{"id":3466,"date":"2023-09-18T15:09:53","date_gmt":"2023-09-18T19:09:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/aimeeeasterling.com\/?p=3466"},"modified":"2023-12-29T13:19:02","modified_gmt":"2023-12-29T18:19:02","slug":"wolfs-choice-sneak-peak","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/aimeeeasterling.com\/?p=3466","title":{"rendered":"Wolf’s Choice Sneak Peak"},"content":{"rendered":"

The final book in my Time Bites series is live and I’m including a sneak preview below. But there are definitely SPOILERS here. If you’re behind, please start with Wolf Trap<\/a> before you read any further…<\/em><\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

\u200bChapter 1<\/h1>\n

\"Wolf's<\/a>If I\u2019d owned a business card, it would have read: \u201cSpirit. Temporary inhabitant of a human body. Recovering supervillain.\u201d Trouble was, dumpster divers don\u2019t tend to print business cards.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Yes, switching from world domination to survival mode took me down a notch. Then, right about the time I got the hang of caring for the needy meat suit I inhabited, the past decided to rear its ugly head.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Like most evenings, I was pushing my shopping cart full of belongings toward the bridge I considered home sweet home when the gaze first burned the back of my neck. That wasn\u2019t out of the ordinary. I\u2019d noted watching eyes before.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

But in the past they\u2019d always been creepy, not caressing. This non-physical touch, in contrast, wrapped me up in all the warmth my threadbare coat lacked.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, when I turned and stared across the busy city street to find the source of today\u2019s gaze, the eyes barely hidden behind a car\u2019s windshield turned out to belong to someone I recognized. Not just recognized\u2014had been doing my level best to avoid for weeks.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Drake was a werewolf who had zero reason to wish me well and a dozen reasons to punish me for various episodes of murder and memory theft. His mate was even less likely to join my fan club, and she was currently making moves to exit the vehicle. Beside her, Drake clenched his chiseled jaw, dark brows lowering. His gaze became yet more intense.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

And even though running was the obvious reaction, my wobbly muscles tried to tell me I should stay where I was and take in Drake more fully. He was intriguing, tantalizing\u2026<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Squashing the urge, I turned down an alley like a rat darting into the first shred of shadow, a stream of questions flowing through my head.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Where can I hide? How can I get there without being followed? Why did Drake\u2019s eyes sear through my skin so pleasurably that I didn\u2019t want to run away?<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I failed to realize I\u2019d left my shopping cart behind until I was already on the first step of a five-story fire escape. Bad news since, at the very bottom of the shopping cart, I\u2019d also abandoned my sword. The mainstay of my existence. Without it, I might cease to exist.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Still, I couldn\u2019t double back now. Not with Tru in the alley behind me, her silence more ominous than if she\u2019d shouted imprecations.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Regret at what I\u2019d done to her made me peer back over my shoulder even though doing so risked a stumble and fall down to pavement that this human body wouldn\u2019t be able to handle. To my surprise, my pursuer was no longer pursuing. Instead, she was heading back the way she\u2019d come.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

She\u2019d turned away, but a flicker of movement from the other end of the alley materialized into her mate, who must have gone the long way around to cut me off. Drake was tall, lithe, and darkly handsome…and his job involved execution and torture. No wonder his gray eyes bored into mine like coals that don\u2019t look hot but, on contact, burned.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Strangely, though, the shot of emotion that burst through me at the moment wasn\u2019t fear. My mouth filled with saliva; my heart pounded so hard it sounded like a snare drum. And this time I couldn\u2019t force myself to turn away as my gaze roamed over my pursuer from head to foot.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Straight hair fell across his forehead, swaying slightly in the breeze. Muscles flexed beneath a suit perfectly tailored to show off his physique. And even though he wasn\u2019t sprinting, his long legs ate up the distance far faster than I\u2019d covered it.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Right. I\u2019m being chased. No time to paint a mental picture.<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Ignoring whatever weirdness was going on in my body, I finally managed to rip my gaze away so I could speed the rest of the way up the rickety fire escape. And at the rooftop, I didn\u2019t pause to soak in the view or push wind-whipped hair out of my face. Instead, I forced a brain that wanted to skip around between ten thousand erratic thoughts to focus on the here and now.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Tru was tenacious, so I doubted she\u2019d given up on catching me. Likely she\u2019d thought of another way up to roof level and was planning to cut me off if I traveled in the obvious direction back toward my shopping cart. That way, buildings sat close together, the air space between them easy to hop over if you didn\u2019t look down and did keep your nerve.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

