“Do I need to get you home at any particular time?” I asked as I reached out and took his hand. My breath caught for a moment as his gloved fingers stiffened, but then he slowly squeezed my hand. I let out a long, relaxing exhale and melted into the feeling of his hand in mine.
“No, I have tomorrow off, so I'm all yours tonight.” His voice caught at the end. I glanced over at him and found his eyes looking out at the dark water. I followed his gaze as we walked down the beach. The sound of the waves lapping softly against the sand calmed me down a little, but I still had to have a conversation with him about shifters, and to be truthful, it wasn’t something I was looking forward to.
We walked in silence under the star spotted sky, and a warm thrill moved through me every time Shawn's fingers squeezed mine. We stopped for a moment and looked out at the water. He pulled his hand from mine, but then wrapped his arm around my waist. I only realized how tense I'd been when I felt the stress dissolve from my muscles under his touch. I let out a sigh and draped an arm across his shoulders, gently pulling him to me so he could lean on me.
When Shawn shifted a little bit, I looked down at him.
“Can I walk you home?” I asked.
“Please,” he said, his voice sounding smooth and confident.
We wandered down the rest of the beach, hand in hand, and then turned into town when we reached the aquarium. With my hand in his, everything in Timberwood Cove seemed more romantic. Nearly every building sparkled with Christmas lights, while patches of ice on the sidewalk shimmered like diamonds. I stole glances at the side of Shawn's face and often caught him looking at me. It was so hard not to lean into him and steal a kiss too.
When we eventually turned down Pack Lane, my heart started beating even harder. We were almost at Shawn's house and I was almost out of time to start the conversation about shifters. I searched for the right words, but my mind grew more blank with every step we took up the path to his front door.
He cleared his throat as we reached the threshold, while I felt the lump in my throat growing bigger. I dragged my eyes up to meet his. I didn't want this to end. I didn't want him to stop looking at me like that, and he might once he found out what I was.
“So,” Shawn said.
“So.” Maybe I could ask him for another date, tell him then… I was about to ask him when he pressed his lips against mine. They were so warm and soft, and held a small amount of desperation I could relate to. I kissed him back, pulling him against my body, not wanting to let him go.
“Would you like to come inside?” he asked when he drew away. He ran his hand down my chest, and I automatically nodded. Shawn beamed at me, quickly unlocking the door. I saw LuLu's paws before anything else, reaching up to Shawn's legs as she jumped in excitement to see him.
“Hello, hello, my darling,” he said as he gently pushed her back.
“Hi LuLu,” I said, making my way inside behind them.
“Bed, LuLu!” Shawn closed the door as he gave the order. LuLu glanced excitedly from him to me and then back to him again, then she darted inside to the open living area and jumped into a large dog bed.
“Where were we?” Shawn asked, turning back to me and dragging his gaze over my body. My heart surged as he wet his lips and stepped closer.
“We were…” My wolf scrambled inside me with desire, urging me to pounce, pin him, and take him. I clenched my jaw and took a step back. “Um…”
Shawn frowned and cocked his head to the side. “What’s wrong?”
“I don't want to move too fast,” I said, stalling.
“We can go slow,” Shawn said, reaching down to my hip and tugging me closer to him. “All night…”
I let out a soft moan of desire as my cock swelled in my pants. I wanted nothing more than to drag him into bed and spend the night with him… But orders were orders. Shawn raised his eyebrows and smiled.
“Actually, there’s something I need to tell you.”
“Tell me?”
Oh god. He was going freak.
I nodded and then glanced over his shoulder at the couch. “Can we sit down?”
“Of course,” he said, his voice trembling. He motioned for me to go ahead. LuLu lifted her head as I walked past and I gave her a soft pat before lowering myself onto the couch. Shawn stood in front of me with his arms crossed, chewing his bottom lip and frowning.
“I think you should sit,” I said in encouragement, motioning to the seat next to me. He just shook his head and blinked quickly.
