The boys that were playing catch kept it to themselves for the rest of the time we were eating. They were probably still scared of Lisa and Rafe. Neither one was very friendly when the guy came over to get their football.

Aiden thinks they threw it over here on purpose as an excuse to come talk to us, but I think he's crazy. Nobody actually does that in real life. If he really wanted to come over here and talk to us, he could have just walked over.

"Why don't we pack up the food and head down to the water to swim?" Taylor asked of us.

Everyone except Lisa nodded in agreement with her. "Are you crazy?" I asked Taylor. "I've been in that water once today and that was more than enough for me. It's still freezing!"

Taylor rolled her eyes, brushing herself off and standing up. "Well, I want to go. It's sweltering out here and I think the water will feel good after sitting in the sun for this long."

I shook my head, tangling my fingers in Rafe's fur as he slept peacefully against my legs. "I'm not getting in, but you knock yourself out," I encouraged, thinking that she was definitely insane.

"I'm going to," she replied, sticking her tongue out at me. "Anyone else want to join me?" she asked, looking at the rest of our friends.

Lisa and Kayla both stood to join her and I shook my heads at them. "You're going to freeze your tails off," I told them.

Lisa laughed and tossed her tank top at me as she stripped out of it. "Hold my clothes," she told me with a wink before taking off down to the water with Taylor and Kayla on her heels, all three of them giggling like idiots.

"They're going to change their tunes real quick," I muttered to Aiden, making him laugh.

"Maybe you're just a wimp," he responded, grabbing Lisa's tank top from me and using it and her shorts to make a pillow for himself as he laid back across the blankets now that there was more room.

"Yeah, that's why you're not in the water, right?" I retorted.

He only grinned, pretty much admitting that I had a point.

Rafe jerked awake when the girls squealed from the cold of the water. Glancing over at them he huffed and relaxed against me again, probably thinking they were just as insane as I thought they were.

"They're crazy, aren't they, boy?" I asked as I gently rubbed his back, smoothing and combing his fur with my fingers.

He didn't respond in any way except to scoot a little closer to me as I continued his massage. "You spoil him rotten, you know that, right?" Aiden asked, watching me and Rafe.

I grinned and nodded. "I know." It was true. Rafe was spoiled rotten. I didn't know any other dogs that were fed hamburger and beans because they wouldn't eat their dog food. I didn't know any other dogs that went everywhere with their owners. And I didn't know any other dogs that got as many table scraps and attention as Rafe either. "He's my boy," I justified.

"Can't dispute that," Aiden muttered. "The dog never leaves your side. Have you ever seen him when you go to the bathroom?"

I rolled my eyes. "Of course I haven't," I replied. "I'm in the bathroom." I did know that Rafe would follow me all the way there and wait just outside the door for me though.

"It's insane, the way that dogs protects you," Aiden told me. "He literally stares at the door if you go into any room without him and if he thinks there's even a chance that you'll let him in, he scratches at the door."

I knew that everything he was saying was true. Rafe did do all of those things. He was certainly a special dog. I had never felt safer than I did with him. Smiling, I looked over at Aiden. "We all know he's an incredibly special dog," I agreed. "I still don't understand how he ended up in the pound. Who would just lose him and not do everything possible to get him back?" I wondered.

Aiden shrugged. "You do think that his aversion to guys stems from his last owners. Maybe they weren't the nicest people."

I laid back next to him, not replying. He knew that I understood. He was probably right. I reached over to grab Taylor's cover up and my towel, propping my head up with them like Aiden had done with Lisa's clothes.

Closing my eyes, I decided it was time to soak up some sun and work on my tan. Rafe moved around and settled right up against my side, making me reopen my eyes. "Rafe, you're going to screw up my tan," I told him, pushing him gently away. He gave me a disgruntled look but stayed where I had pushed him.

It wasn't long before the girls were back, all shivering and sporting blue lips as they moved some blankets and towels around until they could lay beside us and dry in the sun. "How was the water?" I asked them without bothering to open my eyes.

"It was freezing," Taylor replied with a shiver.

