Page 72 of Saving Stella
His animal hesitated, but then relinquished control over to him. Once fully human again, Cliff cradled the wolf’s head in his lap. It let out a pained cry, but its eyes remained close.
“It’s all right,” he soothed. “You’re fine now. But please, let me have her back.” He stroked the soft fur along its uninjured shoulder. “I can take care of her.” He made that vow not just to her wolf, but to himself—from now on, he would take care of Stella. He would ensure her happiness and protect her from anyone that dared harm her.
Slowly, the wolf’s body began to shrink and fur receded back into skin. Relief broke through him, and he cradled Stella’s naked, limp body against his chest. His throat thick with emotion, he called her name like a prayer. “Stella … sweetheart …”
She let out a moan. “I …”
“Keep still, sweetheart. Or you’ll make the wound worse before it can heal.”
“I …” She choked and sputtered. “It’s not … it’s …”
“What?”
Her eyes flew open, and she sucked in a deep breath.
“Sweetheart?”
Her gaze darted around before she sat up.
“Stella, don’t move.” Reaching out, he gently pushed her back down. “Stay?—”
“No!” With surprising speed, she scrambled away from him, spun around, and got to her feet.
“Stella? Where?—?”
Without a glance back, she dashed over to the other wolf, not even aware or caring that she was stark naked. Sliding down to her knees, she wrapped her arms around the wolf and buried her face in its fur.
Cliff could only watch, dumbfounded.
What the fuck was going on?
Chapter 13
Stella sighed with relief as she breathed in the familiar scent of the other wolf.
Lavender. Sage. And just a hint of spicy peppercorn.
“Please be okay,” she murmured. “I don’t know why you wanted to hurt me, but I don’t want to hurt you. Not anymore.”
The wolf shrank underneath her, its limbs receding back into human size. She cradled the slight figure against her and then brushed off the long blonde hair covering its face, revealing familiar features.
Her own—staring back at her.
It was her.
Her twin sister.
“What the fuck?” Blue eyes blinked back at her. “Who—oh shit.”
“Oh shit, is right.”
This woman tied her up and kidnapped her, but Stella couldn’t bring herself to be angry. Not when her heart was bursting with happiness. “It’s you,” she cried.
She moved out of Stella’s arms and rubbed at her head. “Yeah, it’s me.” She flashed her a sheepish look. “So, uh, sorry about swiping at you and knocking you out like that. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“I know.”
Her twin’s face blanked. “How?”