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Panting and exhausted, I stopped running and lifted my face toward the sky. Speckled sunlight came through the canopy and I closed my eyes to enjoy the feel of the autumn rays on my fur. The wind rustled the trees, creating a symphony just for us. Wrapped in pine and Luke’s comforting, masculine scent, I felt at peace.
When I opened my eyes, I found his wolf watching me. There was a curiosity in his expression, but it was patient, unrushed. After I shifted my weight to indicate that I was ready to move, he guided us back the way we’d come. We walked this time, and I took in the woods around me, marveling at the life surrounding us. Birds darted from trees as we approached and several rabbits scampered out of our way. I’d never felt so connected to a place in my life and for a moment, I let myself imagine staying here. Enjoying my life in this little pack.
The thought was terrifying, and I quickly pushed it away. I was getting ahead of myself. Caught up in the bliss of reuniting with my wolf.
When we returned to our clothes, I shifted back, then quickly changed. My body was sore and tired, but I wasn’t feeling the pain I’d woken with.
Luke had his jeans back on, but his tee was slung over his shoulder. “Hey, your bruises are gone.” He stepped closer, his hand moving to my hair, checking the for the wound. I tensed in anticipation of his touch, but didn’t feel any pain.
With a lazy smile, he pulled his hand away. “Look at that. Your wolf helped you heal.”
I touched my scalp and confirmed that all remains of the cut were gone.
“Welcome back,” he said. “You did good. I think you’ll be able to make quick progress.”
Inside, my wolf seemed to blush at the acknowledgment.
ChapterTwenty-One
Luke
Every time we shifted,Morgan got faster and more at ease. Her footing was steadier and her confidence soared. I could tell she was enjoying it more with each run through the woods. After a week of shifting and running to build her strength, I thought she was ready for the next steps.
“You want me to shift back and forth?” she sounded skeptical. “Why would I do that? Wouldn’t it be better to just run away in wolf form?”
“There could be times you need to adjust from one form to the other quickly. It’s a good idea to practice,” I said.
She frowned, not looking like she was buying the idea.
“Watch me,” I suggested, already pulling my tee over my head. When I got to my jeans, I hesitated, realizing that we’d been turning away from each other before and after every shift. She’d never seen me without my pants on and I’d never seen her fully naked.
I’d seen every member of my pack naked and it didn’t even phase me. It was part of being a shifter. But now that I was facing removing everything in front of her, I was nervous.
Where had that come from? I wasn’t a stranger to being naked around women both in shifting and in more intimate spaces. This shouldn’t be an issue, but butterflies in my stomach stole my concentration, making me feel different about this.
It feltpersonal.
“Well?” She crossed her arms over her chest impatiently.
I huffed out a breath and shook my head, forcing the ridiculous thought away. Besides, I’d caught her checking me out enough times to know she appreciated what she saw.
That brought me back. I watched her trying to not look down as I removed my jeans and as soon as she lost the fight with herself, her face flushed pink. I laughed.
She scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Get over yourself.”
“You’re the one who keeps checking me out. You couldn’t resist,” I said.
Her jaw tensed.
“Like what you see?” I teased.
She shrugged. “I’ve seen bigger.”
“Oh, have you?” I laughed, knowing that it was taking every ounce of her self-control to pretend she didn’t enjoy looking at me naked. I felt taller, buoyed by the fact that I knew she liked me.
Well, at least she liked what I looked like.
Shit.I had to stop doing this to myself. During the last week, I’d discovered that Morgan was funny and smart. She had a wicked sense of humor. She was also strong, determined, and savagely loyal to her friend.
