Page 53 of The Wolf Professor

It all came from the Felcin blood running through his veins.

The need to tell Benjy what had happened to him barreled up his throat. Here he was, sitting in this seedy little café in East Motham thinking of confiding in his hairy cousin. The idea seemed ridiculous, but when he looked up, Benjy’s eyes were kind and full of understanding, and he needed—reallyneeded—to get all this off his chest.

“Something happened,” Max gulped out, “the other night. With my research assistant… the human?—”

Benjy pushed his plate away and sat forward, big elbows on the table. “The one I heard you talking to when I rang that time?”

Max nodded. “She got attacked by a feral gang in the Wastelands. Saturday night, right after I left you guys. I was heading home and I—and I—I scented her fear. I knew she was in danger. And the next fucking moment, I transformed into my wolf.”

“First time?”

“Yeah.” Max gave a thin laugh. “Can you believe it?”

“The wolf goes weak if it’s not around pack.” Benjy shrugged. “Was it painful?”

“Agony, in those first moments. A little easier turning back to human, but not much.” He had an inkling being around Charlie had helped soothe the process, but he wasn’t going to say as much.

“Gets easier the more it happens. Go on.”

“I—I rescued her—as my wolf—and when I got her home, I shifted back and… let’s just say things got pretty intense.”

“Did you... and her…?” Benjy waggled his eyebrows.

Max shook his head, not daring to meet Benjy’s gaze.

“The need for sexual relief can be overpowering after…” Benjy said.

Max watched his knuckles whiten around his coffee cup. “Yep.”

“Makes them hot for it too. Being rescued by a big shaggy wolf does something to the female hormones, y’know.”

“Yep.”

“Ah, well, there you are.” Benjy crossed his big arms over his chest and sat back, looking smug.

“What do you mean, there you are?” Max scowled.

“She’s your mate. That level of telepathic awareness only happens with your mate.” Benjy said it like it was the most natural thing in the world. “What you need to do now is rut her.”

“Not on your life.” Max avoided Benjy’s amused grin. “We haven’t… for the gods’ sake, nothing’s happened.” That was clearly a lie, and Benjy wasn’t stupid. He was used to being around wolves, after all.

Benjy gave an easy shrug. “Suit yourself. But all levels are catered for at the rut. From rampant lust to true love. We can reserve you a special log cabin. Total privacy. It’s a safe place to let your wolf out.”

Max lost his cool. “Fuck off, will you, Benjy.”

“No need to get snarly. Just trying to help. You’re like an over-wound watch, fella. It’s obvious you need a good rutting.”

Silently, Max seconded that. He was so sexually frustrated right now, forget blue balls, he reckoned even his knot was turning blue.

“I need to go,” he said, standing. “Give my regards to Janine, Taryn, the rest of the pack.”

“Will do. Where is your little mate now?”

“Myresearch assistant.”

“Whatever you wanna keep calling her.”

“I—I sent her away for a week so I can work this through. And to keep her safe from my—my, er, erratic behaviors. I needed to uncover the truth, and seems I have. Thanks for seeing me, Benjy, it’s answered some questions, and given me a whole lot more to worry about.”

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