Cole looked away, fidgeting and trying not to panic.
“What’s wrong?” Logan crouched down in front of him and lifted Cole’s chin up so he was forced to look at him. “Are you scared about me shifting? You saw me do it back at the cottage.”
“Yes, and what a fucking terrifying experience that was.” The sounds of snarling and fighting would be imprinted on Cole’s brain forever. The idea that he would’ve become one if he’d stayed was horrifying.
“I was trying to save both of our lives.” Logan sounded frustrated, and Cole couldn’t really blame him.
“I know, and I don’t mean to sound like an ungrateful dick, but—” Fuck, how did he tell Logan that seeing them fight had scared him shitless?
“You were scared,” he said softly.
Cole nodded. “Yeah.”
Logan put a hand on Cole’s knee, his palm warm through the denim, and Cole’s whole focus narrowed to that point, injuries momentarily forgotten. “We’re not always like that,” Logan whispered, thumb rubbing back and forth. “I promise.”
Cole wanted to believe him, but...
“Let me show you?” Logan stood and hooked his thumbs in the top of his underwear, and for a second Cole thought he meant something else entirely.
Fucking focus.
He nodded, mouth too dry to form words.
Logan turned his back to him as he shed his boxer-briefs. Cole had a few seconds to admire the firm cheeks of Logan’s arse before naked Logan was gone and in his place was his wolf. A beautiful silver wolf, with darker fur on his belly, ears, and paws. When he turned and faced Cole, its eyes made him gasp. So blue. Bluer even than Logan’s in human form. Cole stared into them, wondering whether Logan’s thoughts were the same in this form.
What went through his mind when he looked at Cole?
Hopefully not, “Oh look, dinner.”
Cole snorted and the wolf tilted its head. Would it understand him if he spoke? Surely it had to, right? Probably something Cole should have asked before Logan shifted instead of just staring at his arse. Clearing his throat, Cole said, “I was just thinking, I hope you don’t eat me.”
Logan made a show of sniffing in Cole’s direction and then making a retching sound.
“Funny.” Cole rolled his eyes but relaxed somewhat knowing this wild-looking animal in front of him could understand what he said. That must mean Logan was running the show. Or something like that. A yawn caught him by surprise, and he slumped back against the tree. The excitement of seeing Logan naked was wearing off now he was covered in fur, and Cole’s aches and pains were making themselves known again. “Now what?” he asked, trying to get comfortable against the solid tree trunk and the hard ground, then giving up.
Logan yawned, then slowly padded closer, as though giving Cole time to object. When Cole remained quiet, Logan lay down beside him, his warm body pressed up close to Cole’s legs.
Taking the sleeve of Cole’s shirt between his teeth, Logan gently tugged until Cole got the hint and lay down with his head resting on Logan. His good shoulder pressed in the dirt, but it was so much comfier than leaning against the tree.
The events of the day finally caught up to him, and Cole’s eyes dropped closed, sleep taking him.
HE WOKE UP sometime later to a cool nose gently nudging his hand and a tongue licking his fingers.
Gross.
Blissful ignorance lasted all of two seconds, and then Cole remembered where they were and why they were there. Logan was curled around him, with Cole virtually cuddling him. No wonder he was warm.
Pushing himself upright, Cole tried to stretch out the stiffness in his body but gave up when his shoulder protested. A flash of movement out of the corner of his eyes was all the warning he got before he was sitting next to a very naked Logan again.
“You licked me,” Cole muttered, trying not to look over at him. As tempting as it was—and Logan didn’t seem to care about being nude—he figured it was wrong to blatantly ogle him. Instead he put his hands over his face, hoping to both rub the sleep away and wake himself up a bit. It was still dark. They couldn’t have been asleep for all that long. Despite being outside, Cole had been dead to the world; he could easily go back to sleep now too.
“Why did you wake me up?”
Logan looked over as he pulled his T-shirt on. “Because we need to get going.”
Oh. “I thought we’d be spending the night here and setting off at first light. No?”
“No.” Logan walked over to the bike and rifled for something in the storage box things. “It’s safer if we travel in the dark, less humans to worry about. And we need to reach the next stop before they leave without us.”
