And why was I watching all of this in slow-motion, like it was happening to someone else? Like I was powerless to stop it. Like I didn’twantto.
I let out a small exhale.
Was he having a dream? His fingertips reached the waistband of my underwear, and then they… stopped.Froze.I could instantly hear his breathing change behind me.
“Fuck.” His voice was thick—deep—but hoarse, like it hadn’t been used in a while. I supposed it hadn’t. It had been almost two weeks since the night of the full moon. The man sat up, looming over me. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…” He cleared his throat.
“You’re—” I blinked at him, my brain finally accepting what I’d been struggling with the last few minutes.
He wasn’t just a wolf at all. All the confirmation I needed was staring right back at me in those amber eyes. Thosehumaneyes. Somehow, I’d felt it all along.
“You’re the wolf?” I stuttered out.
I felt my eyes practically bug out as I took him in. His immense size…everywhere.His gaze followed mine, looking down.
“Godsdamn.” He grabbed a pillow, covering his well-endowed erection, like he’d only just realized he was completely naked. “I know this may be hard to believe.” His chest was muscular, covered in a thin layer of red hair, and he had freckleseverywhere.
“You think?” My jaw dropped. “I-I’ve been nursing you back to health. You were a human the whole time? How is this possible?”
He swallowed roughly. “I’m not a human—not really.” He tilted his head to the side, and I could almost picture his wolf form doing it the same way, those ears perked up on the top of his head. His nostrils flared. “But you’re not either. You’re awitch.”
“You don’t have to say it like it’s a bad thing,” I said, wrapping my arms around myself, hoping to hide my body’s reaction to his naked one. I wasn’t wearing a bra, and my nippleswere hard, poking through my thin shirt. “If you’re not a human, and you’re not a wolf, what are you?” My eyes widened. “You’re not a demon, are you?”
“Did I say Iwasn’ta wolf?” The man raised one auburn eyebrow. “I’m not ademon, no. Though I’d love to find out how one of those made your acquaintance.” He let out a bark of a laugh, like that idea was preposterous. “I’m a shifter.” He looked at me expectantly, but I just blinked. “A wolf shifter. You… don’t know about us, do you?”
I shook my head. “I’ve never heard of anyone with that ability. Though, to be fair, until last year, I didn’t know demons existed, either.” I frowned, a thought popping into my head. “It’s like the town founders chose to ward us off from the outside world instead of telling us what, exactly, was out there.”
He winced. “Well, guess that’s why getting through the wards hurt like a bitch.” His hand reached up, massaging his neck. I wasn’t really sure what he was talking about—the wards were supposed to keep us safe and keep humans out, so why would theyhurt?
“What attacked you?” I asked, reaching out running my fingers down the scars on his bare chest absentmindedly. I couldn’t help it. His abs were rock-hard, and even though there were still some cuts and bruises, he looked like he’d never been hurt at all.
Realizing what I was doing, I pulled my hand back, clutching it against my chest.
“Honestly, I don’t know.” The man sighed. “That night… My memories are hazy at best. All I can remember is flashes of black, and teeth, and then dragging myself towards this sweet scent.”
“Oh.” The bakery, I supposed.
I had no idea why I wasn’t freaking out right now. Why I felt comfortable around him. It must have been because of all of thetime I’d spent with him in wolf form—at least, that was what I was going with.
He reached up, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “You are so…”
My cheeks were even redder now, and I scrambled to find something else to say. “I-I’m Eryne, by the way.”
“Eryne.” He said my name like he was tasting it on his tongue, and I decided I loved the way it sounded in his deep voice. “I’m Barrett. It’s nice to finally meet you. Officially, I suppose.” He chuckled.
Barrett.After so long of just calling him the wolf, I finally had a name. And gods, he was beautiful. It was hard not to ogle his naked chest. All of him, really.
“Should we maybe…” I looked away. “Finish the rest of this conversation when you’re not naked?”
“Oh.” Barrett looked down at the pillow he was clutching over his waist. “Well, I uh… I actually don’t have any clothes?”
I stared at him. “What do you mean?” I mean, logically, I should have assumed that, but I was still a little dumfounded.
“Kind of the thing about being a shifter. You lose your clothes when you change forms.” He tilted his head. “Everything I have is back at the motel I was staying at. I’ll need to get back there to get my stuff.” He ran a hand through his auburn hair.
It was the same color as his fur.
“Huh.” I mused out loud, staring at him. He was handsome, with a sculpted jaw and freckles that dotted his face, shoulders and collarbones. Though handsome didn’t begin to describe Barrett. He was simply…gorgeous.
