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“They always said that they didn’t really know. As long as the item was close to their body—like their clothes, a wallet, or a set of keys in their pocket—it was there when they shifted back.”
He smiled. “There you go.”
“That didn’t answer my question. Your backpack is kind of close to your body. Why take it off?”
“Habit, maybe? Let’s just say it’s magic. I don’t know how the shift occurs exactly either.” He held up three fingers in a Boy Scout salute. “It just happens.”
She smiled and shook her head. “That’s not a good answer. I love science. There should be an explanation.”
Alex cupped her red cheeks. “Some things in the universe might never be understood.” Like why were his teeth sharpening and the hair on the back of his hands growing right now?Shit.
Alex lowered his arms and looked away. He wasn’t ready for Tawny to learn they were mates. When he’d met her a few weeks ago, his reaction to her had shocked him. Naturally, he pushed it aside, thinking that Tawny was just another beautiful woman. He put some distance between the two of them in the hopes that the next time they ran into each other, the sensual attraction would be gone.
Wrong.
He’d even pretended that he was checking up on her at the center to make sure they had a real connection. As soon as Alex saw her, the urge to kiss her was so strong he had to leave or chance making a fool of himself. Being part werewolf, Tawny would know what the signs meant—or so he believed.
Liam said he, too, had felt an incredible pull the first day he met her, but that he was sure it was because he hadn’t been with anyone in a while.
Alex and Liam had come to Wildwood to start their own company. Being distracted by the sexy brunette wasn’t in the plans. Unfortunately, Alex couldn’t keep his mind off her. To make matters worse, when they’d given Mason that first lesson, Alex had taken him aside and asked if Tawny was dating anyone. While Mason said she wasn’t, he hinted that she wasn’t into being with two men. If that were to happen, she’d have to choose between him and Liam. For Alex, that would be impossible to deal with.
He and Liam had shared women many times, and while pleasurable, neither believed any of them had been their fated mate.
After hiking with Tawny these past few hours, Alex realized she was the one for him. No doubt about it.
Tawny had taken off to do a little exploring in the opposite direction from where Liam had gone, but she promised she wouldn’t go too far. Leaves rustled, and he turned to find her traipsing back.
“Did you see anything?” he asked.
“No.” She scanned the woods where Liam had gone. “I wonder what’s taking him so long?”
“He doesn’t know the area, but I don’t think he’ll spend too much time searching.” Alex heard an animal scurrying toward them. Then the paws stopped for a moment before a man emerged from behind a thicket of trees. It was Liam.
“Speak of the devil,” he said. “So?”
“No luck,” Liam said as he adjusted his jacket. “I didn’t see any evidence of a campsite either.” He slipped on his backpack. “We need to head to your cabin if we don’t want to get caught in the storm. Dark clouds are brewing on the other side of the mountain.”
“Sure. It’s not that far.”
For Tawny’s sake, Alex hoped that was true. Luck was not on their side, however, as the weather suddenly turned on them. Those clouds decided to dump some snow sooner rather than later. At first, the light flakes came down slowly, but once the wind picked up, the snow slanted sideways, and the cold cut through his jacket like boiling water poured on a pile of snow.
What made trekking in the snow even more dangerous was that with each passing minute the visibility lessened dramatically.
As much as Alex wanted to hug Tawny to warm her up, they didn’t need to delay. Besides, if she turned him down, it would make things more awkward.
Tawny might not realize it yet, but they wouldn’t be heading back any time soon. Neither he nor Liam carried sleeping bags because it was more comfortable to sleep in their wolf form when they were outside, and he doubted she had one either. Hiking back three hours or more in a blizzard could be deadly for her.
She slipped, and when she landed on her butt, she let out an anguished cry. Both Liam and he rushed to her side. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. I’m embarrassed more than anything.” She lifted her hand, and Alex helped her up.
“Check to see if you twisted an ankle before you take a step.” Both he and Liam were trained in first aid. They needed it once they started teaching humans how to fight. Fists often caused some damage.
She tested both ankles. “I’m good, but damn it’s cold.”
“Need a hug to warm you up?”Crap. That wasn’t why she made the comment.
“I just need to move.”
