Page 35 of Wolf Reborn

Miles cocked his head but didn’t interrupt.

“He bit you because he wants you. Needs you. Couldn’t live with the option where you no longer existed. But he didn’t do it because he’s incapable of controlling himself. He did it because he cares about you. This way, you can also trust him not to lose control and do selfish shit.”

It was completely logical, so Miles nodded. He’d known, on some level, that it would have been bad for Gavin to bite him on the full moon. He hadn’t even wanted it; heck, he wasn’t sure that given the choice, he’d have agreed at all. For Miles, it hadn’t ever been about being bitten or being a werewolf. He’d simply wanted Gavin to want him as much as he wanted Gavin.

Having gotten through the actual biting and looking back at it from the other side, it felt like a gift. It was a second chance at life, and he was sure there would be a downside, but he hadn’t seen it yet. So far, it had been all family and acceptance and everything he’d ever wanted. There had to be something bad about it, right?

“Come on,” Sawyer said, hopping down out of the truck cab. “Let’s grab the stuff you need. You can get the rest when you realize how awesome we are and how you don’t want to live without us.”

Miles couldn’t stop the grin that broke across his face at that. “In that case, we should have done it months ago.”

“That’s the spirit.”

As Miles packed a bag, he found himself hoping that there would be challenges to being a werewolf. The harder a time he had, the more he could ask for Gavin’s help, and the longer it would be before anyone wondered why he was sticking around. Not that Sawyer seemed to think he was ever going to move back into his apartment.

He had to admit, the place smelled wrong now. It smelled like himself, but with a sour tang that he didn’t like. He didn’t know if it was the apartment or just the smell of his life without anyone else in it, but he decided that come hell or high water—and it would have to be very high, since they were in the Rocky fucking Mountains—he was going to find a way to make the Second Chance werewolves his.

His pack.

His family.

He would have Gavin and them too, and he’d never have to be alone again.

18

Boys Don’t Cry

Miles was the perfect werewolf.

Gavin was only a little bitter about it. It wasn’t like he wanted Miles to fail, after all. No, he wanted Miles to be successful and happy and have everything he wanted.

Dez had been right, in that Gavin didn’t have to be a part of that happiness. Whether Gavin was any part of his life was up to Miles.

Miles bounded down the stairs and into the den, book held aloft. Gavin’s copy of Frankenstein.

Gavin scowled over at Sawyer. “What did you do to my book?”

They were playing a game that Sawyer had told them was often used to teach young wolves how to track by scent. He’d gone around the house putting things of different scents in places where they weren’t, generally, and then had people sniff them out. Dez had been as disinterested as Gavin in learning to hunt—they weren’t going to start taking down deer to eat—but Ash had filled with childish glee at the notion, and Miles seemed to be enjoying himself just as much.

So Dez and Gavin sat on the couch with their feet up and watched as everyone else played Sawyer’s game. Gavin wouldn’t lie, it actually looked a little fun. Or maybe it was just fun to watch everyone else enjoy themselves.

So far, there had been an orange in the fireplace, some cookies in the workout room, and a collection of flowers in the weird man-den or cave or whatever it was in the basement.

And now, Gavin’s book.

“I didn’t hurt your book,” Sawyer promised, but he still had that pleased smile that indicated Miles had indeed found one of the objects. He opened the book and took out a square of paper, holding it aloft. “I put this in those gross eucalyptus crystals of Dez’s.”

He hadn’t needed to say, not really. The second he’d taken the thing out of the book, it had been apparent throughout the room what the scent was. It was damn impressive Miles had picked up on it while it was still in there. Gavin hadn’t. Maybe he hadn’t been trying, but that didn’t mean he stopped being able to smell things.

Basically, everything about Miles was impressive.

Dez gave him a little nudge in the side. “You’re drooling.”

He nudged back. “Fuck you.”

“A little kinky for my tastes, boss.”

Across the room, Sawyer sighed. “Children. I’m surrounded by children.”

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