“Bring the snacks, Emmett. If Warden is going to spoil my fun then I’ll need junk food.”
“Me too,” Emmett agreed.
“One or the other of you needs to be on a leash,” Warden muttered.
Emmett blushed and Bryn watched his reaction with interest.I think Emmett has a kinky streak wider than the Charles River. He’s probably wearing leather underwear under his khakis. And Warden definitely owns his own leash. It’s a match made in gay heaven.
“You think I don’t know what’s going on in your head, Bryn?” Warden narrowed his eyes.
“I thought I was the augur around here.”
“Hmm. You’re trouble, that’s what you are. I don’t need gene abilities to tell me that.” He glanced across to the crowd of runners. “Let’s go watch the start.”
“I feel like my character has been maligned,” Bryn said to no one in particular.
Gunnar ran across to them. A few strands of his hair had come loose from his bun and his eyes were bright. “I can’t wait to get started, there’s such a greatatmosphere. There are some really competitive guys running today, it’s going to be a tough race.”
“Do you have the scent?” Warden asked.
“Yeah, it stinks. I think they used some kind of dead fish to lay the trail. So gross. Still, it should be easy to follow.” He turned to Bryn. “How are you guys doing, not too cold?”
“We’re good. How long will the race take?” Bryn asked.
“The course is about ten miles, so with any luck the leaders should be back within the hour. If we were on flat, easy ground it would be quicker, but this is rough terrain, lots of obstacles.”
“You’re still going to run five-minute miles out there?” Emmett said, sounding astonished.
“Wolves, remember.” Gunnar gave him a toothy grin. “Gotta go. Don’t wander off anywhere, Bryn.”
“Do you see a coffee shop anywhere? Bakery? Where do you think I’d go?”
Gunnar chuckled. “I’ll see you in a bit. Be good.”
Chance to be anything but would be nice.Bryn admired Gunnar’s ass as he jogged away.He can wear those running shorts any time he likes, though.
There didn’t seem to be a tape or any marked start line. The runners gathered in a crowd, whooping and yelling. There were even some howls. A klaxon sounded and the race started. Bryn was amazed at how rough it was. There were apparently no rules about contact and several competitors were sent tumbling to the ground. Within a minute they had all disappeared into the trees.
“So what do we do now?” Bryn asked. “Stand here like lemons freezing our asses off for an hour?”
Emmett handed him the snack bag and he cheered up. Delving inside, he pulled out a sack of Cheetos. “I love these.” He tore open the packet and was soon stuffing his face with cheesy goodness.
“That’s horrible to watch,” Warden said. “But to answer your question, we can head into Andover and get coffee if you want to, or go for a walk. There are some ponds known for wildlife not far from here. We could be there and back in forty minutes.”
“I vote for coffee,” Bryn said.
“I wouldn’t mind a walk,” said Emmett. “Sorry, Bryn. You can have all the snacks.”
Emmett’s expression was so full of appeal that Bryn couldn’t say no. “Fine, I guess. Gimme the bag.” He let Emmett and Warden walk ahead of him, giving them a bit of space. Warden seemed to know where he was going and unlike the Wolf Run, this trail was well marked.Could be worse, and now Emmett gets to talk to his crush. I need so many gold stars on my chart for this sacrifice.
As it turned out, the ponds Warden took them to were picturesque and Bryn found he enjoyed wandering around. He snapped a few pictures with his cell to show Gunnar.He’d like it here. Maybe we could come back on the bike one day. Fuck, am I turning into an outdoorsy type?
“Time to go,” Warden shouted from across the water. “If you want to be back to see the first finishers.”
Bryn stuffed the end of a candy bar in his mouth then caught up with Warden and Emmett. Emmett’s cheeks were rosy and he didn’t meet Bryn’s curious gaze.Hmm, I’ll have to interrogate him later.As if Warden could read his mind, he gave Bryn a warning glare. Bryn affected innocence though he didn’t think for a minute that Warden would fall for it.
The walk back didn’t take long and when they got there, friends, family and onlookers were gathered at the finish line. The excited murmuring grew louder as the first runner was spotted and cheering erupted as he crossed the finish. Gunnar came in fourth, well ahead of the bulk of the field, beaming from ear to ear. Bryn waved to attract his attention.
“Hey, Gunnar!”
