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“He won’t be a stranger once you get to know him,” Sam stated from the larger sofa where he sat with Ryan.
Are they talking about me?
Scowling at Sam, Nathan stated, “But you said he’s stuck in his wolf form right now.” He rubbed the back of his neck as he straightened in his chair. “How can I get to know him like that? And do you have any idea how long he’ll be trapped in that form?”
Yup. They’re talking about me.
“Ah, so this is why Khan was so excited.” Congo’s deep voice came from behind him, drawing attention to them both. The brown bear shifter chuckled softly. “Good to see you finally turned up, Nathan.”
Nathan’s focus fell on Khan, and he stared at him with an inscrutable expression for one heartbeat, two. After downing the rest of his drink, he set the tumbler aside. He licked his lips as he rubbed his palms over his thighs.
“So, Kontra said you understand while in wolf form, Khan,” Nathan stated, staring at him. “And you recognized something in my scent that makes you think I’m your mate.”
Evidently, the others had already done a lot of explaining.
When Nathan continued to stare at him, Khan realized his mate expected some type of reaction. He dipped his chin in a nod.
“And you can’t shift right now,” Nathan continued slowly, seeming to still be wrapping his brain around the information he’d been given. “But under normal circumstances, werewolves, or shifters, rather, can change at will.”
Right. I need words. I need my human form.
Crouching, Khan blew out a slow breath as he closed his eyes. He reached for his human form. Khan knew he wasn’t fast, but he could shift, and he needed to prove it.
Chapter Five
Nathan gaped as the wolf he knew as Khan began to change shape right there in front of him. Sure, Kontra and the others had claimed it happened, but as the saying went, seeing was believing.
Fur seemed to sink into the wolf’s skin. His body rippled and contorted. The sound of muscles popping, bones creaking, and tendons snapping filled the room. The noise set Nathan’s teeth on edge, and his mouth was suddenly so dry he wanted another bourbon.
Then Nathan’s mouth felt dry for a whole new reason.
Ten feet in front of Nathan knelt the prettiest man he’d ever seen in his life. Expressive pale gray eyes met Nathan’s own through the fall of messy, tawny-colored hair. The lean, toned man nibbled his bottom lip before swallowing hard enough that his Adam’s apple bobbed.
A surge of desire to taste those lips, to nibble that Adam’s apple, rushed through Nathan faster and harder than he’d ever felt anything in his life. He would trickle sipping kisses down his long neck and across his torso. Nathan wanted to suckle the pretty little nipples on display before traveling down the lean lines of his abdominals to the treasure trail that led to his naked prick.
Wait. Naked.
Jumping to his feet, Nathan surged forward. He swiftly began stripping his coat from his shoulders.
The move must have startled the pretty man, for he jerked backward, falling on his butt.
Nathan felt horrible when he spotted the fear filling his gray eyes. “Shit, sorry,” he muttered, holding out his jacket. “Didn’t mean to”—Nathan crouched and began wrapping the fabric around the naked man—”startle you.”
“I-It’s okay.” The man’s voice came out a soft tenor that did funny things to Nathan’s stomach. He accepted Nathan’s jacket, sliding his arms into the sleeves. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Nathan hesitated, not yet wanting to pull away. With his hands still on the slender male’s shoulders, he asked, “Can I help you up?”
“Hmmm,” Kontra mused. “I’m guessing that’s not your first shift since we rescued you.” He arched one dark brow questioningly. “Something you want to tell us, Khan?”
“Khan shifted?” Payson hollered before rushing into the room. The guy had either already been heading their way, or he’d been eavesdropping. Sliding to a stop a few feet away, Payson grinned broadly at them. “About damn time.” Then the redhead cocked his head and smirked at him. “And already wearing your mate’s clothes. Damn, man. You work fast.” Payson finished by giving him two thumbs up.
Frowning, Nathan slid an arm around Khan’s shoulders as he helped him to his feet. “He was nude in the middle of a room full of people,” he stated defensively as he led him over to a free sofa. “Of course, I offered him my jacket.”
Fortunately, said jacket, which fit Nathan’s larger, broader frame, was a bit large on Khan. It fell to the tops of the other man’s thighs. When Nathan helped to seat him on the sofa, he quickly grabbed the throw blanket from off the back and wrapped that around him, too, before taking a seat beside him.
Glancing around the room, Nathan noticed a number of amused expressions on the other men’s faces. “What?”
Why the hell are they all looking at me like that?
