We took a winding path up a slope that was edged by thick bushes. Ramsay paused by one.
“Hey, c’mere,” he called.
I padded up to the bush, and shifted to human form when Ramsay did the same. I noticed now that in between the bush’s prickly green leaves were bundles of small berries. He picked one and offered it to me.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Wild blueberry. Want to try?”
“Sure.”
I held out my hand for Ramsay to drop it in my palm, but instead he pressed the berry to my lips. Instantly a blush spread over my cheeks. I parted my mouth for him and he deposited the berry inside. His finger seemed to linger for just a moment too long over my lips before he drew his hand away with a smile.
“How is it?” he asked.
I’d already forgotten about the berry. I quickly tasted it and swallowed. “Oh. It’s good. Sour but sweet.”
He grinned. “Yeah?”
“We don’t have these in our territory,” I mused. “Or maybe we do and I’ve just been too afraid to eat random berries off bushes.”
He chuckled and popped a berry into his own mouth, then proudly patted the top of the bush. “Not likely that you have any over there. I planted these bad boys myself.”
“Really?”
“Sure thing. Planted them as a pup with my parents,” Ramsay explained. “Suckers grew fast, didn’t they? Now we have blueberries whenever we want them.” He winked. “And you can have as many as you want, too. Have another.”
“Thanks.” I tasted another one, actually taking a moment to savor it this time. The berries were small, but packed with flavor.
Ramsay’s gaze lingered on my mouth, which made me blush deeper. Then he whisked his eyes away like it hadn’t even happened.
“My place is just up ahead,” he told me. “Let’s go drop your stuff off and I’ll give you a tour.”
I jogged to keep up with him. “Sounds good.”
Ramsay led me towards a barn. I looked around for a house but didn’t see one, except for a cabin on the other side of the clearing a few hundred feet away. Bushes and thin trees popped up in between the two buildings, but other than that it was a clear view, unlike East Pack where the thick trees sometimes felt stifling. South Pack on the whole was very bright and open.
“Is that it?” I asked, pointing to the distant building.
“Nope. Close, though. That’s where my parents live.”
I frowned. “Then where--”
Ramsay casually threw the barn doors opened and my jaw dropped.
It wasn’t full of stalls and hay like I was expecting at all--it was a total bachelor pad.
The floor was sleek old wood, sanded down and swirling with natural patterns. The furniture was rustic, a mix of wood and leather. It was open concept, with no walls except for what I assumed were bathrooms. The living room blended into the kitchen in the back, and an angled staircase led up towards a loft where a huge bed stood.
“Holy shit,” I mumbled.
Ramsay smirked. “Take it that’s a good holy shit and not a bad one.”
“Definitely a good one.”
He shifted into his wolf form to playfully clamber up the stairs. He dropped my duffel bag up in the loft, then leapt back down. I yelped as he landed on the leather couch with a chuff of amusement.He shifted back before spreading comfortably over the seat.
“Make yourself comfortable,” he told me. “You can eat anything in the fridge, and do whatever you want in the bed.”