So I turned left instead of right. Took a running leap and surged across a gap I wasn\u2019t so sure my human body could handle.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

It almost couldn\u2019t. I landed hard, knees banging into the sharp edge, feet dangling into space, hands scrabbling for purchase against smooth roof metal.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the wind picked up, buffeting me and trying to knock loose my already precarious balance. Sweat slicked my fingers and my breath scraped raw in my throat. I was afraid to move for fear I\u2019d fall.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

And the world slammed into sharp focus. This body wanted to survive. My soul, such as it was, wanted to stay grounded in flesh even if that flesh was currently screaming pain from knees and elbows. I ached where muscles tensed into cramping, yet every gasping inhale felt like a gift.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

One I might not hold onto for much longer. Because I was slipping, the weight of my lower body carrying me down across the slanted rooftop. Dislodged debris scattered beneath my desperate fingers, tiny pebbles plunking one by one onto hard ground far below.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019d be down there joining that debris soon.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Then a voice carried across the gap. It had to be Tru\u2019s mate, but his rumble was musical rather than raspy the way I remembered. The shivers quaking through me inexplicably lessened even though Drake was no less dangerous than the threat of gravity.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, his words made no sense when he had every reason to wish me ill. \u201cKami. Focus. There\u2019s a vent three inches from your left hand. You don\u2019t even need to turn your head. Just feel for it then grab hold.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

A trick.<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span> If I\u2019d been fully <\/span><\/span><\/span>kami<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span>, I would have believed that easier. But his gaze on my back was as warm as the dirty sleeping bag I\u2019d left behind in my shopping cart. As soothing as the wandering cat who\u2019d curled up against my belly two nights prior.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

For one long moment, I wavered. Then I moved my hand.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The vent was cold and almost sharp enough to cut through my skin. But I didn\u2019t care. It was solid, unlike the debris that had turned the rest of the roof slippery. The handhold provided enough leverage and stability so I could scramble away from the drop. Could find my feet and stand.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Not that there was any safe way off this building. My throbbing legs warned against trying to repeat the same leap I\u2019d recently endured, even if a werewolf wasn\u2019t currently blocking that exit. Meanwhile, the building opposite the one where Tru\u2019s mate stood was higher up and even further away than the one where I\u2019d started.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

To make matters worse, the roof I\u2019d made it onto wasn\u2019t meant to be walked across. So there was no door down into the interior. No fire escape running up the outside.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Which left two other sides of the building as potential exit routes. One dropped straight down to the alley, the other to a main thoroughfare. There were no handy awnings to soften the fall.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

My legs transitioned from throbbing to full-on shaking. Tru\u2019s mate might have saved me. But he now had me quite thoroughly trapped.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know the outlook appears bleak,\u201d my pursuer said, words just loud enough to hear over the wind. \u201cReminds me of the time I took the bet that I could stay on the back of a water buffalo for thirty seconds. Not a good idea, just in case you\u2019re considering giving it a try.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Despite the fact that escape should have been my top and only priority, my gaze was drawn to Drake without permission. His face was square, strong, and perfectly symmetrical except for a single dimple on his left cheek that wasn\u2019t mirrored on his right. Somehow, that one small indentation managed to counteract the whole alpha-werewolf scariness factor, turning him irresistible instead of terrifying.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Warm squiggliness rebounded inside my belly and I finally realized what it equated to. Attraction. What a strange thing to succumb to at a time like this.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I frowned, trying to understand how I\u2019d missed that dimple while throwing roadblock after roadblock between Drake and his mate a month ago. How had it failed to rope me in then the way it was doing now?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Because even though Drake\u2019s words were clearly a ploy to keep me talking instead of fleeing, I was the one who kept the conversation going. \u201cHow long did you last?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

His gaze grew even warmer. The dimple deepened. \u201cBelieve me, I can last a good long while.\u201d Then his smile softened. \u201cLet me guess. I\u2019m the only one with my mind in the gutter and you just want to hear about the water buffalo? I\u2019ll tell you this much\u2014I definitely didn\u2019t win that bet.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

