Which made Noah chuckle. “Do you cart around all the naked, wounded men you find?”
“As a matter of fact, I do.” Slade grew serious. “If you don’t leave on your own first, when I find someplace safe I think you’ll like, we’ll talk.”
We’ll talk.About what? “What then?”
“Then we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”
If the full moon didn’t arrive first.
The phone rang shortly after Slade returned. He disappeared into the bathroom, cell phone to his ear. Noah tried his best not to listen in. He owed Slade privacy. After a while, Slade stalked out of the bathroom muttering, “Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn!”
“What’s wrong?” After spending time together, Noah recognized facial expressions, even with the beard, and the subtle change in scent marking a troubled mood.
Slade pocketed his phone. “My canvas canceled. I was supposed to demonstrate a few of my techniques tomorrow. Now I’ve got no skin to ink.” His smile didn’t reach his eyes. “I don’t suppose you’ve ever thought about getting a tattoo, have you?”
Fuck. Yes. Especially after seeing all the gorgeous artwork on Slade’s body. “Yes, but…”
Slade’s hopeful expression fell. “Forget I said anything. I shouldn’t have asked. I think I know by now you’d do about anything I wanted out of some sense of obligation. That’s not what I want.”
“That’s not why.”
“Are tattoos like the healing? The ink goes away after you shift?” Slade’s eyes went wide. He squeezed them tightly shut, slapping a hand over his mouth. Even muffled by the hand, Noah made out the words, “Fuck, fuck, fuckity, fuck.”
Then the words hit home:after you shift.
Slade removed the hand from over his mouth and ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m sorry. Sometimes my thoughts escape my mouth without slowing down.”
Did Slade know, or had he guessed? The “oh shit, what have I done now?” expression on Slade’s face told the story.
“How… how long have you known?” Noah didn’t add,and what do you intend to do with the information?
Motions slow and measured, Slade placed his hands on Noah’s shoulders, staring into his eyes. “Fast healing. Loner. Scared of people. Someone hunting a wolf, and you turn up shot? Even if I’m slow on the uptake at times, I can put two and two together. Besides, an animal’s whine turned into human moans. Paw prints surrounded you when I found you, but no human ones. I covered them when I hid the blood.”
Fuck! “How do you know about us? About me?” Noah couldn’t hide his trembling.Don’t let him see weakness!the primal part of his brain screamed. He’d been so careless the night they’d met.
“My great-aunt told me. Said she used to know a few packs, but they’d been hunted out. Remember when we checked into the motel together? I left you sleeping while I got food?”
Noah nodded. “Vaguely.” He’d been so tired he’d barely remembered his name.
“I called her. You said Paul went to look for family. He was trying to find a pack, wasn’t he?”
Breathe, Noah, breathe.As much as the memory pained him, Noahhadkilled before in self-defense. Please let him never face a kill-or-die situation with Slade.
Noah’s wolf stayed quiet, unlike when he’d confronted the hunters. Wolf Noah didn’t consider Slade a threat. What about the great-aunt? “Is she sending hunters?”
The shock on Slade’s face appeared almost funny. “Oh, hell no. She’s got resources. She’s trying to find a pack.”
A pack? A human woman knew of packs? “Why would she? And how does she know she can trust them?” Noah’s heart hammered as wildly as on the last full moon when he’d been chased through the trees.
This time, Slade’s smile lifted the edges of his mouth, forming creases around his eyes. “She’s a witch. Apparently, they network online. She’s supposed to call me with any news.”
A witch? “But she knows where we are!” Noah yanked his shoulders out of Slade’s grasp. Oh, gods, oh, gods. He needed to get away, but he hadn’t yet built another emergency kit.
“Hey, hey, hey. Calm down. I wouldn’t hurt you, and Judith would have my ass if I didn’t protect you. She says there are few shifters left.” Slade cupped Noah’s chin in one large hand, lifting until their eyes met.
Somehow Slade’s dark eyes pierced down to Noah’s soul. “You’re safe with me, Noah. I promise. If you let me, I intend to keep you safe until we find you a pack. That’s what you want, right? A pack?”
“Yeah. My kind doesn’t like being alone.” Noah no longer tried to hide his audible sniffing. Slade didn’t smell of deceit, nor did an elevated heartrate give away ill intent. “Are you a witch?” Paul hadn’t spoken much about witches, except to say his former pack dealt with a few. Did the witches have anything to do with the pack being slaughtered?
