As if he sensed my eyes on him, he looked over at Emily’s vehicle. A scowl covered his face when his gaze fell on me.
“That’s Luke, Austin’s brother. He’s a wolf shifter, so I asked him to meet us. He’s not as scary as he looks.” Emily parked the SUV and got out.
I took a deep breath in and released it slowly as I opened the door and slipped out. My feet wanted to slow beneath Luke’s heavy stare, but I forced myself to keep even with Emily. We drew closer, and suddenly his nostrils flared and shoulders tensed. My eyes met his, deep, dark, and showing shock, butonly briefly before he shuttered them and turned toward Austin, who carried Eli’s wolf form.
But that moment of eye contact had stolen the air from my lungs. The attraction was a complication I didn’t need. Right now, my focus belonged on Eli, whose limp form was lying on the ground at Luke’s feet.
TWO
Luke
I forced myself to focus on the young pup lying on the ground before me, ignoring my wolf, who clamored for me to look at our mate again. To take in the golden hair that tumbled around her shoulders and the blue-gray eyes that widened when they met mine. She was tiny and delicate, and instinct urged me to take her in my arms and protect her always.
But I didn’t deserve something so perfect. So fragile.
“He should wake up soon.” Emily stood after checking his vitals. “I only gave him a small dose.”
My mate walked over, and awareness of her every move filled me. Her hands clasped in front of her waist. “What will happen when Eli wakes up?”
“Luke’s wolf will assert dominance to control Eli’s wolf. Then he’ll talk him through how to shift back.” Austin shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “I’ll clear out. If the boy senses my tiger, it might get his hackles up.”
“You and Emily should go with him.” I crossed my arms. “He’ll be unpredictable when he wakes, and I don’t want him lashing out at either of you.”
“I’m not leaving him.” She shook her head and held up her hand in a staying motion when I opened my mouth to protest. “I’m the only one here he knows. He should have someone familiar nearby.”
“We won’t be far, Katie.” Emily pointed toward the barn. “You’ll be able to see everything and come over once he shifts back to his human form.”
“I’m staying here.”
I growled, my wolf pushing me to speak. “It’s not safe. You need to be safe.”
From the corner of my eye, I caught Austin’s surprised glance. His gaze bounced between my mate and me, a slow grin forming. He leaned over to whisper in Emily’s ear, and my shifter hearing picked up the wordmate.My muscles tightened.
“Consider me sufficiently informed of the risks. I’m still staying.” Katie’s breath came out in a rush, and she pressed her plump pink lips into a firm line.
I risked meeting her gaze, the look of determination capturing me and pulling me in. My wolf urged me closer, and before I second-guessed my actions, I took a step toward her. Her head tilted back to maintain eye contact, leaving her neck on display. A neck meant to show off my mark.
I swallowed hard. I had no business thinking about marking her. Even though I didn’t know her, I was still certain she deserved far more than I had to give. The legacy of my past was lies, pain, and fear, and I wouldn’t let that touch her. I cleared my throat and stepped back.
“Fine. Stay if you want, but at least stand back a few feet until he shifts.”
She nodded and moved to stand by my side and back a bit while Austin led Emily away. I faced the pup again, waiting for him to wake. It took only a few minutes before he stirred. I feltmore than saw when he realized he was somewhere new. Panic rolled off him, and he stumbled to his paws, legs wobbling.
I crouched down even with his head and met his gaze, letting my wolf’s aura come forward. The pup growled and tried to lunge at me. His legs buckled beneath him. I pushed more of my wolf at him. If I needed to shift, I would, but I didn’t think it would be necessary. He got back to his feet and swayed, head dipping slightly under the weight of my wolf’s dominance.
It took about five minutes before the pup lay down and submitted to me. I moved toward him and placed a calming hand on his fur. “That’s better. Now, let’s get you back into your human form.”
I coached him through the change, conscious of my mate as she moved closer. The first shift was the worst. It was easy to panic mid-shift and lose your focus, making it last even longer. I kept my voice pitched low and steady, filling the space between instructions with encouragement and giving him something to focus on besides the pain.
Finally, the teenage boy lay on the ground, sweating and panting. I shrugged off my flannel shirt and handed it to him to cover up with. Austin would grab spare clothes from the barn before returning, but I doubted the boy would want to be naked in front of us.
Katie kneeled on the ground next to me. “Eli, are you okay? What do you need right now?”
His cheeks flushed, and his eyes remained trained on the ground. He didn’t speak, but I could almost see all the words filling him, wanting to spill out. He continued to fight it, though, so I helped him.
“First shift takes a lot out of a man. After Austin brings you some clothes, how about we get you some food? Hannah and Mae always have something cooking in the kitchen.”
The boy’s gaze darted to me, and the look in them was a sucker punch. His eyes were too old to be in one so young, but life was sometimes cruel. Like me, Eli had grown up too fast. And now he had to contend with learning he was actually a shifter.