While barely scraping by in human skin this past month, I\u2019d found it impossible to turn on the charm that had won me so many free passes as a disembodied <\/span><\/span><\/span>kami.<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span> But now I could feel my own dimples\u2014two of them, perfectly symmetrical\u2014emerging despite cold, hunger, and the blood oozing from scraped skin on my knees. \u201cSo what you\u2019re saying is, you\u2019re no good at being on top?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTop, bottom, if you like it, I like it.\u201d His shrug brought my attention to broad shoulders, made me imagine how good it might feel to press myself up against his solidity. To have him kiss away the pain in my knees and elbows. To pull me in close and\u2026<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Movement caught my attention behind Drake\u2019s left shoulder. Tru was emerging on a rooftop several buildings down just like I\u2019d expected she would. Back when I was thinking rationally, before flirting turned my head.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Adrenaline flooded me. Drake had made me forget he wasn\u2019t my sole pursuer, or maybe my human body had done most of the work for him. Whatever the reason for my lapse, sharp reality now whipped away every ounce of pleasure. Slowly, hoping the motion wouldn\u2019t be noticed, I began sidling along the edge of the building, no destination in mind other than <\/span><\/span><\/span>away<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t.\u201d Tru\u2019s mate took a step in the same direction I was traveling and that clinched it. He\u2019d been toying with me just like I used to toy with humans. Trying to distract me while he came up with a plan that would end with me in handcuffs.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Or worse.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

So I let myself consider the other way off the building. The way I\u2019d tried so hard to avoid even thinking about.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I was nearly at the edge overlooking the main street now. The edge that would at least add drama to upcoming sacrifice.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Stop!<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u201d Drake\u2019s eyes were no longer warm. Instead, they were ice, demanding obedience.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t. I stepped over the edge, falling backward and staring up into that handsome werewolf\u2019s face as I plummeted.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Humanity shed off me like a snake\u2019s skin. And in reaction, Drake\u2019s face contorted in a way that somehow managed to look like fear for me rather than fury at me. His arms reached out even though he was nowhere near me, his long fingers clutched at thin air.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The same thin air I was disintegrating into. I didn\u2019t strike the ground so much as disembody inches from it. My last glimpse of Drake faded into the gray emptiness of the spirit realm.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Which meant I\u2019d have to steal memories to regain flesh and solidity. The worst part? Pure <\/span><\/span><\/span>kami <\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span>again, I didn\u2019t really care.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u200bChapter 2<\/h1>\n

Around me, the spirit realm stretched out as a still, featureless landscape. Faintly glowing wisps of fog drifted through an otherwise empty plane, each one a material manifestation of unclaimed energy. Long ago, when I was a starving<\/span><\/span><\/span> kami<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span> with no sword to ground me, I\u2019d followed wisps like these for hours before giving up on catching what could provide sustenance but wasn\u2019t worth the chase.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Now, hunger was the least of my worries. Because travel here wasn\u2019t bogged down by the laws of physics\u2014well it was for me, but not for others. Spirits could materialize right beside me while my only escape was a slow, human plod.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The audible pop of someone arriving sent me skittering sideways. Human instinct prompted me to fling my arms up in front of my face even though that wouldn\u2019t shield me from being maliciously punctured.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Punctured and turned into wisps like the ones I\u2019d formerly hunted. If the rents were few and shallow, a spirit might simply lose some of her energy to such an attack. But those who lost too much too quickly disappeared into the void.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

That danger didn\u2019t appear to be facing me today, however. \u201cYou\u2019re lucky,\u201d the newcomer observed, poking at me with words instead of claws.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNot right now, Tall Nose,\u201d I answered, dropping my arms to my sides and starting back toward where I\u2019d left my shopping cart. Because Tall Nose wasn\u2019t precisely a friend but he wasn\u2019t an enemy either. <\/span><\/span><\/span>Instead, he was what I would have been if I\u2019d made a different choice years ago.<\/p>\n