"But still fun," Kayla added.

"Agreed," Lisa added as I felt them settle down.

I turned my head to the side and opened my eyes, finding them laying in a row beside me, water droplets still clinging to their skin, raised with goose bumps. I smiled and closed my eyes again.

Pressure in my bladder caused me to sit up a couple minutes later. "I'm going to run to the pavilion for a minute, guys," I told them. "Anyone else need to use the bathroom?"

They all shook their heads, giving negative replies, so I stood to go alone. Rafe fell easily into step beside me. He couldn't come into the pavilion with me because it was no pets allowed, but I knew there was no chance of him staying back with the others.

The pavilion was an octagonal building containing bathrooms and a few offices for the lifeguards and whoever it is that runs the public beach. There's a lounge inside as well, right when you walk in the door.

I left Rafe sitting outside the front door and made my way into the building. There was no one inside except one guy sitting on a love seat in the lounge as I walked by. He looked to be only a couple years older than me and was doing something on his phone when I walked in. He looked up when he heard me enter, his green eyes piercing and I was distracted by the jagged scar running down the left side of his face from the corner of his eye to his chin.

I nodded politely in greeting and continued down the hallway towards the bathrooms just a little farther down. I hurried through my business knowing that the longer I took, the more antsy Rafe would get. I washed my hands, rubbing them dry quickly with paper towel before tossing it into the waste bin and heading back out the door and towards the pavilion exit.

The man from the lounge was leaning back against the wall just outside it, smiling when he caught sight of me. "Well, hell-lo pretty lady," he leered, his smile becoming more of a leer.

"Hi," I replied shortly, trying to make my way by him to the doors that were only a few more feet ahead of me.

He held out an arm to stop me and I halted quickly, taking a step back so that I was out of his immediate arm range. "What's your name, beautiful?" he asked in a low voice.

I tensed, getting ready to defend myself. The signs weren't looking good for an easy get away from this creep. "Sorry, I don't just introduce myself to complete strangers," I replied, my voice cold and unwelcoming, hoping he'd get the hint.

He didn't. "My name is Bane Drabek," he told me. "There now, we're not strangers. What's a pretty girl like yourself doing here all alone?" he asked, taking another step closer to me.

"I'm not alone," I replied frostily. You never, ever confirm to a stranger that you're alone, even if you are.

He gave me a malicious grin after making a show of looking around the empty hallway. "It sure looks like you're alone, sweet thing," he told me. He moved quickly, shoving me against the wall, his hand jolting forward to grope my boob.

Instant anger and indignation flooded me as I lifted my knee hard and got him right in the testicles. He bent over, wheezing in pain, and I laced my hands behind his neck, bringing his nose down on my knee that was rising once more. A satisfying crack let me know I broke it as I shoved him to the side and ran for the door.

He recovered quicker than I was expecting and a hand on my arm jerked me to a halt before his other slammed between my shoulder blades, knocking me into the lounge. I tripped over a stand as I tried to regain my balance and fell onto a plush couch.

In only seconds, he was on top of me, running his hands greedily along my body. "Rafe!" I yelled as I lifted a hand to punch him in the face.

He caught my fist in his hand, twisting my wrist and moving his other hand back to slap me across the face.

Before his hand could make contact, his weight disappeared. My wonderful wolf dog had come to the rescue, knocking him off me with the most vicious growl I had ever heard leave his mouth. Bane was flat on his back with Rafe on top of him, snarling angrily into his face.

Suddenly, the sound of snapping bones filled the room and Bane Drabek was replaced by a midnight black wolf with eyes to match. I gasped, sure that I had to be imagining things. It was impossible. Men could not turn into wolves. That only happened in Hollywood.

I sat up, pushing myself as far back against the cushions of the couch as I could as Rafe rolled across the floor with the wolf that may or may not be Bane, and fighting with everything he had. They were both snapping, clawing, biting and rolling. They were moving so fast that I had a hard time keeping track of who was winning.

