Page 118 of Fire Dancer

Below us, the scattered lights of the ranch formed the background of her little solo. I grinned, letting her enjoy her Mohammed Ali moment without commenting that her wagging tail and floppy ears diminished the comparison ever so slightly.

Oh, Great One,I barked.May I join you on your throne?

I’ll think about it.She turned her nose up in a pose hauntingly similar to her mother’s.

Then she grimaced, catching my impression.Oh God, no. I swear, I was just kidding!

I grinned. Ha. Now I knew the ultimate weapon to use against Pippa: any comparison to her mother.

Her teeth showed in a snarl.Don’t you dare.

I echoed back her own words.Just kidding.

A shadow blotted out the moonlight momentarily. We looked up, spotting a pair of dragons soaring through the inky sky. Apparently, we weren’t the only two lovebirds out enjoying the night. Erin and Nash were too. They glided soundlessly over the landscape, banked into graceful turns, and disappeared into the darkness.

I couldn’t help glancing at Pippa out of the corner of my eye.

You wouldn’t rather be a dragon like Erin?I ventured. After all, Pippa was half dragon — and she loved fire.

Nah. The sky would be lonely without you.She circled me, rubbing her body along mine the entire way.Got all I need down here.

She butted my head gently, demanding space to nuzzle my neck and shoulders.

I grinned. As if she hadn’t thoroughly marked me from day one.

Gotta keep the competition away,she murmured, still nuzzling.Let all those women in town know you’re mine.

I nuzzled her just as fiercely.Ditto for all the men when it comes to you.

My wolf snarled, picturing it. We’d gone to Buffalo Bill’s the previous Wednesday and danced to every tune in their oldies lineup — and I swear, every man had his eyes glued to Pippa’s perfect ass the whole time. Well, they did until my glare had them studying the labels of their beers like there would be a quiz on breweries of the Southwest soon. One or two of the boldest might have peeked again by the time the last notes of “Islands in the Stream” faded, but they’d gotten the message. Pippa was mine — forever.

My neck tingled at the spot where she’d marked me with her own mating bite.

Finally, I feel complete,she’d murmured afterward, and I could only echo the sentiment.

Mine,my wolf hummed happily.

I’d never heard of any “convert” — as wolves jokingly called humans turned shifter — mastering the fine art of wolfery as quickly as Pippa had. Maybe being half dragon helped?

No. That’s just Pippa being Pippa,my wolf hummed proudly.

True. Whatever Pippa did, she did with the joyous enthusiasm — and élan — of a golden retriever chasing a tennis ball. She’d been all in from day one.

I’m so happy, I could howl,she said, then grinned.Wait. I’m a wolf now. Icanhowl.

She lifted her muzzle and let her soft, smooth soprano drift over the landscape.

Arrrooooo…

I tilted my head back, harmonizing with her. Our voices mingled and carried over the vast, undulating landscape.

I can’t believe humans say this sounds sad,Pippa muttered in the breath between two long, soulful howls.

Well, humans just didn’t have an ear for wolf tunes. And some howls really were mournful, like mine, back when Pippa and I had lived apart.

Never again,my wolf declared, releasing a joyous howl to prove it.

I can’t wait to show Dad everything I can do now,Pippa said after we wound down our duet.