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Comfortable accommodation in a restored country manor house and surrounding cottages. Every luxury is assured and the management is committed to meeting the guests' every need -- no matter what it takes. Spring comes to L'Auberge Pipistrelli and so does Elaine Vargas looking for a fellow wolf shifter. She finds Luc Mannaro and their lives will never be the same.
A howl of pain stopped her in her tracks. Heart thumping she listened, ears pricked. Another howl. Closer now. Spinning so fast she scattered leaves and dirt, Elaine raced. An unknown wolf hurt? She'd worry about that when she arrived. Minutes later, she burst through the trees and across and narrow path. Three meters away lay a dark, gray wolf. He turned his head at her and snarled. She snarled back and approached slowly. Was he hurt? She hadn't heard a shot. Anyway, wolves were protected in France. She moved closer, cautiously. Ready to flee if he attacked but snarls and whines seemed the limit of his efforts. She now say why: His foreleg was caught in a trap. Large traps were surely illegal but that hadn't stopped somebody. She crept forward, head and shoulders low in submission, anxious not to appear a threat. As she reached him she lay down and their eyes met eyes. This was no wild wolf. He set his ears back, rested his head on his free paw and whined, keeping his eyes on hers. This was a sentient creature and by the scent of him, Luc. She licked his good leg then gently putt her head near his trapped leg. He was caught just above the paw, firmly trapped between to rows of gleaming metal teeth. She added her whine to his. Even if she hadn't been so certain this was Luc, she'd have helped but how? Her only chance was to change and use her hands but... A snarl broke through the trees woods. She turned as a great, black wolf hurtled toward her, knocking her onto her back. He was astride her and snarling as he bit her ear. Fine thanks for thinking of helping! She whined. It went right against the grain to lie there in a position of submission and she wanted him off her. If she'd had any lingering doubts about the identity of the trapped wolf, they were now resolved. The one pinning her to the ground was definitely not Luc. Another nip on her ear. Bastard. He backed off snarling at her, putting himself between her and Luc. All very nice and noble to protect his brother but why the hell didn't he get him out? She approached, intending to nudge Marcel into action and got bitten on her foreleg for her efforts. Damn him! Seemed she wasn't allowed to help Luc, but Marcel wasn't about to either. Maybe he couldn't. When she ran with Lucia, she'd never changed back until near dawn. Were they unable to shift at will? Screw them then. She could. She retreated a few paces which appeared to please Marcel. but Luc let out a low whine. Never mind. She'd soon have opposable thumbs. She backed up a bit more, half into the trees and set her shift in motion. Joints popping made her groan, she ignored the pain and pushed her body to resume human shape. And got quite a reaction. Luc sat up and watched, letting out a low greeting. Marcel turned and stared, tongue lolling out and watching her every step. Let him enjoy the view. Now wasn't the time to indulge in maidenly modesty. She had their rapt attention and, as she came toward them, Marcel stepped back. No doubt to get a better view of her arse. Never mind, her concern was Luc. "I need to look at your leg," she said, having no idea how much these two comprehended human speech. No one snarled, nipped or bit so she reached out. She was now hampered by human sight but even in the dark between the trees, she saw blood and torn skin. Had the trap penetrated his bone? Would that affect shifting? Not her worry. Getting Luc free and herself home were her priorities. "I need to get a stick or branch," she said, standing up and stepping back a couple of paces and taking it on faith that Marcel wouldn't leap as he turned. Walking barefoot through undergrowth was no joke but she needed a stout stick or branch. She found a couple, after scratching her legs and tearing up her feet but they'd heal. Back at Luc's side, she stoked his head. "I'm going to pry the trap open. Wish I wish I had stout boots to stamp on it but a branch should do it." It didn't. The first one broke and the second opened the jaws just enough to spring back, snapping the branch and biting into his leg a second time. Marcel snarled at her. Luc snarled at him. "Shut up both of you!" It was insane to yell at two wolves, either of them quite capable to ripping her human form to shreds but, damn! There was only one option, short of hoofing it back to her car. "I'll have to try stamping on it, if I can't work it loose." Seemed they got that, Marcel moved back a little, as she got on on her knees and scraped around to see how the trap was anchored. Nails torn, she dug on and found the trap anchored to a slab of concrete. Sheesh! No hope of moving that. But, at the base of the jaws, she had found a pair of levers, one on each side. "I think this is it," she said, hoping it would work. Luc looked as if he'd passed out. She pressed with all her strength. The jaws opened and she held them apart, arm muscles straining. Luc didn't move but no way was she letting the trap snap back again. "Help him!" she yelled at Marcel. Some help! He bit his brother but it worked. Luc stirred and pulled his leg out. Shoulders and arms sore from the effort, Elaine sat back and let the trap close on air. At least it wouldn't snare any other animal tonight. She was sitting on her butt, in the dirt. She was going to have to shift back and all she felt like doing was lying down on the ground and falling asleep. Luc limped over to her and licked her face. She reached up and put her arms around his neck. "I'm so glad I got you out of that." Tears pricked her eyes but she couldn't waste energy of crying. Somehow or other she had to summon the strength to shift again. No way was she walking back through the woods on bare, human feet.
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