding breathy.

Jace smiled up at me. “With these hands I give you my heart, and I crown it with my loyalty.”

“
It’s beautiful,” I whispered.

“
Is that a yes, then?”

I nodded. “Yes.”

His lips twisted into a triumphant smile that crinkled the corners of his eyes, and I felt my heart explode with happiness. Jace held up my left hand and gently began to slip the ring into place. “It’s actually an Irish wedding ring. When worn with the crown facing inward it means your heart belongs to someone.”

“
It’s perfect,” I gushed, unable to take my eyes away from its glittering perfection.

With his hands still clasping mine, Jace stood. “And now, I’ve given you my heart,” he said just before his lips pressed against mine.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Weeks slipped by and with each passing day my senses became duller and duller until finally a moment came when I felt normal. There were no lights too bright that day or harsh noises. No smells too strong or grumbles that twisted my stomach nearly making me double over from the pain of hunger. I had the old me back and it felt spectacular.

But the old me only lasted for one day.

Each day after, my senses grew and I hated what I knew they were leading up to… another full moon.

Christmas had passed and I’d found it extremely hard to appear normal around my dad; he still had no idea what I was. Mom and I hadn’t decided on the best way to tell him yet. How do you tell someone that a mythical creature exists?

The relationship between my mother and I had become better, but the relationship between her and Jace had only intensified. She just couldn’t see past the fact that he’d taken my life away with one stolen bite. Her words, not mine. I knew it was going to take a lot of time for her to see how truly happy I was with Jace, but in the long run… that was all that mattered, my happiness.

Everyone seemed to notice the ring on my finger, but no one more than me. I never would have guessed such a tiny thing could carry so much weight, but it did. It was just as much a symbol of Jace giving me his heart as it was of me giving mine to him. I lay in bed at night, spinning it around on my finger with my thumb and memorizing every tiny indent, every perfect curve. I had given him a definitive yes, but we’d never discussed a time. There was too much weighing on my mind, and my future with Jace at this point seemed uncertain, but only because it rested in the hands of Shelby at the Wolf Moon.

* * *

I kicked off my shoes and pulled off my socks; feeling the frost-covered grass beneath my toes made a shiver travel through me. This was it; this my second full moon. I didn’t hesitate this time in slipping out of my clothes in front of Jace. There was no point; he’d already seen everything anyway.

Moonlight filtered through thin clouds and touched my skin here and there, instantly relieving me of the itch that had begun to spread moments ago. A whipping wind came, blowing strands of my hair into my eyes. I tucked them behind my ears and glanced to where Jace stood, just a few feet in front of me, completely naked with his head tipped back and his eyes closed as though he were basking in sunshine on a warm summer day.

Watching him, marveling in the perfection of his chiseled features and lean body, I began to feel the first laps of warmth pump through my veins.

Jace’s lips twisted into a small smile, and he opened his eyes to meet mine. “Remember to relax.”

I nodded in response just as the warmth filled me completely and began to make my head feel fuzzy. Enjoying the moment, I forgot what came next—the burning sensation. Anxiety began to build around my heart as I felt the first sting of the burn that I knew was about to consume my body. A tiny shriek of pain escaped from my parted lips as I tried to remember if it had hurt as badly last time.

“
Breathe and remember you have to relax. You don’t want to fight it,” Jace muttered just before his skin began to ripple. “I’m right here with you. You’re going to be fine.”

I closed my eyes once I felt the first little bit of stiffness enter my muscles and struggled to keep my breathing even. Panic shifted to paranoia as I realized the burning sting still hadn’t gone away. It had only become intensified. My eyes snapped open to find Jace had already transformed. His eyes, filled with human emotion, reflected back horror at my fear. I was sure he could clearly hear the erratic pounding of my heart.

A muffled cry escaped me as popping noises began to fill my ears—the bones beneath my skin had begun to shift. My heartbeat throbbed through my body as the burning sensation continued to course through my veins, growing stronger by the second and causing tears to swell in my eyes and blur my vision.

The pain became so intense that my legs began to shake and eventually my knees buckled. I folded in half onto the frozen ground, and my body began to twist at odd angles as the ripping and tearing of my muscles and grinding of my bones against one another filled my ears. I opened my mouth, but the pain was so severe my screams were silent.

My back arched involuntarily as the final shifts of bone and muscle gave way. Areas of my skin felt scorched by an invisible flame as blond patches of fur broke through, feeling like porcupine quills ejecting through my skin from the inside out. A pain near the base of my tailbone blinded me. I could feel my skin there stretching and pulling against itself to form a tail.

And then it stopped.

All of the pain, the burning, everything—it faded away to nothing. My lungs struggled to pull in large, greedy gulps of air while I remained lying motionless against the icy ground.

Oh, god, are you okay?
Jace’s voice sounded in my head.

I could hear his concern, his worry; it flowed over me like rushing water. Slowly I lifted my head and brought my eyes to his. He lay down beside me and nuzzled my neck with the tip of his nose.