I gasped as Rafe suddenly went flying across the room, slamming into the wall and landing on the black couch next to me. He didn't waste any time, immediately leaping from the couch and back on top of Bane, or not Bane?, and knocking him to the floor, causing another rolling flurry of activity.

With a twist, Rafe somehow managed to stop their rolling with him on top, his teeth immediately latching onto the wolf's, Bane's?, neck. The wolf whimpered and Rafe slowly backed off as I cowered into the couch. He came over, standing protectively in front of me as the wolf took in the scene. With a gleam in his dark eyes, the wolf took off out of the room and down the hallway, most likely leaving from the back door.

Relief filled me and I started sobbing, my hands immediately reaching for Rafe, hugging him around the neck and sobbing into his fur. I'd just been accosted and felt up by an aggressive stranger, that may or may not have turned into a wolf. I felt dirty and feared that I might be losing my mind and having delusions. He nuzzled me gently before pulling away. I stared at him in confusion, wondering why he was backing away.

He only moved a couple feet back and then I heard the same popping noise I heard when Bane became the wolf. Where my wonderful, amazing and protective dog was just standing, a very naked man now stood. He was over six feet tall, probably six three or four. His black hair was spiked messily on the top of his head and his tan skin gleamed over tight and toned muscles. A small scar sat just above his upper lip and his hands were clenched as he looked down at me with a worried expression.

With a loud shriek, I covered my eyes with my hands, pressing myself farther back against the cushions. My dog had just turned into one sexy naked man. "This can't be happening, this can't be happening," I chanted to myself. But, could you really argue that when you'd seen it happen, not once, but twice if you counted Bane?

I heard some shuffling and then a deep, very attractive voice that sent shivers down my spine said, "Cecilia, please just calm down. Everything is going to be okay, I promise. Can you open your eyes for me?"

I shook my head quickly and emphatically. I was not opening my eyes. The man was too attractive for his own good, not to mention completely naked, nude, without a scrap of clothing. And that was not good. I was not allowed to be attracted to a-a-whatever he was. He was my dog thirty seconds ago, for God's sake.

He put his hands over mine and I felt tingles and gentle, pleasurable shocks that caused me to gasp. What was that sensation? He took advantage of my distraction and pulled my hands away from my face. Not to be deterred, I squeezed my eyes shut before I could get another glimpse of that body of his.

"Celia, please look at me," he begged.

"I'm not opening my eyes until you cover yourself!" I yelled, my voice unnecessarily loud as I tried not to give in to his voice. Something about his voice made me want to do as he asked, especially with the obvious pleading.

He sighed in exasperation and I was almost positive that he was rolling his eyes as I heard him shuffle away from me. A door handle clicked as it turned and he was back a moment later. "Okay, I'm covered. Will you please open your eyes now?"

I slowly opened my eyes and saw that he had found a pair of blue swimming shorts to put on, his tanned muscular upper body still on display. His eyes were staring at me in concern and he asked, "Are you okay?"

It took a moment to process that he had actually asked me that question. "Okay?" I asked. "Am I okay? I was just attacked by a creepy dude that then proceeded to turn into a scary as hell black wolf and then my dog, my dog, turned into a very sexy guy without a stitch of clothing! None of this is supposed to be possible, I feel like I'm going crazy and to answer your very stupid question, no I am not okay!" I practically screamed at him, feeling close to hysterics.

I felt his hand on my shoulder and as much as I should have wanted to shrug it off, it felt good and calmed me down a little. Whether he was my dog or a human being, I still felt unnaturally safe in his presence. He managed to stop my hyperventilating at least. "I know that this is all a lot to take in, Ceci," he told me in a gentle voice. "What I really wanted to know was if that guy hurt you."

Slowly, I shook my head in answer. "No, he didn't get the chance."

The tension that drained from him at my answer was visible, though he still carried some in his shoulders and the tight skin around his eyes. "Good. I promise you that I will explain everything, I'm just not really sure where to start."

I could tell that he was a little nervous and some part of me wanted to comfort him. I knew it was crazy, but I didn't like him being nervous. I also desperately wanted to know what was going on. Giving him a small smile for encouragement, I suggested, "How about the beginning?"