Chapter 4

Callie's eyes swirled with silvery lights giving her an otherworldly look. Fangs appeared in her mouth but that's as far as she allowed the change to go. Her aching body seemed to throw off its fatigue, giving her a second wind she desperately needed if she was going to win against Shadow.

"Then you'll be mine," she whispered under her breath. She knew what her winner's choice would be and where it would be. She'd take him home with her and finally have him as her own, if only for a short time.

"Are you ready or not?" Shadow called his stick in his hands, held at the ready.

"Yeah, keep your pants on," Callie called, knocking her stick on the ground to turn it off. They would start at the beginning, with the sticks at low power. She took up her position opposite him, meeting his gaze with a steady eye. Nodding, they both tapped the sticks on the floor and then the fight was on.

Shadow struck the first blow, a glancing tap on her shoulder that she barely felt. It pissed Callie off. "If you aren't going to take this match seriously there's no use even having it," she growled, feeling her hair prickle as her anger fueled the beast. "I've been hit harder by a pup."

"Fine," Shadow said, taking up his stance again. "I won't pull my blows."

"Thank you," Callie said, surprising him by spinning under his arm and hitting a good blow against the back of his knees that almost had him on the floor. The electric shock went through him making him swear.

"Nice," Callie teased. "Did you kiss your mom with that mouth?"

"You're pretty feisty for someone who's had her butt kicked twice today."

"Twice? What the hell are you talking about?" She furled her forehead, missing his move and found herself on the floor, her foot jumping from the shock of the stick. Jumping back to her feet, she glared at him. "You're full of it, Shadow, and you're also scared of me."

"Right," he said, nodding his head but watching her hands. "You just terrify me."

"I do," she confirmed, then threw her body backwards into a perfect back walkover, the toe of her workout shoe catching him on the chin and making him stagger back. "You're afraid if I win I'm going to want you to fuck me."

Shadow shook his head, clearing it. "Nice, you kiss your mom with that mouth?"

"You want me to kiss you with this mouth," she taunted, blocking one of his blows and ducking the other. "Quit patronizing me, Shadow. I know you're better than this. Or maybe you want to throw the match. Maybe you actually want to share my bed."

"Honey, I don't want to get your fleas." He laughed when he saw the barb strike true and she came at him, anger making her clumsy. He deflected her blow, getting in one of his own that sent her skidding backwards. "Had enough?"

"In your dreams," she snapped, getting back to her feet. Callie was angry with herself for letting him get to her. She couldn't do that if she expected to win.

She came at him again, this time methodically striking and blocking, feeling the power of the stun stick in her hands and arms as the shock of electricity grew. Their panting was about the only sound that could be heard in the cavernous gymnasium, that and the sound of stick striking stick, the sparks shooting high in the air.

Then Shadow stepped into her blow, grabbing her arm with one of his strong hands. He spun her around so that her back was to his chest and he held his stick at her throat. "Give up?" he whispered in her ear, flicking it with his tongue.

"Fuck no," she growled, struggling against his strength.

He laughed, making her all the more mad. Dropping her stun stick to the ground, she leaned against him weakly, breathing heavily.

Shadow let his stick fall from his hand, his other coming up to turn her chin so that he could look at her. Instead, he yelped as she stomped down hard on his toes with her heel, ducking under his arm and grabbing it with both hands. A quick turn of her body and she used his own body weight against him, flipping him over her hip so that he landed on his back on the ground. A quick flip and she was once more armed, standing over him with the stun stick pointed at his throat.

"Give up?" she asked, rubbing his thigh with the toe of her shoe.

"Fuck no," he said, growling her words back at her. He grabbed her ankle, trying to throw her off balance, but she moved with the grace of a cat, using him as a spring board and flipping back away from him. She ended close to the wall, dropping her stun stick and grabbing two of the finely made, deadly sharp swords.

Waiting until he got to his feet, she threw him one of the blades, watching as he swished the blade through the air, hefting it in his hand to test the balance. "Ready?" she asked.

"Shouldn't that be 'en garde'?"

"Whatever," Callie said, rolling her eyes. But she was ready for the first attack, their blades flashing through the air, the clang of metal on metal seeming continuous. He attacked furiously, sending her skipping nimbly backwards, only to push one of the training dummies into his path.

He leapt around it, a smile coming to his lips. He had never trained with Callie when it came to the swords. She was graceful and swift, her grip on the blade, firm and true. His blows were met and returned with a finesse that was impressive to say the least.

"Very nice," he said, allowing his surprise and delight to color his tone.

"Thank you, my father is a master with the blade and I learned from him." She met his blade again, their hands meeting as each tried to get the upper hand before finally, he pushed her back. She stayed on her feet, glancing at the wall behind her and grabbing a dagger in her left hand.

"Unfair advantage," Shadow commented. He stepped back and into the wall, the sword in his hand affected by his own accelerated molecular rate and changing with him.

