“I’m coming.”
I was, I swear. If I could just get my feet to move, that was. Fuck, why was sweat rolling down my face?
A low growl echoed from behind me. My head whipped around, and I looked over my shoulder to see a gigantic brown wolf. He was sitting several feet away, just watching us. His hackles were slightly raised, but he didn’t seem about to attack.
“Chill the fuck out, Evan,” Logan said, looping his arm through mine. “Christ, you call me dramatic. You can’t eat me just because Reid is uncomfortable.”
Evan gave another growl with a small yip at the end. It almost sounded like he was saying,wanna bet?
The corners of my lips tugged up before I even realised what was happening. Evan seemed to notice, dropping down on his belly and putting his head on his paws. He went from threatening to docile in a matter of seconds.
Fuck, that shouldnothave been adorable.
But it was.
I quickly turned to hide my smile, even though it was too late now. Suddenly, taking that step into the house didn’t feel like as much of a big deal. I let Logan tug me forwards.
Logan leaned in conspiratorially as he swept me down a long hallway. “You’re really going to have to tell me the tea.”
I sighed. “Think you’re about to get the full breakdown in here.”
“Hmm.” Logan studied me. “Is it going to make me get violent?”
“Dunno. Do you get violent easily?”
“Oh yes.” He nodded enthusiastically. “Very. Especially if it’s someone I’m close to.”
My lips twitched again. “Logan, I hate to point this out, but we aren’t close yet. We’ve only just met.”
Logan scoffed. “Semantics, Reid. Besides, you’re close to Evan, which means you’re close to me.”
My cheeks flushed. “I amnotclose to Evan. I don’t even like him.”
“Mm-hmm. I’m sure that’s why he’s standing guard and growling at me for daring suggest you step over a threshold.”
I sighed. “I promise it’s not like that. It’s because of our past.”
Logan stopped in front of a large door. Behind it, I could hear the quiet murmuring of deep voices. “Ah, yes. The past that’s likely going to make me get violent. How exciting! I can’t wait to hear all about it.”
Finlay asked me to give the three of them a brief rundown of my past. The abuse I’d suffered at the hands of my so-called family. The belittlement. The ostracisation. The endless chores.
They didn’t push for any details, letting me take it at my own pace. To my horror, I ended up in tears on more than one occasion. The third time it happened, Logan squashed himself in next to me on the sofa, offering me tissues and hugs.
The whole time I spoke, my mind worked, wondering why Clyde has shown up now, so soon after other shifters had entered my life.
I didn’t like the conclusion I landed on.
When I finally finished with an explanation of how I’d fled in the middle of the night, there was a long silence.I fidgeted in my seat, face burning from the intense stares being levelled at me. I knew they weren’t judging me, but couldn’t they say something?
Finally, Logan broke the silence. “Okay, so I was both wrong and right.”
I turned to him. “What do you mean?”
His eyes were slightly glassy as he responded. “I could’ve lived without hearing that, but it’s definitely got me ready to carry out some violence.”
I snickered, the mood lightening. “Why is it the most murderous beings come in the cutest packages?”
Logan nodded solemnly. “Because if we were giant too, we’d be truly unstoppable.”
