Heart of Stone - Book 2: Hearts Collide
Chapter 22 - Stone (Part 2)

Smiling hazel eyes over rosy cheeks greeted him as Aubree bit down on her bottom lip. That plump, red cherry.

He tore his gaze away as he struggled to swallow. The desire to kiss her flared up through him.

She cleared her throat. “So, how do I do this?”

Gulping air into his lungs, he turned his attention to the task at hand. “Marigolds are great for borders, so we’ll plant them along the edges of the garden.”

“Okay.”

Picking up a gardening trowel, he showed her how deep to dig the hole for the young plant before he showed her how to pull it from the plastic tray without harming it. Then, he placed it gently into the hole and pushed the soil back into the hole and patted the earth around the base of the stem.

“Your turn,” he whispered into her ear.

He felt the electricity jump from his lips as they almost brushed against her ear, making her shiver. She caught his gaze as she pursed her lips.

If the others weren’t around, their eyes glancing back and forth between him and Aubree, he would have gazed into her eyes longer. They pulled him toward her, luring him in deeper. Instead, he handed her the trowel, wrapping his fingers over hers before releasing her as her heart rate sped up.

There was a slight pout on her face before she turned her attention back to the garden. Following his instructions, she dug a small hole in the earth.

Handing her the tray of flowers, he put his hand over hers and applied the necessary pressure against her thumb and first two fingers before easing the plant out of the tray together. He knew that was the hardest part for her, and he nuzzled her neck when she did it without struggle. “It’s as easy as that.”

His voice was low with the desire to kiss her neck. He wanted to do more than that. Perhaps it was her soul, but he felt as though a shadow of Adelaide was there with him, only it was reversed. Instead of his soulmate showing him how to handle the plants without crushing them, he was showing her.

“Right?” She smiled with newfound confidence, placing the root entangled soil of the flower into the ground and covering it with earth.

Stone kneeled next to her as she became comfortable with the task before he shifted over a few inches to work on his own plot. He focused his muscles on transforming his left hand halfway, like the others had done, and used his elongated claws to dig up the soil with a few quick swipes.

As they all worked together to transfer the various annual and perennial flowers, Aubree eventually noticed that she was the only one using a trowel to dig.

She paused and he felt her eyes on his left claw-like hand when he was scooping out the last bit of soil from his hole. He raised his eyes to her face and watched the color in her face drain away. Her hazel eyes were glued to his hand in the ground and he swallowed.

[Show her,] Gunner urged Stone in his mind.

There was a chorus of agreements from the others in his head before they withdrew and continued to work in silence.

“It’s only half transformed,” he mumbled. “It makes it easier to dig.”

Hesitantly, he withdrew his hand from the ground and held it out to her, palm-up. He watched her face as she studied the growth of fur that now covered his arm. Thin, almost invisible at the elbow, then thickening as it spread down his arm to his hands and wrists in a light brown color. The fur was only half as thick as it normally was in his wolf form, but it was noticeable the closer it got to his wrist. His hand had increased in size, his fingers thickened and his nails elongated into razor-sharp pointed claws.

There was a note of fear in her scent. Her muscles tensed as he turned his hand around so she could see the back of it. The back of his hand certainly looked more beastly than his palm, and he turned it over once more so that his palm was up again.

“What...” she hesitated, “What does it look like fully transformed?”

“Larger. More fur. My palm is a bit tougher now, and will thicken to an almost leathery texture.”

Focusing on his muscles, he changed his hand back to its human state. Dirt coated his fingers and embedded under his nails, as the fur receded into his skin. He turned it around and back again as he leaned back on his heels and held out both of his hands to her.

“It tingles now, but the first shift is excruciating."

He waited for her to do something with his hands reaching out to her. He didn’t know what to expect, but he hoped she’d touch them, hold them, anything that might signify acceptance to what he was. Instead, she sat there, frozen, staring at him with her heart hammering in his ears.

She’s still not ready. Sighing, he lowered his hands.

[Show some tenderness, Alpha,] Alistair scolded. [She’s scared. Reassure her that you’re still the same person on the inside and that you won’t hurt her. Brush her hair back from her face. It’s simple, non-threatening, nor intrusive.]

[Agreed. Do it, Papa,] Gwen urged.

His throat rumbled as he glared at the pair from the corner of his eye. [Mind your own business.]

[Take her inside for a drink of water,] Gunner said as he got up from his plot to fetch more trays of flowers and throw out the empty ones into a plastic garbage bag.

He caught Gunner’s eye and gave him an appreciative nod. He could talk to her better without them all watching him like a hawk. She would feel more comfortable too, and a cool drink might relax her and clear her head a bit.

Still taking Alistair’s advice, he brushed a fallen strand of hair from her messy bun and tucked it behind her ear. “Come with me inside,” he murmured as she shivered under his touch. “Please?”

She nodded, and when he stood up and reached down for her hand to help pull her up, she stared at it, chewing on her bottom lip.

His heart fell. Was she really that afraid of what he was?

Then, she grasped it and there was a nearly inaudible chorus of sighs of relief from everyone.

He wanted to feel elated by her touch, but her hesitation and lack of immediate response dominated his hurt feelings.

Pulling her to her feet, he held her hand as he led her into the kitchen and slid the glass door shut behind them. Immediately, he went to the cupboard to fetch a glass and filled it with water.

He handed her the glass. “Are you okay?”

She nodded as she took it from him, careful not to brush her fingers with his and wouldn’t raise her eyes.

“Aubree?” he asked softly, waiting for her to look at him before continuing.

After several heartbeats, she tilted her head up and gave him a brave, but determined face.

“Can I hold you?”

The corner of her lips twitched before curving up slightly. “Do you have to ask?”

He pulled her into his arms as a grin tugged on his lips. “You had me worried there, but now I’m relieved.”

She sighed as she leaned into his arms and wrapped her own around his body, careful not to spill the glass of water. “I know. And I’m sorry I worried you. I was just caught off guard.”

“Thank the Goddess,” he murmured as he kissed the top of her head.

“You guys really are warriors and not cute and cuddly wolves, huh?”

“Afraid so, Röslein,” he said as he ran his hand over her pulled-back hair, smoothing out the uneven bumps. “Do you wish to see what I am now?”

She shook her head. “Nope. Not now.”

He tipped her chin up. “But someday?”

She swallowed, meeting his gaze. “Yeah. Someday.”

Giving her a reassuring smile, he brushed his knuckles gently across her cheek. “I’ll be waiting.”

— Schnuckiputzi: German pet name for cutie; cutie-pie; cutie-patootie.