As we traveled side by side, the repercussions of that choice were striking. I appeared entirely human all the way down to my plodding footsteps. Tall Nose, in contrast, floated along beside me with gentle flaps of his wings, featherless arms crossed while his beak turned up in disgust.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d pulled ahead while I was assessing our differences, and now he adjusted his pace to match mine even as he mocked me with a yawn followed by pointed words. \u201cYou don\u2019t think you\u2019re lucky? How many of us can cross to the human realm so easily?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I might have been able to cross to the human realm, but I couldn\u2019t zip toward my sword and get there before the garbage man sent my possessions through a trash compactor. Fear about that possibility made me engage with Tall Nose when I probably shouldn\u2019t have. \u201cBeing human isn\u2019t all shits and giggles,\u201d I told him. \u201cThere are repercussions. I have to steal to solidify my body on the other side.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Tall Nose didn\u2019t need to breathe in the spirit realm any more than I did, but he still managed a snort that erupted loud as a bullhorn. Flinching, I spun in a complete circle to see if any other spirits had been attracted by the sound. In particular, there was a hag I\u2019d been dodging for months now, one who wasn\u2019t entirely pleased to have Japanese spirits on her turf.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Luckily, the foggy landscape around us was just as empty as it had been a moment earlier. And now Tall Nose found his words again. \u201cRepercussions for humans maybe. None for you when you cross over, or for me if you take me with you.\u201d He batted his eyelashes, a gesture that looked nowhere near as appealing as he thought since long hairs brushed his shiny upper mandible like spider legs dancing. \u201cBut you\u2019re stressed about your sword. I can see that. How about I travel ahead and check on it for you? No charge.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

There was always a charge with a <\/span><\/span><\/span>tengu <\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span>like Tall Nose, so I gritted my teeth, shook my head, and kept wafting my immaterial feet no faster than a human could have jogged. It was maddening to be slowed down in <\/span><\/span><\/span>kami<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span> form. Maddening enough to make me consider what Tall Nose had suggested.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Could I give him a solid body in the human realm the next time I transitioned? I\u2019d have to steal more memories to make it possible, likely stronger memories that would impact the donor more badly. But Tall Nose would owe me if I gave him a leg up. An ally could mean a lot.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Right now, though, I had a more pressing issue to deal with. Because I rounded the corner, took a quick step sideways into the human realm, and found my shopping cart untouched. Tru and Drake were absent. A major relief.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, both cart and sword were bound to remain untouched until I found another memory to seize hold of and turned myself tangible again. In my current <\/span><\/span><\/span>kami <\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span>form, I could feign a physical appearance in the human realm, something even Tall Nose could manage on occasion. But I couldn\u2019t lift the sword and take it with me. Nor could I push the shopping cart into an out-of-the-way corner to protect it from those with more physical abilities than I currently possessed.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Which meant anyone could come along and grab my sword. Being separated from the blade wasn\u2019t a problem, but if it was damaged? I wasn\u2019t precisely sure what would happen. Best guess\u2014the result would be akin to being punctured and forced to watch all my energy seep out.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019d given me a body,\u201d Tall Nose observed, popping into the human realm beside me, \u201cI could be moving that for you right now.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

His form was hazier than mine while benefiting from wings that let him rise up so high a mortal\u2019s neck would have had to strain to look at him. Mine didn\u2019t protest as I peered directly up above my head. \u201cSee anybody?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNope.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Neither did I, no one on foot at least. Cars continued to rush past as day descended into twilight, but I didn\u2019t trust Tall Nose enough to leave him guarding my sword while I leapt into a speeding vehicle and stole a memory. Not when I might wreck the car while re-embodying, that murder dogging my nightmares along with the others when I ended up back in flesh.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Luckily, time wasn\u2019t so imperative in <\/span><\/span><\/span>kami<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span> form. Cold and hunger didn\u2019t touch me either. And now that I was physically beside my sword, I could likely talk my way out of danger if anyone tried to mess with the weapon.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Which gave me leeway to come up with a solid plan. \u201cI\u2019ll do things differently tonight,\u201d I mused, speaking more to myself than to Tall Nose, who was starting to fade back into the spirit realm. \u201cI\u2019ll stash my sword somewhere safe\u2014no, I don\u2019t intend to let you watch and find out where. Then I\u2019ll go back to full-on <\/span><\/span><\/span>kami. <\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span>See if stealing memories will give me other powers beyond humanity. Are you shivering?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou didn\u2019t feel the chill before we crossed over?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes I thought Tall Nose was more drama than he was worth. It was true that the moon was just past new, the time when spirits had the least power. Still\u2014\u201cYou do realize there\u2019s no temperature in the spirit realm?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNot for you maybe.\u201d He was perching on the back of the shopping cart now, legs dangling like those of a grotesque and over-sized human child. His voice was anything but childlike though as he warned. \u201cThere\u2019s a new darkness in the air too.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, night will do that.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Tall Nose spoke over me, ignoring my attempt at levity. \u201cIt\u2019s hungry, seeking. You haven\u2019t felt it?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I shook my ahead, although perhaps I had noticed a very subtle something while rushing back to my shopping cart through the spirit realm. A drag at my feet that slowed me even more than I\u2019d expected. A weight on my shoulders pressing me down almost like gravity.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Then I forgot about vague maybe-dangers as a teenaged boy rounded the corner on the other side of the street. His clothes were high quality, his coat more than sufficient to ward off chilly weather. But his shoulders were hunched, his gaze glued to the pavement.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t distract me,\u201d I told Tall Nose. \u201cLooks like we\u2019ve landed an easy mark.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u200bChapter 3<\/h1>\n

