Chapter 91

With each full moon that passed, Eve felt increasingly more grounded and in control of her wolf transformation under Marco's steady guidance. What had once filled her with stark terror was becoming...if not comfortable, then at least manageable.

At the same time, the ever-deepening bond between mentor and protégé began taking on new shades and nuances that neither could quite define. Marco found his eyes lingering perhaps a beat too long whenever Eve shot him one of her hard-won, radiant smiles. Eve's heartbeat would stubbornly pick up whenever Marco's calms reassurances washed over her in his rich timbre.

It came to a head one balmy summer afternoon as they were enjoying a picnic lunch in their usual wildflower meadow retreat. Marco had just finished regaling Eve with one of his trademark didactic tales about maintaining restraint and calm within the wolf's mindset.

"...and that's how I learned that losing my sense of smell is act