Page 33 of Wolf Reborn

“I had to lay on the brakes unexpectedly,” Miles said as he broke eye contact with Gavin, turning back to Graham. “Something ran out in front of the car, and it was just instinct. But the car spun out and then slipped over the side of the embankment. I hit my head, and the next thing I knew I was waking up next to Gavin.”

“That’s so horrible,” Graham whispered, then reached out and squeezed Miles’s shoulder. It was so simple for him. He didn’t even associate being bitten and consent.

Dez’s eyes were on Gavin, though, a weight in them that wasn’t usually there. Dez knew. “I didn’t see the car on my way in,” he said, voice subdued.

Miles looked over at him, his brow scrunched in concentration. “It was... I went over on the north side. Maybe about a mile, mile and a half from the cabin.”

Dez’s brows flew up. “That’s more than a ten-foot drop-off in some places. No wonder I didn’t see the car.”

“The car landed on its roof,” Gavin added.

Everyone was quiet for a moment, then Sawyer said, very quiet, “You’re lucky Gavin was the one who found you.”

Miles nodded vehemently. “I’d be dead. If it had been anyone else”—he met Gavin’s eye, held it—“if anyone else had found me out there, even if it had been right after the accident, I would be dead. And I’m really, really glad to be alive.”

It was meant to take away Gavin’s culpability for biting him without permission. Gavin appreciated it, understood that he’d been left in a terrible position and there hadn’t been a “good” choice. But it didn’t change the fact that he’d bitten the man, changed his whole life, without so much as asking.

The last conversation they’d had before the accident, Gavin had promised to explain werewolves. He’d hoped that maybe, someday, he could suggest Miles take the bite.

From Ash, maybe.

He hadn’t even known he was capable; he certainly hadn’t planned to suggest his boyfriend become what amounted to his kid in the werewolf world. Ash would probably roll his eyes and tell him that wasn’t how people saw it, but still, it felt odd.

It felt controlling, and Gavin didn’t like it. He’d spent too much of his life being controlled to like the idea of controlling someone else.

The pack grilled Miles on his newfound wolfhood, and despite the looks he kept shooting Gavin’s way, it was clear he was enjoying the attention.

“Sawyer?” Dez asked as they were finishing their breakfast. “Could you drive Miles over to his place and get some clothes? I think he should probably stay here until he gets the hang of things.”

“He’ll probably want to move in,” Ash pointed out. “I mean, he’s pack. It would be weird for him to live on the other side of town.”

Dez pursed his lips and gave Ash a quelling look. “But that will be his decision. We have room for him, of course, but Miles gets to choose that.”

Ash sighed and nodded like a scolded puppy until Graham popped up out of his seat, saying, “We should go with them. I need to get some things at the grocery store, and they’re saying it’s going to snow again tonight. Got to make sure we have enough hot chocolate to make it through.”

Sawyer looked over at them, but before he could open his mouth, Dez spoke up again. “Gavin’s gonna help me with something. The rest of you go ahead.”

Miles met Gavin’s eyes, and it wasn’t hard to see his internal struggle. He wanted to stay with Gavin, but he wanted his clothes. Not to mention the hot chocolate. He’d probably try to con them all into getting tea.

The whole pack would be drinking Earl Grey by the time he was done.

“You guys have fun,” Gavin said with a weak attempt at a smile. “Be careful on the road, Sawyer.”

Sawyer nodded, and they all turned to head out. Dez called after them, “I don’t care what Ash says about his superior reflexes, don’t let him drive my truck.”

They listened in silence as the pack piled into Dez’s truck and Ash’s little sedan, and drove away.

Finally, as the mechanized gate closed behind them and the engines faded into the distance, Dez looked over at him. “Leg’s bad today. We’re gonna go soak in the hot tub while you tell me exactly how bad you need me to kick your ass.”

So Gavin did. He told him everything that had happened, every moment, even his fear that he wouldn’t be able to bite Miles. No one, not even Dez, knew the extent of his disconnection from being a werewolf, but he didn’t need to mention that to tell the story.

Besides, he was Dez. He probably already knew, if anyone did.

By the time Gavin had finished, they were sitting in the house’s indoor hot tub, Dez with his leg stretched out on one long bench, grimacing and kneading at his bad leg.

“Worse in the cold?” Gavin asked, grateful to be finished and hoping to change the subject.

Dez nodded. “Yeah. The physical therapist said something about cold and pressure changes.” After a moment, he leaned back against the edge of the tub and turned assessing eyes on Gavin. “You have to stop.”

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