I fought it. I didn’t mean to. I tried to relax, but I couldn’t… I panicked. It hurt, Jace… it hurt so bad.
Wetness fell from my eyes, dampening my fur.

I’m so sorry. That happened to me once. I know exactly the type of pain you felt. It’s nothing I would wish on anyone.

I leaned into him, allowing myself a few moments to let the shock and fresh memory of the pain fade from my mind. An icy drop of wetness touched the tip of my nose, forcing my eyes open again. It was snowing.

Tiny snowflakes fell from the darkened sky, each made up of glimmering ice crystals attached together beautifully. I’d never seen anything so captivating before.

Beautiful, isn’t it?
Jace asked as he pulled away.

Yes, amazing
, I whispered.

Are you ready to hunt? I’m sure your body really needs it
, he insisted in a tender tone.

Dread filled me. What if I passed out or vomited this time, too? I stood and realized for the first time that I was fully changed. There were no more patches of bare skin, and I no longer stood on goofy looking hind legs. I was on all fours and covered with a beautiful coat of dark-blond fur.

I’m a wolf! A full wolf!
I shouted.

Jace responded with a chuckle that echoed through my mind.
I told you this time you would change fully. And I must say, you’re just as beautiful in this form as you are in your human form.

You mean my half form, right?

Any form you’re in is beautiful to me, Tessa. When are you going to realize this?

I laughed and sprinted into a run, wanting to test my full speed and put this embarrassment-inducing conversation topic behind us. Jace was beside me, matching my stride perfectly in seconds. Barreling through the darkened woods at a speed I’d never been able to touch before, happiness bubbled within me and a rush of energy surged through me. This was the speed Jace had talked about.

The snowflakes grew larger in size and began sticking to the ground beneath me. I could feel them freezing into my fur, forming icy clusters. The pain I’d felt when changing had completely disappeared from my mind as I stared at the beauty that surrounded me.

Something scurried across the ground to my left. My eyes zeroed in through the tangled bare-branched brush onto the animal making the noise. It was a raccoon.

Go get it. I’ll see what I can find for myself
, Jace said before soundlessly walking away.

I hunkered my head down and allowed instinct to take over. Before I realized what I’d done, the raccoon was between my paws and I was devouring it. Once I’d finished I noticed the bloody mess that tainted the beautiful snow-covered ground in front of me. Disgust filled me and I shifted away. I began wiping my paws against the ground, struggling to gain control over myself while my mouth filled with saliva and my body attempted to dry heave.

Focusing on the snow falling around me and using each beautiful snowflake as a diversion, I was able to slowly drive my nausea away. The sound of Jace walking toward me caught my attention. I pulled in a few deep breaths in an effort to better calm myself.

Good, you’re all right. I was afraid I’d find you passed out again
, he said, his relief evident.

Not this time
, I said, unable to keep pride from entering my tone.

Run with me, again. Let’s have some fun
, Jace insisted.

Can you keep up with me?
I asked with a chuckle, before dashing past him.

We ran until we reached the edge of the three acres behind my house where it touched the McNealy’s yard next door. Skidding to a stop, we sat and stared up at the clouds drifting across the moon.

It was the first night I’d felt relaxed enough in my other form to enjoy it for what it was, and it was the first time I’d ever thought of snow as a beautiful distraction. It had also been the first time I’d ever wished we lived on a larger piece of property.

* * *

“
I’m glad you had fun tonight... well, minus the crippling pain while changing part,” Jace whispered as he stood beneath my bedroom window. His hair was wet and slightly curled from the snow.

“
I’m glad I did, too.” I nodded before running my fingers through his hair, unable to help myself.

“
Come here,” he demanded with the hint of a smile.

I bent down and put my lips to his. Bliss invaded every part of my mind and body.

“
Good night, beautiful.” He winked just before popping the screen back into place and jogging out of sight.

“
Good night,” I whispered, watching him go.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

I missed work the next day. And when I woke there were three missed calls from Dewey, the cook/owner. In his final message he let me know I’d been fired. Apparently I’d been more than unreliable and even when I was there my mind was elsewhere. I couldn’t argue; everything he’d said had been true. But I cringed inside when I thought of what this meant—that my parents would make me work at Flowers and Things until I could find something else.

Rolling over on my side, I stared out my bedroom window at the cloudy, gray sky. I dreaded the moment when my parents found out I’d been fired. But, given the circumstances, I was curious to see if my mother would react as badly as she normally would have now that she knew what I was and everything I’d been going through. There was no doubt in my mind, though, that my dad would be furious.

My cell phone chimed, alerting me of a text. It was Rachel.

Hey, girl. Wanna hang out with me and Gina today?

Sure. What are you guys doing? ~ Tessa

All I could think of was that it beat sitting around here all day.

We’re heading to Sassy’s Boutique to pick out something super sexy to wear this weekend.

I thought about my white sweat pants and my lacey camisoles. Maybe some true pajama pants or even some cute boy shorts would be better.