Page 14 of Handcuffs & Honey

“Sounds like it,” Denali said. “We can keep asking around. Hopefully we’ll find someone who knew who the guy was.”

The wolf had tried to kill Cannon. It had latched onto his arm only because Cannon had stopped it from going for his throat. It had been a life-or-death situation, and he was glad Denali had shot the son of a bitch.

But Dominic still needed answers, and Cannon was determined to find those answers.

“Let’s go see if Roman saw the guy.” Because Ajax had given Cannon a description to go on, he would describe the stranger to Roman and hopefully the owner of Deep Dish had seen the prick.

Chapter Four

Julian let Dominic check his wound. He needed the distraction after his mind was blown by what he’d learned. The skin was a bit tender, and when Dominic peeled back the bandages, Julian grimaced at how awful it looked.

The doctor had done a good job stitching the gashes, but the wolf’s teeth had done some damage. It was the first time Julian had seen the gashes since they’d been cleaned and stitched. He was supposed to change the bandages every day, but he hadn’t been able to bring himself to do it.

“Looks like it’s healing,” Dominic said. “I think it might be okay to let them breathe for a bit.”

“They look hideous,” Julian said, examining his arm. There were two holes that were larger than the rest, where the wolf’s canines had punctured him. The other holes might heal and barely be visible, but those two were going to pucker and be with him for the rest of his life.

Julian wasn’t vain about his looks, but he didn’t want the constant reminder of what had happened and how a man who shifted into a wolf had tried to kill him. He was already dealing with nightmares, already afraid to be by himself in his own home.

“Hey.” Dominic touched Julian’s cheek until Julian looked at him. “Stop overthinking this.”

“Stop overthinking?” Julian repeated incredulously. “I was just thrust into a world where men can change into animals, was attacked by a vicious wolf, and now I find out the guy I’m digging on is not only a bear but he claims we’re soulmates. Right… There’s nothing to overthink, Dominic.”

“Come on.” Dominic got up, grabbed Julian’s hand, and pulled him from the floor. “Get dressed. We’re going out.”

“To where?”

“To get some fresh air, interact with people, maybe even get some coffee at Bluebird. I heard Ajax is making banana nut bread this week.”

Julian frowned. “Now I know why you eat a lot.”

Dominic patted his flat stomach. “I burn a lot of calories in my bear form.” He pointed to Julian’s arm. “By the way, if we were fully mated, that would have healed by now with no scars.”

Julian’s jaw dropped, and then he closed his mouth. “What’s fully mated?”

The guy wiggled his brows. “Sex. Raw, pleasurable, send-you-to-paradise sex, Julian. That’s how we seal our bond.”

Julian felt his face catch fire as he stared at Dominic, unable to stop his gaze from lowering to the man’s groin. He couldn’t help it. Julian would never forget how Dominic’s cock looked flaccid and could only imagine how large it would become when hard.

Dominic chucked. “First, we get out of the house. Then we can vibe on each other all evening, if you want.”

This had been the strangest week of Julian’s life.

“By the way,” Dominic said as he walked toward the bedroom door, “your boss is a snow leopard.”

That left Julian stunned as Dominic strode out. He tried to imagine Roman as a huge cat but couldn’t. The guy was large, like most of the gorgeous men in this town, but he couldn’t wrap his mind around it.

With a sigh, Julian dressed, hoping his day was uneventful and secretly looking forward to some warm banana nut bread with butter.

* * * *

As soon as Julian stepped inside the café, he felt like he was entering a warm and cozy home. The dark wood floors and walls created an atmosphere of comfort. His gaze fell on the chalkboard behind the counter where the day’s specials were listed in neat handwriting. Strands of soft white lights hung from the back wall and cast a gentle glow in the corner where there was a glass cake stand with a chocolate cake under its dome.

The delicious scent of banana nut bread filled the air, mingling with the steamy aroma of hot cocoa. Lumpy couches and overstuffed chairs were scattered about, just waiting for someone to sink into them. On one wall was a large stone fireplace, its blazing heat filling the room.

Dominic had been right. Getting out was doing Julian a world of good. He felt grounded, and the sense that his world had shattered drifted to the back of his mind. He ordered a slice of the nut bread, plus a hot cocoa with whipped cream.

When he and Dominic stepped outside, Julian inhaled deeply. The air was crisp and smelled wonderful.

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