Page 18 of Honey Heat
There was a pause on the other end, then Stewart’s voice dropped, anxious. “I heard you were found. What happened? Do you have any idea how crazy it’s been around here? People were losing their minds looking for you. Are you really in wolf territory?”
Ethan glanced up, peered over the monitor to make sure nobody was coming, then ducked his head and pressed his ear back to the receiver still lying sideways on the desk. “That’s what I needed to talk about,” he said, lowering his voice. “There’s this guy—”
“What guy?” Stewart whispered, matching Ethan’s tone.
“If you’d let me finish…” He told Stewart about Lucio and how the guy made his insides go crazy. “What do you think I should do?”
There was no hesitation. “Nothing,” Stewart said, as if Ethan had asked the world’s dumbest question. “Wait. How hot is he?”
“He would put a fireman calendar to shame.” He instantly thought of Lucio’s dark looks, chiseled jaw, and all those scrumptious muscles. His shoulders alone made Ethan want to weep. “He even has facial hair.”
“I would tell you to jump his bones,” Stewart said, a touch of amusement in his voice, “but you probably wouldn’t know where his bone is.”
“I just risked sneaking out of bed to call you, only for you to make fun of me?” It had to be the pain medication. Ethan was a little too emotional today. Especially when he’d heard that thunderstorm. He hadn’t reacted that way to a storm since he was a cub. Now he was on the verge of tears because Stewart was teasing him.
“You can’t be Ethan,” Stewart said defensively. “Since when do you get all teary-eyed over your virginity? Damn it. Now I’m getting tears in my eyes, and I haven’t been a virgin in years.” He sniffed.
What in the fuck was wrong with Ethan’s life right now? “Just shut up and tell me what to do.”
Stewart sniffed a few more times. “Let him make all the moves.” He paused. “Just don’t let your bear choose him. Sex is one thing, which you sorely need, but your dad will flip his shit if you mate a wolf.”
Ethan nibbled on his lower lip, staring at the coffee mug. “How will I know if that happens?”
“My sweet little gremlin…” Stewart groaned, “Tell me your bear didn’t choose him.”
Those damn tears returned. Ethan blinked them back, feeling so out of his depth that he wanted to crawl under the covers for the next five years.
Or until he knew what to do with the mess inside of him. He didn’t like feeling this vulnerable, especially after what he’d just been through. It felt like he was free falling with no safety net to catch him.
“Stewart, please. Just tell me.”
“I’m not mated, Ethan,” Stewart said softly. “I have no idea. But from what I’ve heard, you’ll know. If that makes any sense, because it doesn’t to me.”
Ethan froze when he felt eyes on him. Slowly, he lifted his head. Lucio stood just past the monitor, arms crossed, eyes fixated on Ethan’s bare ass with a strange look in his eyes.
“Uh, Stewart. I gotta go.”
“Is your beefcake there?” Stewart asked breathlessly. “Find that bone, Ethan!”
Heat erupted across Ethan’s face as he fumbled to hang up, only to smash his hand into the phone. A sharp cry burst out of him. He cradled his hand against his chest, stumbling back, nearly going down, but Lucio was there, catching him quick before he hit the floor.
In one smooth motion, Lucio lifted Ethan into his arms and carried him back to bed. “I’ll get the doctor.” A swift kiss to Ethan’s temple, then Lucio was gone, already sprinting down the hall.
“Holy shit!” Ethan squeezed his eyes shut, breath coming fast, pain throbbing in his hand. It hurt so much he rolled over, pressing his face into the pillow, knees to his chest.
“Let me take a look.” Dr. Martinez’s hands moved in front of Ethan, fingers unwinding the gauze, and somewhere behind him, Lucio tugged the hospital gown closed.
The pain was so intense Ethan didn't even flinch when a needle jabbed him in the butt cheek. In the next heartbeat, oblivion claimed him, dragging him into darkness.
* * * *
At Ethan’s bedside, Lucio sat there, elbows on knees, fingers resting in the strands of his hair.
Ethan had been asleep when Lucio had left him to see what all the commotion was. He still couldn’t get the image out of his mind of Chopper being carried in, his torso bare, covered in blood.
Someone had shot the brother, in broad daylight, out in the open on a country road. Chopper had been so ashen, murmuring about some puppy.
The guy had nearly died, and his main concern was for a dog.