Feigning humanity wasn\u2019t the same as inhabiting a tangible body. There were fewer rewards in my current state but also fewer limitations, at least for me. So while the teenager\u2019s attention was still on the ground, I manipulated the illusionary form I\u2019d wrapped around myself, clothing my not-quite-skin in a classy yet threadbare outfit.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

People who wore expensive clothes, I\u2019d noticed, were prone to judge others by their apparel. I wanted the young man to trust me and pity me as well.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cExcuse me!\u201d I called, voice wavering just a little. That was the key to drawing him in. That, plus the way I angled my body to outline perfectly perky breasts.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNice move.\u201d Tall Nose\u2019s flute-like voice whispered into my ear even though I couldn\u2019t see him any longer. He was almost entirely back in the spirit realm and I swatted at the air where his words had come from, hoping he\u2019d take the hint and retreat the rest of the way. Meanwhile, I donned my most charming smile.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

But Tall Nose must have knocked me off my game because the teenager seemed ready to run in the opposite direction. Rather than coming closer, he just peered across the partially illuminated street at me. \u201cHello?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In response, I turned up the sugar quotient. \u201cIs there any way you could do me a teeny, tiny favor?\u201d Men, I\u2019d found, responded well to a little-girl voice emerging from a grown woman\u2019s body. Perhaps it made them think I\u2019d be the one who was easily manipulated.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Didn\u2019t work on this teenager, unfortunately. Maybe he was too young or too innocent. Whatever the reason, he didn\u2019t shoot my curves the extended second glance they usually attracted. Didn\u2019t smirk that tiniest bit as if he knew something I didn\u2019t.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Still, he crossed the street. Ambled up with hands in his pockets. \u201cCan I help you?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I wafted my body two small steps away from the shopping cart while inviting him to take my place. \u201cThe wheel\u2019s stuck. Could you possibly push it just a little…?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I let my voice trail off, and that seemed more effective than outright provocativeness had been. Because the teenager nodded once as if accepting a challenge. Then he stepped up to the cart and gave it a heave.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The cart didn\u2019t actually have wheel issues. No wonder his hard push made it jet forward so fast it nearly yanked him off his feet. His attempts to regain his balance and control the cart distracted him enough so he didn\u2019t notice when I reached out to touch the bare skin of his wrist.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Memories flooded me like a shot of pure oxygen. For one split second, all I could focus on was the blood beginning to pump through my veins. The breath starting to heave my lungs in and out again. The solidity of a human body just barely beginning to reform around my <\/span><\/span><\/span>kami<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span> interior.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Then I focused on the memory I was sucking out of the teenager and discovered why my little-girl voice hadn\u2019t been as effective as I\u2019d expected.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Shouting. Crying. A father tossing around slurs he never should have used on anyone, let alone on a son.<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The mother, placating but also implacable. \u201cHoney, you know we still love you. Hate the sin, love the sinner. There are camps that will help you overcome this <\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span>phase <\/span><\/span><\/span>you\u2019re going through. We\u2019ll call the pastor in the morning. All you have to do is promise…\u201d<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNot to be who I am?\u201d<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNot in my house.\u201d This was the father, hand raised as if he thought he could beat the gay out of someone he\u2019d taken fishing and taught to ride a bike and given his own name to.<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThen I\u2019ll leave.\u201d<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The son\u2019s hand shook as he grabbed his coat. He feigned anger as he slammed the door behind him, but inside something was breaking as he walked blindly into the night with no destination in mind.<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The teenager\u2019s pain was so profound I could feel it, even as almost-pure <\/span><\/span><\/span>kami<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span>. It clenched what little bit of throat had begun solidifying out of the ether. It twisted my gut even more than lack of food had done.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

