Page 42 of Forbidden Devotion
“What are you going to tell the others?” Nathan veered back to the original subject.
“Same thing I told you. It’s not a secret. I wanted to make sure you were cool with it.”
“I got your back. And apparently, so does Sinclair.” Nathan snorted and dodged the fake punch Mitchel threw his way. “Erika’s gonna be pissed that you’re off the market.”
“Something tells me she has better things to do with her time anyway. I’ll let you finish your food.” Mitchel gave him an affection pat on the back. “See you for the full moon.”
“Right, boss.”
“Hey, Nathan?”
“What?”
“Thanks. If you ever need to talk, come to me.”
“I will.”
* * *
Full moon celebrationswere a time-honored tradition for werewolves, and Mitchel loved leading his pack into the forest to shift and run. A time to let loose, stretch out their legs, and howl, leaving the problems of the modern world behind and embracing their animal nature. It was a joy he looked forward to all month long.
Prey animals were abundant in the wooded lands beyond Borson campus, and hunting was a favorite sport among the pack. Some wolves still enjoyed games of chase and wrestling. Mating was never out of the question under the moon’s hazy light, and Mitchel steered clear for the sake of their privacy.
For Mitchel, tonight would be an opportunity to share something significant with Sinclair. To see how serious this thing between them was becoming. Did he really want to pursue something with a vampire? More time together would help him decide.
Telling the rest of them had gone smoothly. Sinclair had done a thorough job of winning the pack over because aside from a bit of whining from Charlie, nobody objected. Most of them just teased him lightheartedly about the new relationship. The pack cared about Mitchel’s happiness more than he’d known.
As Mitchel approached the wolves’ dorm, he overheard Sinclair’s voice. “I’m not going to have to see you all naked, am I?”
“Not unless you want to, pretty boy,” Nathan teased.
“No one wants to see you naked.”
“Plenty of people want to see me naked. I just haven’t met any of them yet.”
Sinclair was laughing as Mitchel joined them. A private little smile tugged at his lips, which Mitchel returned.
“I’m not going to be able to keep up with you guys all night. I’m going to end up lost, aren’t I?”
“You’ll be fine,” Mitchel assured him. “I’ll stay with you.”
“But I don’t want to hold you back. Plus, you owe me a deer.”
Charlie’s brows shot up. “You promised him a deer?”
“I might have.” He turned back to Sinclair. “It’ll still be fun for me, you’ll see. And for the rest of you”—he addressed the young pack of wolves—“no picking on Sinclair. Be safe, have fun, and howl if you need me. Now, go on ahead without us. We’ll follow you.”
A fleeting chorus of human howls and cheers pierced the silence of the night sky as the rowdy bunch took off in their two-legged forms toward the tree line.
“There, this way you don’t have to see anyone naked,” Mitchel said.
“I wouldn’t mind seeing you naked.” Sinclair grinned, his cheeks going scarlet.
Mitchel loved the bold flirting mixed with the bashful response. “That can be arranged, but it’s hardly fair. You’ve already seen me, but I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing you.”
Sinclair balked. “Do you expect me to run naked?”
“You could. I certainly wouldn’t stop you.” Mitchel’s wolfish grin widened.
