Page 22 of Feral Heart
“Holy…you’re a wolf, lust muffin,” Jamie whispered, his voice catching in his throat. “An actual wolf. With fur and everything.”
The larger wolf trotted away as the gray wolf stopped a few feet away, those incredible blue eyes never leaving Jamie’s face. Blood matted the fur on his right shoulder, dark against the soft gray. It’d been hurt defending him.
“This is crazy,” he muttered, counting backward from twelve in his head. “Six, five, four... No, wait. I messed up.” He started over. “Doce, once, diez...”
The wolf took another cautious step forward, a soft whine escaping its throat.
“You’re hurt,” Jamie said, momentarily forgetting his own fear. Blood dripped onto the ground from where one of the other wolves had bitten its shoulder. “Because of me. Because I ran.”
It tilted its head, ears perking forward like it understood what Jamie was saying.
“I just freaked out,” he explained, words tumbling out faster now. “I mean, glowing eyes? Then actual wolves? Who wouldn’t run?” He paused, taking a deep breath. “But it’s you. Even as a wolf with teeth that could probably bite my arm off, you’re still my dreamboat.”
The wolf huffed, almost like a laugh, then carefully settled on the ground a few feet away. Not crowding, not threatening. Just waiting.
Jamie’s knee throbbed where he’d hit it, but he barely noticed now. Curiosity was taking over, pushing past the fear. His cupcake was a wolf. A freaking wolf!
“Can I...” He swallowed hard, gathering his courage. “Can I touch you?”
The wolf crawled forward on its belly, inching closer until it was within arm’s reach. Jamie slowly extended his hand, letting it hover in the air between them.
Leaning forward, the wolf pressed its muzzle against Jamie’s palm. The fur was softer than he’d expected, warm and silky against his skin. Jamie gasped at the contact, not from fear but from wonder.
“Oh my god, you’re gorgeous,” he breathed, running his hands through the thick gray fur. “I mean, you’re gorgeous as a human too, but look at you!” He pulled back to take in the full sight of Cesar’s wolf form. “Your fur matches my eyes. Did you know that? And it’s so soft. Do you use conditioner on it? Is that a weird question? That’s probably a really weird question.”
The wolf’s eyes closed briefly, leaning into the touch. Jamie grew bolder, running both hands through the fur around its neck, careful to avoid the injured shoulder.
“You know what’s weird? I’m not even that freaked out. Okay, that’s a lie. I’m totally freaked out, but not in a bad way. It’s like when you find out your favorite candy bar now comes in king size.” He continued stroking its fur, finding the rhythm soothing. “Your fur is the prettiest thing I’ve ever touched. It’s like petting a cloud, if clouds were solid and had teeth. Does that make sense? Probably not.”
A few of the other wolves had settled down, watching the interaction with what Jamie swore looked like amusement in their glowing eyes. The biggest one—probably the bartender in the suit—remained standing, ears constantly moving.
Jamie laughed, the sound slightly hysterical. “I’ve been hanging out at a werewolf bar!”
Cesar huffed again, nudging Jamie’s hand when he stopped petting.
“Sorry, pookie.” He resumed his stroking. “I’m just processing. It’s not every day you find out your crush turns into a wolf. Though it explains why you buy so much food every Sunday.”
The wolf tilted its head, those pretty blue eyes sparkling with intelligence.
“I don’t care, you know,” Jamie said, voice growing serious as he combed his fingers through the thick ruff around its neck. “That you’re... whatever you are. Werewolf? Is that the right word? Or do you prefer something else?”
Cesar just watched him, ears forward, completely focused on him.
“I’ve spent my whole life being the weird one,” he continued, scratching behind its ear and smiling when the wolf’s eyes half closed in pleasure. “The one who talks too fast, moves too much, thinks differently. The one Grant calls ‘slow’ because it’s easier than admitting he’s the reason my brain works the way it does.”
Jamie shifted, wincing as his injured knee protested. “The point is I know what it’s like when people look at you like you’re a freak. And I’d never do that to you, jellybean. Wolf or human, you’re still the same guy who cooked me dinner and made me feel special.”
The wolf moved closer, resting its massive head gently in Jamie’s lap. The weight was solid, comforting, as if it was trying to communicate without words.
“Tropical blue,” Jamie whispered, tracing a finger between its eyes. “That’s how I knew it was you. Nobody else has that eye color, like the ocean in those travel magazines. The ones I used to look at when I needed to escape for a while.”
“I bet you guys can hear everything I’m saying, can’t you?” he asked, looking around at the watchful eyes. “Which is kind of embarrassing because I’m basically confessing my feelings to Cesar in front of all of you.”
A few of the wolves made huffing sounds that reminded him of laughter. The wolf in his lap nudged his hand again, as if encouraging him to keep talking, keep petting.
“Does this mean I get to be part of your wolf pack?” he asked, hope creeping into his voice. “Because I’ve never really belonged anywhere before. Except maybe with you.”
The wolf pulled back, those gorgeous eyes studying Jamie’s face with an intensity that made his breath catch. Then it licked his cheek.