“I feel really…confused,” he said shortly.
“Please.” I reached out and took his hand, tugging it gently. “Sit with me.”
“You don't have to break it to me so gently,” he murmured as he relented and sat beside me. “I can take a hint.”
I let out a sigh and ran a hand through my hair. “This is going to sound ridiculous… But it's really not you… It's me.”
Shawn laughed hollowly and shook his head, looking up at the ceiling. He blinked rapidly and I wondered if he was holding back tears.
“Did I come on too strong?” he asked.
“No, of course not. Shawn… I'm really into this,” I said, reaching for his hand and squeezing it. He squeezed back but still wouldn't look at me.
“Sorry, I'm being ridiculous,” he said, wiping his eyes with his thumb. “It's just been really hard lately. I thought you and I could just have some fun, nothing serious, but here I am crying!”
I put my other hand on his knee. “Well… I want something serious with you.”
Shawn sniffed sharply and finally looked right at me. “No, you don't.”
I almost laughed. The moment our eyes first met a feeling of complete recognition had moved through me. My wolf had clawed at my chest in a mad frenzy. Shawn was my fated mate. Of course I wanted something serious with him. “I do, but I need to tell you something—”
“No, you don't. Trust me. I'm not someone a good guy like you would settle down with.”
“What? Why do you think that?” I frowned, tilting my head.
“I'm just not,” he said, inhaling sharply and looking away again. I heard a small huff coming from beside the couch and looked over to find LuLu had lowered her head and let out a sad sigh. When I turned back, Shawn was looking right at me. His jaw was jutted forward in determination and he looked like he was using all of his courage to explain.
He let go of my hand and placed his in his lap before whispering, “I need you to know that I can't have kids.”
My heart ached at how much pain flashed over his face as he spoke. I held his gaze as I nodded.
“I'm infertile. If that's a deal-breaker, then let's just keep this casual,” he said, sounding like he was already sure it was a deal breaker.
“It's not,” I said. I went to reach for his hand, but then I hesitated and put my hand back in my lap. “It's not a deal breaker. I'm interested in you, exactly as you are.”
Shawn swallowed and then looked away for a moment before flicking his eyes back to mine.
“We've only had one date, Linc. You don't even know me.”
My wolf whined in discomfort and I felt my stomach tightening with anxiety. It was now or never.
“I do know you, Shawn. I…come from a different type of…community. We have a…way to recognize who we're meant to be with,” I said. Wow, that was real clear. Shawn was frowning and looking at me like I wasn't making any sense. Which was fair. I had no idea how to ease a human into the topic of wolf shifters. I wish I'd asked Jaxon exactly what to say.
“If we're talking about potential deal breakers…” I cleared my throat. “I have a big one.”
Shawn moved in his seat to face me more directly, and then crossed his hands in his lap, waiting patiently for me to continue. When I didn’t, he asked, “Worse than being infertile?”
I gave a short laugh and nodded. “Much more extreme.”
“Well, honey, don't keep me hanging!” He swatted my chest, and I laughed again. I could barely b
elieve what I was about to say.
“I know you’ve heard the rumors about wolves in Timberwood Cove. Well, wolves have great instincts. Instincts about everything—food, direction, other predators, people. Mates…”
Shawn nodded, but I could see in his eyes he was deeply confused about where I was going with this. My heart was practically knocking against my ribcage as I thought about Shawn’s reaction. He could be okay with it. He could think I was crazy. He could simply not want to be with me because I was a shifter. He could…do all manner of things, but there was only one way to find out. I sucked in a deep breath. “And you're my mate.”
“Your mate? Uh… Are you like…a furry?”
“No! I'm, uh… Well…” I searched Shawn for any sign that this was a bad idea, that he'd immediately blab my secret to the rest of Timberwood Cove and expose my whole pack, but my instincts told me I could trust him. My wolf nudged me. “I'm a wolf shifter.”
Shawn stared at me.
I bit my lip and waited. He squinted his eyes. I swallowed dryly.
