“Bowen…please. I can’t think when you look at me like that.” The begging tone in his voice brought a smile to my face, but I looked away, knowing he was trying really hard to maintain control. I heard him move around the room faster than a man could, and before I knew it, he was back in his baggy clothes. Maybe I wasn’t the only one who needed a new wardrobe, though I understood his reasoning. It wasn’t like I had any sense of style with my typical button-down shirts, but then I never had someone I wanted to impress either. Not that I needed to do anything to impress Rudy, but I wanted to.
Focusing on the present, I went to the bedside table to get my glasses and collect my bag from the floor. My eyes slid to the rumpled bed and the tube that had gotten kicked aside. I snatched it up and stuck it in my bag. It might come in handy later… or at least I hoped so.
Rudy’s eyes were wide when he saw me stash it away, his cheeks beneath his black scruff so wonderfully pink. He let out an awkward laugh and ran a hand through his hair, messing it up. “Do you always keep, um, lube with you?”
I barked out a laugh. “No, definitely not the kind of treat I usually have on hand. It was a gift from Zephyr.”
The large man spluttered and coughed in surprise, his cheeks growing brighter. “Zephyr? What? Why?”
“I think it was meant to be a peace offering.” Maybe it was an unusual form of a gift, but hell, I wasn’t going to turn it down.
“When did that happen?”
“On the roof. Come on, take me to dinner, and I’ll tell you all about it.” I gave him a wink and tucked my hand into his.
Rudy melted at my touch and let me lead him out of my room. We walked down the flight of stairs side-by-side. A much different experience from the last time he’d run up and grabbed me in his werewolf form. It was casual and… normal. Not that I minded being carried by him; it had been a rush, but this was nice, too.
The thrum in my neck hummed with a pleasant ache. “I’m not going to turn into a werewolf now, am I?” I asked in a light tone. It was something that swirled in my mind as Rudy slept. According to my Google search on werewolves, it was a pretty common part of the legend.
Rudy huffed out a surprised laugh. “No. There are some species of lycanthropes that can turn others, but I was born, not bitten. It’sinherited.”
“I wouldn’t mind, per se, but I have to admit, I like that you can carry me around like it’s nothing. It’s exciting and makes me feel special.”
“Youarespecial.”
Damn, this man. So big, so fierce, and so sweet. I leaned my head against his shoulder with my lips stretched wide in a smile. It might just become my new permanent state with him.
When we rounded the corner on the second floor to continue down the stairs, Rudy froze. His entire body went stiff. I could feel the battle within him, his wolf pushing, ready to tear free. The sensation was so intense, nothing like when he had been trying to get to me. It was something else.
My eyes darted around to see what might have triggered it. I could feel him heaving with an instinct that was too strong to ignore. “What is it? What happened?”
Rudy’s fingers lengthened around my hand, and his claws came out. Hair covered the backs of his hands and climbed up his arms. This wasn’t the same as the wolf wanting to make itself known with me; this was an urge he couldn’t control.
“Moon.” His gravelly voice snapped out as Rudy’s face began to contort.
Moon? What? It was still light out. His glowing pink eyes stared straight at the wall as his chest heaved. I followed his gaze and gasped. There it was. A small round paper stuck to the wall that showed the full moon.Any image of the moon. That was what he saidin his windowless room. I grabbed thePost-itoff the wall, crumpling it and shoving it into my bag.
Turning back to Rudy, I reached up, reaching higher than before as his body had already grown. I stroked my hand over his cheek, feeling it tighten beneath my touch. Fangs had already pierced through, and he was moments away from losing himself completely.
“It’s okay. It’s not real,” I kept my tone soft and gentle and continued to brush my hand along the side of his face. “I’m right here, stay with me.”
Pink eyes locked onto mine, and I could sense him trying, but the urge was too strong. While the praise tactic worked before when he was fully in his werewolf form and I hadn’t known him yet, I knew it wouldn’t be enough right now. Sometimes canines needed a clearer directive.
I lifted my chin and rolled my shoulders back, trying to show my confidence. “Sit!”
Rudy huffed but did as I said, squatting down to put us at the same level. I kept my tone low but firm. “It’s not the moon. It doesn’t have control over you. You arenotgoing to change right now, because Rudy promised me dinner and you’re going to help him keep that promise.”
His head cocked, listening, and I could feel his tension soften, but it didn’t let go yet, so I continued. “Settle, big guy. Settle and give us this time. Later, when the moonisout, you can come out and show me what a big, strong, beautiful beast you are. Deal?”
A heavy sigh released from him, and I saw Rudy’s face relax. “Yes, Bowen.”
Rudy fell forward, and I caught his large form as I felt the wolf let go. I felt it externally as Rudy returned to his usual large size, and I felt it within, in my own chest. Rudy’s relief was my own. Needing to acknowledge what the wolf had done, I reached into his mind and said, “You’re such a good boy. I’m so proud of you.”
Rudy stood up, cracking his neck and shaking his hands out, but when he looked at me, his blue eyes were filled with such awe and admiration that it made my heart explode. He lunged forward and drew me into his arms, lifting my feet off the ground.
“I can’t believe you did that. I’ve never been able to fight the moon’s draw before. Bowen, you’re amazing.” His arms squeezed around me before he set me back down.
I reached up and cupped his cheek. “It was you, Rudy. You did it, I just gave a little encouragement.”
