“What do you think is going to happen? With Rick and his dad?” I asked, trying to change the subject.
“My hope?” Nate raised an eyebrow. “They both end up in jail.”
A weird question bubbled up in my mind. I frowned, wondering what the answer was, then went ahead and asked.
“Shifters can go to prison? Like, a normal human jail?”
Nate shrugged. “Sometimes. Yeah.”
“Wouldn’t they shift to try and escape or show the world what they are? That would be a surefire way to ruin the secret, right?”
“They wouldn’t dare. Shifters are in all levels. Whatever prison they were in, there’d be a good chance that at least a couple guards were shifters. Not to sound brutal, but if one of them tried some shit like that, they’d end up dead.”
“Oh my God,” I gasped, putting a hand to my mouth.
“It is what it is. Like I told you before, the need for secrecy in our kind is bone-deep.Soul-deep. For any shifters who are too crazy to know better, like ferals or people who are simply psychotic, they’d be dealt with before they even made it to prison. It’s a fairly brutal way to deal with it, but it’s better than the alternative.”
“Wow. Okay, then.” I glanced down. His hand was still on mine. After everything we’d been through together, why not layit all out? Maybe not as bluntly as I wanted to, but I could at least get a glimpse of where his head was at.
“What do you want out of life, Nate?”
His head snapped up, his eyes locking on mine. “What do you mean?”
“For, like,life?” I nudged him with my elbow and grinned. “Or do you want to be riding down a highway on a motorcycle when you’re eighty and tip over from a coronary one day?”
The look on his face told me he’d never been asked that question. Not only that, but he’d apparently never even thought about it himself. He looked perplexed. Befuddled to an extent that almost made me laugh.
“Uh…” He rubbed his head. “I guess that’s a good question. I’ve never really made plans, per se.”
“You live life one mile at a time,” I said with an even bigger grin. “A bad boy who leaves a string of broken hearts from horizon to horizon. My God,” I gasped dramatically, putting a hand to my chest. “Nate, are you a walking cliché?”
“Don’t be an asshole,” he said, rolling his eyes and chuckling before shoving me playfully. “I guess I’d like to settle down one day.” His gaze slid from my eyes down to where his fingers touched mine before he looked at me again. “If the right person came around, anyway. Someone who could accept me for who I am.”
The morning suddenly feltmuchwarmer than it had a few moments ago. Swallowing hard, I went to stand.
“Well, I guess we should get going,” I said, getting to my feet. “I think you’ll get there. That happy ending. If you want it, that is.”
I wasn’t even sure what I meant by that, but it came tumbling from my mouth before I could stop myself. Part of me was abashed at my boldness, but my inner wolf gave an encouraging snarl, happy at what I’d said.
Nate smirked at me. “Yeah. Sure. Maybe.”
Cheeks red, I brushed my pants off and folded the towels, tucking them under my hand. Nate walked over to a nearby trashcan and deposited our trash and empty bottles.
“Back to the car?” Nate asked.
Reaching out and taking his hand, I nodded. “Let’s do it.”
As we strolled back in a comfortable silence, I realized we’d been right at the edge a moment before. Both of us, our toes on the precipice, ready to make some life-altering leap, but neither of us quite ready to move those last few inches.
Hand in hand, we walked slower than either of us normally would. Walking with him was soothing. It never felt forced or uncomfortable. I realized it was the way I’d always thought I’d act when I was falling in love with someone.
That thought sent a storm of butterflies through my stomach.WasI falling for Nate?
Glancing over at him, I eyed the sharp angle of his jaw, the stubble along his cheeks. He turned to look at me and grinned that cocky smile of his. When he winked, my knees nearly went out from under me, and it was all I could do to smile back and keep walking.
Yeah. I was falling for him. But was it the same for him?
When we reached the car, we drove to the nearest gas station to fill up. As leisurely as our walk had been, we were almost frantic to get out of the city. We had a long trip ahead of us and wanted to get back to JC’s protection as soon as we could. What had happened the night before still weighed heavily on both of us. The sooner we made it back home, the better we’d both feel.