If I took this memory, I could re-materialize a solid body. The teenager\u2019s recollection was powerful. It would likely keep me strong for days even if I didn\u2019t find traditional sources of sustenance to fill my belly.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

But over the last month, I\u2019d laid down personal rules for memory theft. Rules that never made sense when I was fully disembodied but, in this betwixt and between state, seemed almost important enough to pay attention to.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Rule number one was: Don\u2019t take anything too recent or too formative, which doubly applied to this teenager\u2019s awful showdown with his parents. I\u2019d learned that lesson the hard way, watching a successful lawyer disintegrate over the course of one long week after I stole the memory of his child\u2019s first breath. The rumpled and confused man who\u2019d ended up living on the street not far from me had eventually been ushered into a car by two family members, their soft words suggesting he\u2019d be taken care of. But I never saw him walk up the steps of the courthouse again with his briefcase in hand.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Regret tried to gnaw at me. But regret required a body and I didn\u2019t have one at the present moment. Instead, I repeated the litany of memories that were missable, memories I\u2019d told myself were kosher to take.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Long boring days of repetition. A painful yet long-ago event in a string of similar indignities, the specifics better off forgotten. Or, if I had to, I was allowed to seize something very small yet sweet.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

My hand was still on the teenager\u2019s wrist, only a millisecond having passed while he tried to control the shopping cart and I searched for something that might fit the bill better. There were many sweetnesses in his past. I could almost taste them, could feel how they\u2019d fuel a human body through cold, hungry nights if I decided to stay in human form after stashing my sword somewhere secure.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

But the teenager would need those memories more than I would. He\u2019d need them if he wanted to survive young adulthood without letting bitterness twist his character. He\u2019d need them to grow into the man he seemed poised to become, the man who\u2019d cross the street to help a distressed stranger.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou have needs too,\u201d Tall Nose breathed into my ear. He was invisible beside me, but I could hear him as he whispered seduction. \u201cWe both have needs. Imagine how loyal I\u2019d be if you gave me part of that tasty memory.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The tiny hints of sensation that had entered my body while I surfed the teenager\u2019s showdown with his parents were already fading. And with the loss of sensation came a loss of moral compass.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

It would be so easy to take from this teenager. Perhaps Tall Nose was right\u2026<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I whipped my hand away before I could finish that thought. I couldn\u2019t trust myself not to steal something large, something important. So I\u2019d take nothing. Not from this innocent who was facing the first major trauma of his formerly sheltered life.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Instead, I\u2019d help him. Because, while scanning his memories, I\u2019d noted one adult in his life who seemed like a safe harbor, an adult I now lied to remind him of. \u201cI think I\u2019ve met you before. Isn\u2019t Mrs. Sellings your theater teacher?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The teenager\u2019s brow furrowed as he struggled to figure out how I could have known that. I stayed silent, waiting for him to fill in the blanks. \u201cWere you at the play she took us to last month?\u201d he ventured finally.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Smiles were so easy in full-on <\/span><\/span><\/span>kami <\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span>form. So were lies. \u201cI was. But, hey, I won\u2019t keep you. I know you need to get going. Thanks for the help.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

He nodded, already pulling out his phone as he strode purposefully away from me. He\u2019d likely remembered the same scene I\u2019d snooped on\u2014Mrs. Sellings drawing aside a student as everyone else filed out of her classroom. The teen I\u2019d almost stolen from tonight had been the last one out so he\u2019d overheard a fragment of a conversation meant to be private.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAre you safe at home?\u201d <\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span>A head shake. The teacher\u2019s hand settled on the other student\u2019s shoulder. <\/span><\/span><\/span>\u201cThen we\u2019ll figure something out.\u201d<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Mrs. Sellings\u2019 phone number had been on her syllabus. She was young, earnest. <\/span><\/span><\/span>\u201cText me if you have any questions,\u201d <\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span>she\u2019d told everyone on their first day of class.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In another week, this teenager would be so beaten down by life that he wouldn\u2019t even consider texting, let alone breaking the unspoken social rule of calling a teacher in the middle of the night. But, right now, he still had those warm memories suggesting his safety was worth a little rule-breaking.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMrs. Sellings?\u201d he said into his phone just before he disappeared out of sight around the corner.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t remember until the sidewalk was once again empty that my sword was still sitting at the bottom of the shopping cart, right out in the open. I continued to lack a human form or any other way of moving my weapon under cover.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Even Tall Nose had disappeared, disgusted by my un-<\/span><\/span><\/span>kami<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span>-like behavior. The hungry darkness was now all I noticed as I waited alone for the end of the night.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u200bChapter 4<\/h1>\n

