Page 23 of Alpha's Touch
“I’m a wolf shifter, Preston.” Zeppelin moved toward him, and Preston swiped his jeans at him like denim had the ability to slay monsters.
“Back off!”
Zeppelin raised his hands, palms out. “I’m not going to hurt you, sunshine. I promise.”
Preston’s brain was melting. It had to be. He’d spent too much time in the sun today and fried it like an egg in a cast-iron skillet.
Slowly, Preston eased off the side of the bed, backing slowly toward the door, his clothes bunched in his arms.
“You feel it.” Zeppelin slid off the bed then adjusted his pants. “Our connection. You can’t explain why you trust me, especially since we just met.” He placed his palm over his heart. “Or why you’re so drawn to me.”
Preston tried to slip on his pants, but one of the legs was twisted, making him hop around. “That’s because you put some kind of voodoo on me.”
Why wouldn’t his damn pants cooperate! Preston took a deep breath, leaned against the door jam, then straightened out the leg. The whole time he kept Zeppelin in his sights.
Preston wasn’t going to deny those claims. But he also wasn’t going to acknowledge them out loud.
Even now, all he wanted to do was run to Zeppelin instead of running away from him like any sane person would do.
His chest ached to be held in Zeppelin’s arms.
“No voodoo.” He shook his head, hands still raised. “Fate, sweetheart. I knew at the bar you were mine.” He tapped his nose. “Your scent has been driving me crazy.” The he tapped his sternum. “I can feel the pull toward you right here.”
The same spot where Preston ached. He’d also felt that connection at the bar. When he’d been in the alley falling apart. As soon as Zeppelin stepped outside, Preston had no longer felt so alone.
“I-I don’t understand, Zeppelin. What’s going on?” Preston was already dealing with so much. It was as if the cosmos had a grudge against him.
First Antonio, now Zeppelin?
Only, Preston had never felt this way, this deep ache, with Antonio. Maybe some part of him had known the guy wasn’t right and just chose to ignore it because he’d been so lonely.
But it honestly felt different with Zeppelin. Preston genuinely liked him.
Enough to give him a blowjob.
This was huge, considering Zeppelin was only the second guy Preston had been intimate with.
If he’d known how crazy Antonio was, Preston would’ve stayed a virgin. Just his luck he gave it up to a psychopath.
Why was he even thinking about that right now? There was a hot guy standing in front of him who wasn’t even human.
Zeppelin gestured toward the bed. “I promise not to touch you, sunshine. I just want to talk.”
Preston inched closer, then slowly eased onto the very edge of the bed, ready to bolt if Zeppelin made one wrong move.
Gave one wrong twitch.
Zeppelin sat at the foot, forearms resting against his knees, looking as if he carried the weight of the world on those powerful shoulders.
Preston couldn’t stop trembling, unsure if it was from fear or the overwhelming need to scoot even closer. “Okay. I’m s-sitting. Now what?”
“It’s killing me that you’re shaking and I can’t hold you.” Zeppelin glanced at him, and Preston could’ve sworn he saw a hint of anguish in those honey-brown eyes. “That my own mate won’t let me bring him comfort.”
As badly as Preston wanted to go to him, not yet. “I’m still not fully understanding what’s going on.” He slipped his shirt over his head, the cotton fabric soft against his skin. “And what did you just call me?”
Zeppelin lounged sideways on the bed, propping himself up on one elbow.
Preston just stared at him, at the gorgeous man so relaxed in his bed. He looked so easy in his skin, like nothing could touch him. What scared Preston was how badly he wanted to crawl over to the guy and burrow under him. Zeppelin just proved he wasn’t human, and it seemed Preston’s traitorous body couldn’t have cared less.
