Page 30 of Wolf Lost

Dez shrugged. “Only one way to find out, and I don’t want to mess up my clothes to do it.”

Gavin nodded and bit his lip as he watched Dez.

When he didn’t say anything, Dez looked up at him. “Ash said we didn’t have to bother. I don’t think you have to try just because I’m going to.”

There was something about his turning that Gavin hadn’t told them. Dez knew it. Gavin knew it. Ash... probably didn’t know it. He tended to take things at face value. But the way Gavin hadn’t told them exactly what had happened was a giant red flag. Ash had been knocked out, and Dez trying to deal with the pain of his newly crushed leg, and his body changing after the bite.

He’d missed something, and whatever it was, it was still hurting his friend.

As different as their childhoods had been—son of factory workers in Nebraska, and son of factory owners in Connecticut—they had a lot in common. First and foremost, they didn’t talk about feelings easily.

With some difficulty, Dez stripped down to his skivvies before planting himself in the chair adjacent to Gavin’s. “It’s fine. Whatever it is. Whatever you need. We’ve got time, and you don’t have to do anything.”

Gavin shot him a small, grateful smile and nodded. “I think I’m gonna go grab a beer. You guys go ahead.”

Ash stepped toward him, a tiny whine escaping his throat, but Dez stuck his hand out and scratched Ash’s ear. That was weird. Even more weird, Ash leaned hard into it and made a quiet chuffing noise, his mouth falling open and tongue lolling out.

“It’s a good thing we turn into real wolves and not those weird half-wolf monster things from the movies,” Dez told him. “Or you’d look ridiculous.”

At that, Ash let out a yip and pranced back a few steps, looking back and forth between Dez and Sawyer.

Sawyer was entirely naked, but Dez had been so distracted by Gavin, he hadn’t noticed. He noticed now. Sawyer was lithe and slender everywhere, and Dez wanted to put his hands on every inch of him.

Seeming to read Dez’s lust-addled brain, Sawyer grinned. “First, you turn. I seem to remember being promised a full-moon run.” He walked right up in front of Dez, casually dismissive of his nudity and gorgeous body, and slid to his knees with a smile. “Then we can come back here and test out that knot you’re so worried about.”

Ash barked impatiently, and Dez could almost hear the eyeroll implicit in the sound. They could fuck on their own time; Ash wanted to play right now.

Strangely enough, so did Dez.

He stood, slowly to avoid angering his leg, and slid his boxer briefs down his hips, putting his half-hard cock on display right in front of a grinning Sawyer.

He’d been feeling the pull of the moon for two months. It wasn’t hard to find. He just had to think about it, and there it was, forefront in his thoughts. The great, glowing disk, shining and so close he felt almost as though he could reach up and touch it.

He thought of how his instincts had changed. The sounds and smells and feelings that felt strange and new, but no less a part of him. The sweet way Sawyer smelled, and the way it tempted him more than any candy ever had.

The feeling of his fangs dropping hit him, but instead of rippling through his gums, it hit his whole body. He doubled over in shock, breathless and uncertain of what he’d managed.

With his luck, he’d end up that terrifying half-wolfen monster from the movies.

Then a breeze blew over him, and he felt his hair ruffle—but everywhere on his body. He looked down and found himself much closer to the ground than expected. He tried to crane his neck to look at himself, but it was harder than usual.

Perhaps most tellingly, Sawyer was smiling at him, wonder in his eyes. He leaned in and wrapped his arms around Dez’s neck. “You’re the most beautiful wolf I’ve ever seen.”

“Biggest too, I’d wager,” Gavin said as he came back out with his beer. He glanced at Dez’s back right leg and quickly away. Clearly Dez hadn’t been the only one hoping turning would heal it.

He let his weight fall onto it, Sawyer letting go of him as he tested, and felt the now-familiar pull of the damaged muscle protesting being forced to carry that much of him. On the other hand, with four legs to balance on, he didn’t have to put nearly as much weight on it. He pulled that single foot off the ground and his remaining legs held his weight easily.

He looked to Sawyer expectantly and offered an experimental bark. It was low, deep, and he thought, menacing. Sawyer, as always, didn’t react appropriately. He grinned and nodded, breathless.

It didn’t escape Dez’s notice that he was also sporting an erection. Apparently, he really liked Dez as a wolf. Or maybe he liked the fact that changing had come relatively easily.

“Well what the hell are you two waiting for?” Gavin asked. “Get out there and run. You’re making me antsy.”

Dez gave another bark, and between one breath and the next, Sawyer had shifted into a beautiful gray wolf. He gave a small yawn and licked his chops, looking lazily at Dez as though asking, “Well? What now?” In answer, Dez lunged at him and nipped at the air next to his neck.

Sawyer gave an answering bark, and ran off after Ash, who turned and sprinted for the tree line.

It took a moment for Dez to find his balance; running on three legs still wasn’t ideal, but it worked quite a bit better than running on one.

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