“Is this a joke?”
“No. I’m serious. I come from a pack that's been in this area for hundreds of years and—”
“You know what? I think you should leave.” Shawn’s eyes were wild with anger as he went to stand. I put my hand on his arm to stop him.
“Shawn, please, I'm serious,” I insisted. “I'm trying to tell you why I know we're meant to be together.”
“Oh my god, Linc.” Shawn let out an exasperated sigh. “You sound crazy. You know that, right?”
“Yes, but I need you to believe me anyway.”
“You really expect me to believe that, not only do you know we're mates, but you're a wolf?” Shawn’s skepticism was better than his anger, but it was obvious he was pessimistic.
“Do you want me to show you?” I asked because I couldn’t think of any other way to convince him.
“Oh, please be my guest!” Shawn leaned back against the couch and crossed his arms over his chest. His whole attitude didn’t bode well, but I had to try. He was my mate, and I didn’t to lose him even though shifting could do exactly that.
I stood, made my way to the center of the room and…shifted.
6
Shawn
My jaw dropped. I could not believe there was a wolf standing in my living room. I couldn’t believe I’d just watched the man I was seriously crushing over literally transform into a wolf. If Trevor hadn't mentioned their existence just a few days before, I would have been certain I was truly losing my mind.
Then again, hadn't I accused Trevor of losing touch with reality? And now, here I was face-to-face with the plot of a novel that millions of people bought when they wanted to read some sexy fantasy romances. Surely this was a dream. A very realistic and freaky dream. And judging by the feeling in my pants, it was about to be a wet dream. I had no idea what my subconscious was trying to tell me; probably that I needed to get laid, but I wasn't scared, exactly, just…startled, and exhilarated, and… I pinched my thigh. It stung. Which meant I was awake.
“What… the fuck?”
My heart beat a frantic tattoo. I'd never been this close to a wolf before. I’d never wanted to, either. Wolves are big, they're strong, they have sharp teeth, and they only have allegiance to their own kind. Or so I thought.
This wolf, the one in my house—Linc—was, admittedly, majestic. I stared at him unapologetically. He had long legs the color of cream, with caramel colored fur from his belly to his shoulders. The caramel fur was mottled with black from the top of his head down to his tail, which was as bushy as a fox tail and had a fully black tip. His nose was black and wet. His eyes were a rich toffee swirl; and fixed on me. His gaze was head-on, confident, warm, and intelligent. The same as Linc's human eyes, I realized. Suddenly his super-alpha behavior made a lot more sense. He was a literal wolf! That's why the way he pursued me was so intense and laser-focused. It was his canine instincts that kept him hot on my trail.
I wasn't sure what to do. I didn't know if he could talk while he was in his wolf form, so we just gazed at each other in silence. I took a deep breath and tried to accept what my eyes were seeing. I was actually a little freaked out. My whole body felt frozen, as if getting ready to go into fight or flight mode, but not yet making its mind up which one to do. I tried another deep breath. It didn't do anything for me.
As I sat there, motionless, Linc's human form re-emerged and the wolf disappeared. I was able to take a slightly deeper breath once I saw the handsome face I recognized. But I was still dazed. He took a tentative step toward me. As he got closer my skin heated and my cock began to tingle. I even felt myself getting wet with slick.
This can't be happening. I can't be falling for a shifter. Don’t they have litters of cubs? Surely that would mean Linc would want more than just Cole. He’s bound to want more children, and I can’t give him any.
As Linc took another step toward me, I panicked, needing to say something before I gave in to my arousal and complicated things. I leaned back just a little and held my hands out. “Linc, I um, I don’t think… That’s um…”
“A deal breaker?” Linc asked, his voice trembling so much I was worried he was on the verge of crying.
Hot tears started filling my eyes in empathy, and my nose threatened to run. I sniffed and willed my eyes to stay dry so I could convince him I was all wrong for him. “N-not necessarily,” I said, watching with wide eyes as he sat down on the couch beside me. My body itched for him to touch me, but my brain insisted I had to end this. “Why would you risk showing me…that? I mean, what if I just freaked out?”
