Page 37 of Wolf Reborn

The born werewolves looked at each other uneasily, something they often did when the subject of how to shift came up with them. It was a little like whistling, Gavin thought. The people who were capable of it thought it was simple, but then invariably found themselves confounded when trying to describe how to do it.

Maybe physical skills were just hard to teach.

“You must have been feeling the pull of the moon already,” Dez finally answered when everyone else had been quiet too long for his liking.

Miles cocked his head, then gave a hesitant nod. “I think so. I mean, it’s not some kind of wild uncontrollable urge or something. Just a little like when I’ve forgotten to eat for too long.”

Dez seemed satisfied with that, and went on. “So you close your eyes, imagine being a wolf, and sort of... let the pull take you.”

It was similar to everything other pack members had said, or coached, over the months. It also sounded rather like drowning to Gavin. Not only drowning but being complicit in your own drowning; accepting the inevitability of breathing water.

Maybe he was being dramatic, but Gavin had never been good at following instructions like “let go.”

Apparently, Miles had no such trouble, because very suddenly, Gavin no longer had a lap half full of beautiful man, but a lap full of wolf wearing Miles’s clothes. He was on the small side, with a lush brown coat and those same eyes, Miles’s red-brown eyes, that Gavin could never look away from.

“Wow,” was all Dez said.

Sawyer gave a small whistle, because of course Sawyer could whistle. “Nicely done, Miles. I swear you could have been born a wolf.”

Miles shifted uncomfortably and looked like he was regretting all his decisions, so Gavin helped him out of the T-shirt and sweats he’d been wearing. That seemed to satisfy him, as he pranced around the room, suddenly an excited puppy, sniffing and nosing and even licking a few things.

It was endearing, but then, when was Miles not endearing?

Gavin didn’t want to be jealous, but dammit, why couldn’t becoming a wolf be that easy for him too? He didn’t want to take it away from Miles; he just wanted the same for himself. Just wanted to be the alpha everyone seemed to think he already was. Hell, they were expecting him to be some werewolf messiah, and he couldn’t even heal a paper cut with any regularity.

Halfway across the room, Miles’s head popped up, turning to stare at Gavin. He loped over, hopped up onto the couch, and planted himself across Gavin’s whole body, head resting on his chest over his heart.

It didn’t take Gavin more than ten seconds to give in to his very human instincts and pet the man, who chuffed in his ear and settled into him.

And he couldn’t hold onto his jealousy. It was a little hard to be bitter he couldn’t be a wolf, when he had over a hundred pounds of soft, furry Miles in his lap.

19

The Mercy of the Fallen

When they had come in with Miles’s bag that afternoon, Gavin had said something about a “blue room,” but Sawyer had rolled his eyes and blown right past him, up into Gavin’s space upstairs. Miles had shrugged at Gavin and followed.

When he got upstairs, Sawyer had been shoving Gavin’s things aside in drawers. “He’s gonna try hard to give you ‘space,’ so if you don’t want it, you’re gonna have to get good at ignoring him or telling him to stop it. Gavin’s always been too much of a gentleman for his own good.”

Gavin’s voice had drifted up the stairs, exasperated and resigned. “You know I can hear you.”

“Yup,” Sawyer had agreed, and continued right on.

And that was how Miles had ended up with all his things in Gavin’s room, stuffed into drawers next to Gavin’s. He wasn’t sure if he was nervous or elated.

As their first day together drew to a close, what Miles definitelywas, was worried. He did want to sleep with Gavin, even if there was no sex involved. Of course, he’d prefer there be gads of sex, but that was slightly less important.

The problem was that no matter what he wanted, he also didn’t want to force himself, or his presence, on Gavin. Maybe Gavin preferred to sleep alone.

He considered turning into a wolf again.

Gavin had seemed to like him as a wolf. He was a small one, and he’d been able to lie on top of Gavin without hurting him. He wouldn’t be too intrusive as a lump on the end of the bed, would he? Plus if he went in as a wolf, it would be a way to make it clear to Gavin that he was there because he wanted to be with Gavin; he wasn’t just looking for sex.

Why was it all so damn complicated?

When Gavin grabbed his book and headed upstairs, Miles hesitantly followed. He arrived in time to see Gavin slide the book into place, making sure it was flush with the others, and giving a satisfied little smile at the pristine shelf.

Miles would never admit it to Sawyer, but that had been how he’d figured out where the eucalyptus was. Gavin would never leave one book sticking out half an inch when all the others were in exact order. It had drawn his attention, and when he’d gone to investigate, he’d smelled the salts.

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