Tru\u2019s mate showed up before the trash trucks started running. It was hours after the teenager left, hours since the last person had passed down the opposite sidewalk resolutely ignoring my attempts to hail her.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Running low on energy had prompted me to lose visibility in the human realm, coming as close as a <\/span><\/span><\/span>kami<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span> ever gets to sleeping. Which explains how a werewolf so large he was impossible to miss managed to swipe my sword out of the shopping cart before I even realized he was present.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I felt the firmness of his grip as soon as he touched the hilt however. Felt the absence of those strong fingers as he stuffed the sword and its umbrella sheathe inside a cardboard poster tube then used a plastic cap to seal the odd choice of container up.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know you\u2019re there,\u201d Drake observed, poking one-fingered at what would have been my nose level had I been in my most recent human body. \u201cBoink,\u201d he added, his dimple indenting in a way that almost made my recent dilly-dallying up on the rooftop understandable.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Almost, but not quite. Yes, this shifter turned physical attractiveness into an art form. But I certainly wasn\u2019t going to fall for the same trick now that I was disembodied<\/span><\/span><\/span> <\/i>and lacked human arousal hormones<\/span><\/span><\/span>. <\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span>So instead of materializing and responding verbally, I fought back in a more efficient way.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Because he\u2019d taken my sword. He\u2019d stuffed it inside a tube that I suspected was meant to keep me from accessing it. Even though he was wrong about my abilities on that count, he <\/span><\/span><\/span>was <\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span>now in possession of an object very important to me. I had every right to seize one of his memories in a counterattack.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I touched his neck with fingers he couldn\u2019t see then rifled through his brain like it was one of those old-fashioned card catalogs. And what I found there surprised me so much I left the memory behind, released my hold, and used up energy so I could converse.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Visible and audible now, I observed. \u201cYou\u2019re not Tru\u2019s mate.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Rather than leaping away from my sudden appearance, he pretended to sweep a hat off his head by way of greeting. \u201cNope. Jack De Luca at your service.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDrake\u2019s twin?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe more handsome twin, of course.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Despite his words, there was no rivalry evident within his memories. Instead, I noted a deep loyalty to his brother. That plus some distressing news.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Turned out Jack, his brother, and Tru had decided I was the culprit in a recent murder. Which meant they\u2019d been chasing me yesterday for a reason other than my actions a month ago. And Jack wasn\u2019t here now for conversation either. He\u2019d come to stop further depredations in a kind, gentle manner that was based on yet another very misplaced impression.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I winged my eyebrows upward. \u201cYou think I\u2019m your mate.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was hoping to save that bombshell for our third date. But, sure, poke around in my brain. Ruin all my surprises.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Keep reading in Wolf’s Choice!<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The final book in my Time Bites series is live and I’m including a sneak preview below. But there are definitely SPOILERS here. If you’re behind, please start with Wolf Trap before you read any further… *** \u200bChapter 1 If I\u2019d owned a business card, it would have read: \u201cSpirit. Temporary inhabitant of a human […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49,3,167],"tags":[14,7,27,23,8],"class_list":["post-3466","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-excerpts-aimee-easterling","category-aimee-easterling-news","category-series-time-bites","tag-paranormal-books","tag-shifter-books","tag-urban-fantasy-books","tag-urban-paranormal-romantic-fantasy","tag-werewolf-books","post-preview"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/aimeeeasterling.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3466","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/aimeeeasterling.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/aimeeeasterling.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/aimeeeasterling.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/aimeeeasterling.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3466"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/aimeeeasterling.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3466\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3592,"href":"http:\/\/aimeeeasterling.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3466\/revisions\/3592"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/aimeeeasterling.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3466"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/aimeeeasterling.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3466"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/aimeeeasterling.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3466"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}