Linc grinned. “You’re not freaked out?”
“Of course am! Oh my god, Linc! But what if I ran out of here screaming and told everyone about you and your pack?”
Linc lowered his head but continued to gaze at me, his human eyes just as beautiful as his wolf ones. “I had to trust you. I had to be honest.”
“But why me?” I asked in a tiny voice that came out like a squeak.
“Because you’re my mate, Shawn. We're meant to be together.”
“You don't know that,” I said reflexively.
“I do, it's part of being a wolf shifter. When we find our mate, we know. Call it a sixth sense, if you like. But my wolf recognized its mate in you. You belong to us, heart, body and soul.”
“No, my body isn’t…right for you.” I dropped my gaze to my lap, trying to hold back feelings of shame.
“Shawn. I don't care if we can have kids or not. I know we both need each other. Can't you feel it?”
I did feel something very intense, and I had ever since we met. I felt drawn to him, connected to him, attracted on a very instinctual level. I had chalked it up to being flattered, horny, and lonely. But now, I searched Linc’s eyes like he did mine, looking to see if he could be telling the truth.
“Don't you believe in true love?” Linc asked me.
“Yeah, I think I do.” At that admission, the tears teetering precariously on my lower eyelids fell gently down my cheeks. I sniffed and wiped at my face with the sleeve of my shirt.
“Haven't you ever seen a falling star and wished you would meet the person you were meant to be with for the rest of your life?” Linc asked now.
I felt a sob rise in my throat. Tears were pouring now, but I ignored them and concentrated on breathing normally. “This can't be real,” I reiterated, my voice wobbling. “It sounds like… A stupid romance novel!” I started laughing as I remembered Trevor again. What would he say if I told him what he thought was a rumor was factual? My laughter turned back to sobbing and I felt like my heart was falling apart like wet paper.
“I know,” Linc said gently, moving a little closer to me. “But it is real.”
He reached out and gently brushed a tear from my cheek with the knuckle of his forefinger. His touch felt more electric than ever before, and my muscles immediately began to relax. I let out a soft, involuntary moan, and felt my dick pressing against th
e front of my pants. My slick was getting out of control, threatening to soak all the way through my underwear.
“Can't you feel the magic between us?” he asked, so softly, so earnestly, I couldn't deny the answer. I was in the middle of a swirling whirlpool of fate; almost being swept away, and yet on a deep level I felt calm and peaceful, like I never had before. All that was left was to fall into my mate's outstretched arms.
As soon as I did, as soon as his lips touched mine, I was suddenly, and fully, in heat. I’d never felt it come on so fast before, nor so overwhelmingly powerful. I doubted either Linc or I could have controlled ourselves, not then. I certainly didn’t want to. Being an omega in heat wasn’t always particularly easy when around an alpha. Not that we were pushed into doing something we didn’t want to but being in heat definitely made omegas more horny; well it did with me.
Linc groaned and dragged me closer to his hard body. I went willingly, wrapping my arms around his neck, allowing him to press his tongue into my mouth, actually begging him to with my moans.
In heat, I wanted him, needed him, and I’m sure he knew that. He picked me up as if I weighed nothing and carried me to my bedroom.
“I'm in heat,” I managed to say in between ferocious kisses, as if he couldn’t tell by the unique musk I was giving off.
“I know. Don’t worry, I'm going to take care of you.” He gently placed me on the bed and started tugging at my pants and underwear. I whimpered as my ass pulsed and slick began to coat the inside of my thighs. Linc grinned, but then he cupped the side of my face. “But just to let you know, I’ve never done this with a guy before.”
“You’ve never…”
Linc shook his head. “I’ve only ever been with Nicole. After we broke up I focused on Cole. I’ve never had time or the energy for anyone else, but now I’ve met you…”
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