“Cormac, go ahead. I know you can get there faster without me slowing you down.”
Cormac seemed torn, but after a moment’s hesitation, he picked up his pace and ran out of Simon’s sight. Simon tried to keep running but had to slow down before he hurt himself. He yelped in fright when he felt fur brush against his side. He hadn’t seen or heard the wolf approach.
It was pack, Simon could sense that much, even though he didn’t know who exactly it was. It put its head under Simon’s hand and bumped up. Simon grabbed hold of its soft fur and let the wolf lead him through the woods.
There was a slight break in the trees, not even big enough to be called a clearing. Simon could barely make out the shapes of wolves and men standing there. Gray and Liam were back in human form, their pale, bare skin easy to make out against the darkness.
Gray came to him and rubbed his hand over a small scratch on Simon’s face. “You okay?”
Simon nodded, and Gray reached out to rub the wolf’s head at his side absently. After a moment, Gray stepped aside, and Simon could see what he’d been shielding from view with his naked body.
The demon’s corpse was sprawled in the brush, shriveled and shrunken. Simon recognized it, but it wasn’t easy. There wasn’t much left of the thing that had attacked him.
Cormac knelt at its side, his eyes closed in concentration. “It is completely drained.”
“What does that mean?” Simon asked.
“That means that its magic is gone. All of it.”
“I don’t understand,” Gray said.
Cormac rose to his feet. “I don’t either. I’ll need to take the body back to my home so I can try to glean more information from it. I don’t like the looks of this at all.”
Simon took a step closer. “Cormac, please. Tell me what this means. I thought it was over.”
“It very well may be. This demon dealt in dark magics, and this may have been that magic backfiring on it. Or it could be something else. I just don’t know yet. Alpha, could I trouble you for a ride back to my place?”
“No problem,” Gray said. “Liam, give Cormac a ride back and assist him in any way he needs. Contact me if you learn anything.”
“Yes, Alpha.”
Cormac and Liam lifted the body and carried it back through the woods. Simon started to follow them, but Gray placed his hand on his shoulder, and Simon stopped. “I need to help.”
“Simon, let him go. He knows this magic and you don’t. Liam will contact me if they need help.”
“But—”
“Please, Simon. Let’s go see Garon and let him know we’re okay.”
The thought of Garon concerned about them, worried for their safety, was enough to convince Simon. “Okay.”
“I’ll shift and you hold on to me.”
Simon nodded and the next thing he knew Gray was again a wolf. He noticed more this time, now that he was close and Gray wasn’t running into the night. Before that first night, when he had seen the wolf at his car window, Simon hadn’t known just how big the wolves were in shifted form.
He’d imagined the wolf more like a large dog, a lab or something. Gray was easily twice that size. His back reached Simon’s waist and his head was nearly at Simon’s chest. Gray looked up at him, and even in the darkness, Simon could see his eyes were the same.
Simon ran his hand over Gray’s head, behind his ears. Gray pushed into him, nearly knocking him over. Simon laughed and did it again before grabbing a handful of fur and letting Gray lead him through the woods.
The rest of the wolves followed them, one after the other stepping up to Simon’s free side and pressing their heads into his hand. He rubbed each of them in return. It comforted him, knowing they were there beside and behind him, watching over him as Gray led him home.
A break appeared in the trees up ahead, and moments later they were on the drive leading into the compound. Gray shifted again, his naked body magically appearing where the wolf had stood moments before.
His power intoxicated Simon, aroused him in a way Simon didn’t really understand. All he knew was he wanted more. Gray had barely missed a step during the change, but Simon found himself stumbling more than ever, though they were on even ground. His gaze was stuck on Gray, fascinated in turn by the beauty of his long legs and the powerful muscles of his chest. He couldn’t seem to concentrate on where he was walking.
Gray steadied him after the second stumble and looked at him with concern. What he saw in Simon’s eyes made him catch his breath and then smirk at Simon knowingly. He threw his arm around Simon’s shoulders and pulled him close.
Simon wound his arm around Gray’s waist, his bare skin hot to the touch. He traced his fingers over Gray’s ribs, down to the slight indention of his side, and then back up again. Simon’s steps became surer now that he was keeping pace with Gray.
