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My jaw dropped. This was the last thing I expected him to say. “But isn’t that…demeaning?”
He laughed. “No, sugar, it would be my pleasure.” I bit my lip when he leaned in and sniffed my neck. “Damn, you smell good this morning. My wolf can’t wait to have your thighs wrapped around him.” The husky way he spoke the innocuous sounding words made my core clench. His nostrils flared and his eyes darkened.
My cheeks burned. Blushing at every little thing was just so embarrassing. Being pale-skinned really was a curse.
“What if I fall off?” I squeaked, already picturing myself head down in a pile of snow.
“You won’t fall off.” Cole strode out of the house wearing nothing but a pair of shorts, apparently oblivious to the cold. “If he drops you, I’ll drop him. Simple.”
“In your fucking dreams,” Silas retorted, but there was no real heat in the words. I’d come to realize that the threats they casually issued toward each other on a daily basis meant nothing. It was just stupid male posturing. A way to establish dominance.
It was the shifter way, Cole had told me. Endless bickering was apparently normal in a group of male alphas. All three of them were more or less equally dominant, so there was no pack hierarchy.
In a group of unrelated wolves, this would have led to fighting until one wolf emerged as the victorious alpha, but because these guys were brothers, that hadn’t happened. Instead, they argued, fought sometimes, and wound each other up like siblings loved to do the world over.
Cole dropped his shorts while I attempted not to stare at his dick. Of course, I failed miserably, and he smirked. He shoved his shorts in the rucksack and zipped it up. Once Tanner appeared, having locked up and set the alarm, they all shifted seamlessly.
I’d seen them shift dozens of times now, but it never failed to amaze me. How was it even possible? Surely the transition from man to beast had to be uncomfortable? When I’d quizzed him, Cole had assured me it wasn’t, other than the first time in adolescence.
Silas’ gray wolf trotted over, his tongue lolling out in a wolfy grin. He sat on his haunches next to me, so big that his massive head reached my shoulder. With a sigh, I pulled the rucksack over my shoulders and put my gloves on. I had dressed for the cold, but if the sun stayed out, the trip shouldn’t be too bad.
By Cole’s reckoning, the journey to the remote valley where the Full Moon party was happening would take us a few hours, with a couple of comfort stops thrown in for my sake.
I sighed. I got why I couldn’t stay here, alone in the cabin. It wasn’t safe. Even so, meeting new people - or rather shifters - scared me.
What if they hated me? I was human. There would be shifters there who didn’t agree with human-shifter relationships. Cole had explained we would almost certainly hear a few derogatory comments, but it was best to ignore them. He told me most shifters at the party were too scared of Tanner and his reputation to risk stirring shit. And if any were stupid enough to start something, Tanner would finish it.
Silas dropped to his belly and nudged my leg with his massive head. I took the hint and scrambled on to his back. His fur was soft and his back comfortable. This was going to take some getting used to, but once Silas felt me dig my fingers into the ruff around his neck and tighten my legs, he stood and set off at a gentle lope.
Tanner rubbed his head against my thigh. Then he headed off in front to check the way ahead was clear while Cole brought up the rear.
All I had to do was hold on tight and keep my balance.
Yeah, I could manage that.
Probably.
By the time we reached the narrow entrance to the valley, the sun was low in the sky and my ass was numb. Given how exhausted I was, despite doing virtually nothing all day, I figured Silas must feel ten times worse.
Each time we stopped for a drink and a snack, I’d asked him if he was OK. He didn’t shift back and answer. Instead, his wolf licked my face and grinned happily, so I guessed he was fine. Traversing miles of challenging trail was probably nothing to a fully grown wolf. No doubt they’d have arrived hours ago if they didn’t have to accommodate my needs, but it was pointless feeling guilty. I couldn’t help being a human.
The valley stretched out in front of us as we navigated the rocky path down. There was a track in from the opposite end, which was wide enough to allow vehicles through, but this was the more direct route from our end of the forest.
I could see a large timber and stone lodge in the distance, every window blazing with light. Smaller cabins were situated around it, with a few stone buildings here and there. A flat area lay to the right, dotted with campfires and tents. I assumed this was where we were camping, with a tent and other essentials provided.
String lights adorned trees, creating a charming, festive atmosphere. The main areas were free of snow, with tables with chairs arranged in small groups. Closer to the lodge, I could see a raised dais with a long table and several chairs, and then further over a dance floor. There was a band playing, a makeshift bar, and a huge bonfire with people stood around chatting, drinking, and enjoying the party atmosphere.
The guys stopped at the edge of the field and I slid off Silas’s back, wincing at the ache in my inner thighs. The three of them shifted back while I opened the rucksack and pulled out some sweats and shirts.
I looked away while they got dressed. Their casual approach to nudity still made me feel uncomfortable, and I hoped I didn’t have to spend the next 24 hours staring at a bunch of random dicks. That would be awkward as fuck.
Once they were decent, Silas grabbed the rucksack from me, threw an arm around my shoulder, and we followed Cole and Tanner toward the house. We’d got about halfway down the path when a young woman with long red hair came jogging over.
Like the guys, she was woefully under-dressed for the sub-zero temperatures. Her skinny jeans highlighted long, shapely legs, and the crop top she wore exposed taut abs and barely covered her tits, which bounced every time she moved.
She skidded to a halt beside Tanner and immediately leaned in to plant fire-engine red lips on his mouth.
“Baby, it’s good to see you,” she cooed, batting her eyes at him.
