Page 14 of The Tech Guru's Heart

Link eyed the setting sun through the branches of the trees as he rounded a large trunk.The sound of a swiftly inhaled breath yanked his attention to the right.Freezing, Link stared at Ezra, who crouched only fifty feet away.

Ezra slowly straightened, holding some sort of wrapper clutched in his hand.He’d evidently stopped to pick it up.Link hadn’t realized the path ahead of him had curved in his direction, drastically closing the distance between them.

“Well, now,” Ezra whispered, roving his gaze over him.“That’s not something you see every day.”His mate cocked his head and even smirked a little.“Not sure what you are, big fella, but I’m pretty sure it’s not normal to carry a bag on your horn.How’d that happen, big guy?”

Unable to help himself, Link bugled softly, greeting his mate.To his pleasure, Ezra smiled.

Unfortunately, then Ezra pulled out his phone, and Link knew exactly what he was about to do...take his picture.Can’t allow that to happen.Turning away, he hurried deeper into the trees.Link paused and looked back at Ezra, needing one last glimpse of him.

Ezra remained standing still, watching him.

Link was so damn tempted to return to him.The pull was so very strong.Swallowing hard, he stuck to his guns and turned away, moving deeper into the forest.

Tomorrow, Link promised his animal.

According to the map, there was a river crossing the next afternoon.He would make it to the water and cross it first.Then he would wait and shift when Ezra paused to put his hiking shoes back on.According to his mate’s receipts, he’d bought water shoes, and Link was betting that it was for this reason.

*

LINK EASILY SLIPPEDpast Ezra the following day.By late morning, he reached the river.There were warning signs as well as a rope spanning the river, attached between two trees.Link assumed that was for when the river was deep or rushing more strongly.

At this time of year, late summer, the river was pretty low, and the water didn’t even make it halfway up Link’s legs as he crossed.He imagined that Ezra wouldn’t even get his knees wet.Once on the other side, Link found a good place to hide.As he watched and waited, he grazed on the leaves and grasses around him, helping to fill his belly while passing the time.

The sound of footsteps reached Link, and he swallowed his mouthful.Keeping in the shadows, he watched as Ezra appeared on the opposite bank.In the morning light, Link thought his mate’s lean, toned body looked amazing in his khaki shorts and a form-fitting, sweat-wicking polo top.

Ezra paused and swept his gaze over the crossing, obviously taking it all in.After setting his backpack on the ground, he crouched beside it and extracted his water shoes.Ezra made quick work of swapping his footwear.Once he’d shoved his socks into his boots, he used his laces to tie them to his backpack.

Standing, Ezra slung his pack back into place.Carefully, he began making his way across the river.

Link watched, ready to rush forward if his mate needed help.Of course, he figured his appearance running toward him in the water would do more harm than good.That didn’t mean his instincts didn’t scream at him to be ready to help.

Not surprising, Ezra agilely made it across.He lowered his pack to the ground and pulled a small towel from his bag.He began the process of drying his feet and legs and swapping footwear again.

Taking advantage of Ezra’s distraction, Link lowered his head and slipped his satchel off his horn.He moved slowly from between the trees, not wanting to spook his mate.Once he stood at the mouth of the trail, Link waited for Ezra to notice him.

It didn’t take long.

Ezra’s head slowly lifted from where he’d been focusing on tying his boot.His lips parted, and his brows shot up.Glancing left and right, Ezra softly cleared his throat.

“I was gonna look you up on my phone, but I don’t have good internet,” Ezra commented softly, staring at him intently.“But you’re definitely not a moose or an elk, and I can’t think of any other big herbivores that would be out here.”Looking beyond him, Ezra murmured, “And we’re not supposed to approach them, so I’m pretty sure I’m not supposed to approach you, but you’re standing in the trail.How long do you think you’ll be there?”Grabbing his backpack, Ezra began easing to the left.“Are you trying to get to the water?Am I in your way?”

Deciding to take advantage of how calm Ezra seemed, Link began his shift.Most of his shifter friends were council enforcers, so he’d worked very hard to streamline his change.If Link went running with them, he didn’t want them to be standing around waiting for thirty seconds for him to finish gaining his animal form.He’d managed to become nearly as swift as them, shifting in under fifteen seconds.

Link knew that worked in his favor.He heard Ezra’s gasp, and he knew his human mate’s brain would take approximately five seconds just to process the fact that something weird was going on.After another five seconds, shock and disbelief would set in.Finally, that would most likely give way to panic and fear, kicking in Ezra’s flight instinct.Link was finished before Ezra could act on it.

“Please don’t run, Ezra,” Link rumbled from where he knelt on the ground.“You’re safe.I’d never hurt you.”

Link recalled saying that to Ezra once before...at Amelia’s apartment, but he figured it bared repeating.

“L-Link?”Ezra clutched his backpack to his chest in a white-knuckled grip.Disbelief was etched clearly on his pale features, the scent thick in the air.He shook his head once, looked around as if searching for the animal, then refocused on him.“H-How?Wh-What?”

“I have so much to explain, sweetheart,” Link told him, the endearment rolling off his tongue without conscious thought.He rose to his feet and took his first step toward the man who would be his forever.“I’ll tell you everything.”

Ezra shook his head again, clearly overwhelmed.Then his eyes began to roll to the back of his head, and he started to drop.

Lunging forward, Link barely reached Ezra before he hit the ground.

“Well, shit,” Link grumbled, holding Ezra against his chest.“That didn’t work out like I’d hoped.”

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