Slade shook his head, the tension broken. “No. There’s a few in my family, but not me.” He gave a self-deprecating laugh. “Can you imagine what kind of spells I’d cast? Something to keep my beer cold or refill the Harley’s gas tank. Make the Durango hold more.”
Noah relaxed some but might not fully relax ever again. Time to change the subject. “Getting back to your question. I’ve never tried, but Paul said tattoos don’t work for us. They go away once we shift.”
Slade’s brow furrowed. “So, if I did a piece today, and you shifted tonight, I’d have clean skin to work on tomorrow?”
Noah never considered such a possibility. “I believe so.”
“Nah.” Slade shook his head. “That’d be painful for you.”
“Wolves have a high pain tolerance.” How weird to speak aloud about shifters to a human. But, yes, the idea of temporary “permanent” tattoos made sense. While he and Slade traveled together, Noah might as well contribute by helping Slade in his work.
As long as no one realized Slade worked on the same person every time. In some cases, someone recorded video of the tattoo sessions for uploading to the Internet, as Slade had shown him. Could they somehow disguise Noah or avoid showing his face?
Then again, he’d keep the tattoos if he didn’t shift—a reasonable plan until the full moon.
Noah let out a heavy breath. Yes, he’d do this. “I’d like to try.”
Slade cocked one dark eyebrow. “Are you sure?”
Noah shrugged, probably failing to appear casual. “You’ve done so much for me. This is something I can do for you.”
Slade’s interest turned to a scowl. “Nope! You don’t owe me anything. Don’t you dare feel obligated in any way.”
Okay, logic failed. Maybe some cajoling. “Look, what am I supposed to do? Stay in a hotel room all day watching TV while you work?” Or worse, watching porn, wearing out his dick to conjured fantasies—fantasies that left him unable to look Slade in the eyes?
“But I thought you liked watching TV today.”
“I always preferred reading.”
Slade cocked his head to the side, lips curled into a slight smile. “Yeah, you’re probably better off with books.”
Okay. Now to try another tactic. “This’ll get me out of the room. Let me see you in action.”
They stared at each other for a long time. Finally, Slade asked, “Can you shift anytime, or does the moon gotta be full?”
“Anytime. But shifting takes a lot out of me. I have to rest and eat more after a shift. Full moon nights don’t give me a choice.”
A touch of panic crossed Slade’s face. “We met on the full moon, right?”
Noah shook his head. “The day after.”
Slade stayed quiet for a few minutes. Noah could almost hear the gears turning in his mind. Finally, Slade said, “What will we need to do for the next one?”
We,notyou.Could Slade be trusted with Noah’s secrets? Why not? He knew he shared a room with a werewolf and hadn’t killed Noah in his sleep. “I need to find a safe place to run. If I’m shut up inside somewhere, I might do damage.” Not to mention risking discovery.
Slade nodded. “I think we can arrange someplace outside. I found you near a stream. Do you need water?”
“A place to drink, maybe. Shifting near water, with wolf tracks on one side, and human coming out downstream, makes us harder to track.”
“Makes sense.” Slade paused for a moment, crossing his arms over his chest. “If you shift, though, even for a little while, is the hotel room safe?”
“Yes. But you’ll need to buy me a steak dinner.” Noah only half-joked.
One side of Slade’s mustache lifted with his smile. “I think I can do that. Now, got a pair of shorts or something? I’m thinking small, maybe a dog paw on your ankle.” Humor glinted his eyes, gone in an instant. “I didn’t insult you, did I?”
Noah shook his head. “I think I’d like a wolf’s paw.” Even for a short while, until his next shift.
Slade nodded. “I’ll go out and get what I need from the Durango if you’re ready to try. I hate to rush, but I need someone by tomorrow. Normally, the people I work on already have tats. I don’t see much bare skin.”
