Grant and I stare at each other for several moments, unsure of what just happened. “I found you,” I eventually say.
He smiles at me, a gesture that almost turns my body to butter on a hot pan. “Yes, you did,” Grant says.
I move off of him, letting Grant stand up. He dusts himself off, properly cleaning up. “I'm proud of you, that was faster than I thought it would be.”
I want to bring up the fact that smell was only one of the things I used to find him, but I'm not sure how to explain what had happened.
“What’s the next lesson?” I ask.
Signs of morning begin to creep up. The sky doesn't have its dark blue and gray tint anymore. Instead, it brightens up minute by minute.
“We've still got some time before the sun comes up,” Grant announces. “Let's go on a hike.”
“A hike is what brought me into this mess,” I joke.
“Last time you were alone,” Grant chuckles. “This time, it's you and me together.”
Something about the way he says it is all the reassurance I need. I follow him and we begin our excursion.
Grant points at the highest point on the land, a hilly area that rises just above the trees. To his credit, it looks like a wonderful hiking spot.
We walk, despite the fact that both of us were running minutes ago. “Do you ever feel like your wolf side is way too strong to hold back?” he suddenly asks.
I don't even have to think before responding. “Yes. It's almost like I can't control her,” I remark. “I can tell there's something brewing inside me, and there's nothing I can do when it's time for that thing to bubble to the surface.”
“It's different for you shifters who got turned because you've lived a whole other life before this,” he explains. “For us, while there's a wolf side, it's not prominent.”
“So you can control it more?” I inquire.
“Yes and no. There's little to control because we're the same being. I'm in tune with this side, so all my reactions are mine, does that make sense?”
“I guess so. Nothing is trying to come to the surface for you.”
Grant nods. “That's right. You'll need to stop thinking about the other side of you as something separate and imagine that you're the same being. The more you get these new abilities under control, like your sense of smell and your raw strength, the easier it will be to accept that you're one entity.”
I've never thought about it like that.
We continue up the trail that leads to the hills. Grant shows no signs of fatigue, just happily moving along. I can't believe how much I'm learning from him already.
“How do I stop my eyes from changing like that?” I ask. That's one of the major things that's been bugging me.
“That's one of the easiest things to do,” he states. “Try to change it often, controlling it. It's like working out and having muscle memory. Instead of it changing with your emotions, it'll change when you want it to.”
“It can't be that easy.”
Grant lets out a laugh before stopping. He turns to me, making me face him. Watch my eyes,” he says.
I obey the instruction and stare into his eyes. As I wait to hear what comes next, I slowly feel myself slipping away, falling far into the pools in his face.
He stares at me with a compassion that I'm not used to. The feeling is new and scary at the same time.
Slowly, Grant begins to lean in, bringing his lips closer to mine. Anticipation builds up in my chest like an air bubble.
It only releases when Grant finally kisses me. All my senses fire at once, nearly sending my brain into overdrive. The kiss knocks me out of my mind as pleasure fills my body.
My hands move to his face, and I pull him in deeper, letting my tongue travel into his mouth. Grant snakes his hand around my waist, bringing me closer to him and deepening our affection.
Breathing becomes a thing of the past as we try to consume each other. No kiss we've shared has felt this intimate or real. Everything about this kiss is perfect, like our lives have been leading up to it.
