Page 21 of Fur-Ever Home

I stripped out of my soiled shorts. Thankfully, they had an inner lining like a pair of swim trunks, but I'd still left a big turquoise wet spot on the light blue fabric. I tossed them in the sink with some cold water and let them sit for a minute while I took care of the rest of my business. My knot had flagged from the pain of hitting my head, but my cock was still half-hard from being so close to Ben. I willed my eagerness away. I wanted him, yes, but I could wait.

Afterward, I washed my hands in the bathtub. Then, I wrung the shorts out and left them to air dry on the shower curtain rod. I grabbed my damp towel from the night before and wrapped it around my waist.

I caught a glimpse of my bruised forehead in the mirror. No broken skin, but I'd have a dark spot at my hairline unless I shifted to get rid of it.

I couldn't risk that. In my wolf form, I would be too tempted to break down the bathroom door and jump all over Ben. My wolf wanted to scent mark him, to rub my jaws and fur all over him until he smelled like mine. Then, I wanted to bite him while I shoved my knot inside him, claiming him in every way possible.

Nope. Couldn't think about that right now. I could deal with a minor bruise for a day.

I walked out of the bathroom and into Ben, who stood at the door with his hand hovering near the door handle. His hand brushed against my towel and he pulled back. "What happened?"

"Wardrobe malfunction?" I tried to shrug it off, but his gaze was a tractor beam pulling me in.

"Oh no! Did I … I didn't mean … I was grinding against you. I'm so sorry."

I felt bad for him as I watched the emotions flicker across his face with each realization.

"Best orgasm I've had in a while," I whispered.

"Don't say that! That's even worse!"

"Why?" I asked. "Is it really so terrible that I enjoyed you rubbing against my morning wood? It happens."

"Next time, I want us both to enjoy it." He inhaled, his eyes wide and a little dilated. "I mean … not that there's going to be a next time."

I couldn't watch his conflicted emotions anymore. I gently turned him sideways so I could fit through the doorway and grabbed my phone off the dresser.

Ben closed and locked the bathroom door, leaving me alone. Loneliness seeped into my chest.

I had my phone, my lifeline to the outside world. I sank onto the foot of the bed and typed a message to Shen.

"You'd better leave my wallet at the motel front desk in the next ten minutes. I'll pick it up before we leave."

Then, I dashed a quick text to Hank."Shen crashed the jet in Utah. Forgot to refuel in Denver."

"New phone who dis?"Shen responded. Then, he texted a picture of my completely destroyed wallet floating in a toilet bowl. The wallet was a cheap leather bifold, but the pictures of NFTs inside had been some of my favorite artwork around the world.

"Fuck you, man,"I responded.

"Hank said I should have let you die."

Ouch. So much for my found family.

"What the fuck did I ever do to you?"I texted Hank. No response. No surprise.

I heard the sink faucet, and then the blow dryer. I didn't take Ben for the type. His hair was a little shorter than mine and cut so it would fall perfectly around his face, no matter how bad the wind was blowing.

But what did I know about haircare? My hair was always in a state of disarray, from the way I ran my fingers through it with every setback. Yesterday had been full of setbacks.

I couldn't think that way, though. I'd met my fated mate.

The bathroom door opened, and my shorts flew out, hitting me in the chest. They were warm and dry, like they'd just come from the clothes dryer.

"You're welcome," Ben said. "How I'm supposed to get clean with your spunk all over the sink is beyond me."

I probably wasn't supposed to hear that last part. Wolf hearing was fabulous. So amazing, I thought I could hear Shen typing as the three dots rolled across my text screen while I waited for his next insult.

"Connor?" Ben called from the bathroom a few minutes later. The door was still open a crack, but I couldn't see him.

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