"You wanna talk about an unfair advantage," Callie called, her eyes carefully scanning the wall. "You're cheating, Shadow."

He reached over her shoulder and took the blade out of her hand, surprising her enough that she actually let him take it.

"Foul!" she cried, spinning around.

"No rules were made, Callie." He ducked backward as she narrowed her eyes, aware she still held the dagger. "You made no mention of anything but the stakes for the winner. Are you ready to admit defeat?"

"You don't know me very well," she growled. She stepped back, dropping the dagger to the floor. Before he could say a word, she pulled her top over her head, dropping it on top of the dagger. Her shorts were next, landing on top of the shoes she pushed off. In two steps she changed to the wolf, leaping at him and knocking him to the ground.

The blades were knocked out of his loose grip and he fell back, landing with an oof on his back on the mat. Callie was on him in seconds, her teeth touching the sides of his throat without actually breaking the skin. Her eyes were full of triumph, staring at him as if daring him to move.

Shadow smiled.

Without breaking a sweat, he relaxed against the mat, his hands on her furry front legs. Before she could move, he'd sunk back and into the mat, drawing her there with him. She lifted her nose as she felt the strange sensation of her legs sinking into the mat.

He left her there, emerging from just in front of her. "Now," he grinned, "I know you can't talk, but I'll accept the fact that you are stuck there until I release you as proof that I've won the wager."

Callie growled, deep and low in her throat. She snapped her jaws shut, her silver eyes glaring at the pulse in his throat.

"Un uh," he smiled. "No biting. Now, admit defeat so we can get to bed." Shadow realized what he'd said and cursed lightly under his breath. "I mean alone, Callie. Admit defeat so we can go to our separate homes."

She stubbornly kept her mouth shut, glaring at him before turning her big head to the side, and not looking at him.

"I never thought you'd welsh on a bet."

The disappointment in his voice got to her and with a growl, she turned back toward him and nodded her head. Her eyes were hard as he pulled her free of the mat and she trotted to where she'd left her clothing, turning to stare at him.

Shadow had seen her change before, but he'd never seen her turn back. She stood before him, conquering the wolf once more and letting the human side of her emerge.

It happened slowly and he was spell bound by each little difference, how the fur seemed to recede into her skin, leaving it smooth and bare. He watched the hair on her head grow long and thick, her ears changing from points to curved whorls. He almost groaned as she stood before him, proudly naked, curved and sleek with a well trimmed patch of curls upon her sex, her breasts full and lush, the nipples pointed and hard.

"I won't welsh, Shadow. This is what you'd have had if you'd lost. What do you want of me?" Her voice was husky as she stood still under his gaze.

Shadow felt as if someone else were controlling his body. He took the three steps that separated them, unable to do anything else. His hand shook as he reached for her, sliding over her waist and to her back. "You're so beautiful."

His other hand came up, pushing a thick lock of her hair back from her face. "You did this on purpose, Callie. You knew I'd never be able to resist."

"I-I'd only hoped," she stammered. "Shadow..."

"Brian," he said, interrupting her.

"W-what?"

"My name. It's Brian," he repeated. "Brian Matthew Harris."

"Brian," Callie said softly, tasting his name on her lips as her hands slid up his chest. "Will you kiss me, Brian? Please?"

"I don't know if I'll be able to stop if I do, Callie." His voice was husky, his hands moving over the smoothness of her flesh as if he couldn't be still. This was the side of him he'd always wanted to show to her, the side he'd hidden since the first day she'd stepped into his office as his newest recruit.

"I don't want you to stop." She stepped closer, until he could feel her heat, the softness of her skin against his bare chest.

A low moan was ripped from him as she reached his neck with her hands, one sliding over and playing in the soft edges of his dark hair. Her nipples brushed against his chest and a shiver slipped through her, one that he knew wasn't from the cold. Her skin was hot against his chest and under the palms of his hands as he pulled her even closer. "Say my name again," he almost begged.

"Brian," she moaned, coming up on her tip toes. "Kiss me."

With a moan of his own, he did. His lips were soft, brushing against hers lightly as if afraid to take it deeper. He was, he was terrified of the hold she had on him and what she could do with it if she ever found out. He'd fought and worked to keep her away, to hold her at arm's length because of what he was and who she was. In a single moment of madness, he'd been unable to resist.

His hands cupped her ass, dragging her even closer as his tongue pushed past her lips and found the heat and taste of her mouth. She was sweet, the taste of coffee mixing with the essence of her passion, overwhelming him. Moaning, he changed the direction of the kiss, unable to stop himself, wanting more with every touch and promising himself he'd stop after just one more.

Callie rocked against him, unconsciously rubbing against the thick ridge of flesh hidden by his pants. His hand slid down her thigh, lifting her until she wrapped her leg around his hips. He groaned against her lips, feeling her heat and the wetness of her sex. Tearing his mouth away, he tried to drag air into his straining lungs.

"I've got to have you," he managed to say. "Now, Callie. God..."