her. He searched her eyes, then turned and lapped at the creek water.
He was so sure of himself. So confident. And sure, she’d taught herself how to appear that way, but this wolf was oozing authentic steadiness. He was king of any woods he stepped foot into, and he knew it.
And she was…well…confused.
Her paws sank into the mud as she leaned down to take a drink. His were twice the size of hers, easily. When he perked up beside her, she shied, crouching, but through the bond, he said, “Drink all you want, Wolf. I’m watching out.”
So she did. She hadn’t eaten much today, and her stomach felt hollow. She drank until the water eased the emptiness. And when she was finished, that big, seriously intimidating, red wolf bounded into the shallow water, splashing her. His tongue was lolled out to the side, and he wore a wolfish grin that she found interesting, even if she wouldn’t ever let him know that.
As she began to play, she was struck with how charismatic he was. This wasn’t the domineering wolf she remembered biting her those years ago. He was easy now. Fun. Out here in the woods with him, it was so easy to forget all the troubles of the human world she’d been trying to shove herself into.
Out here she could just…be. Like he’d said.
Every Change had come with stress, but here in the cool night air, soaking wet as they took off down the bank of the creek, she could feel her own wolfish smile stretching her face.
He’d said he would teach her to be a werewolf. And that was a gift.
He’d said he wouldn’t leave her. Another gift.
But this? Allowing her to relax, feel safe, and have fun for the first time in her existence?
He didn’t realize it, but it was the greatest gift of all.
Moments like these could cause a shift in a cold heart.
Chapter Seven
Summer’s entire body ached from the Change and from running around the woods all night.
With a sleepy sigh, she opened one eye, but the space next to her in the bed of the truck was empty. It was dawn. She could tell by the gray hues that were just streaking the sky on the horizon over the river. Wes had slept beside her last night, a fact she and Wolf were fully aware of, even when she’d been soundly sleeping. He took up so much more space than a man his size should take up. He filled the entire forest.
Wes sat on the edge of the tailgate near her feet. Frowning, Summer pushed the blanket aside and sat up on one crooked elbow. “Wes?”
He didn’t answer, only turned just enough so she could see his profile. The morning shadows chiseled his cheekbones even more. He didn’t have his hat on, and his hair was wet, dripping onto his shoulders, spotting the light gray T-shirt he wore. It was ripped in the back at the waistline.
She fidgeted with the neck of the too big T-shirt she’d borrowed from him to sleep in. The sleeve was completely ripped off. “I’m sorry I shredded some of your clothes.”
“They’re just things, Summer. They don’t mean much.” His tone held ghosts in it.
“Are you okay?”
“Just watching the sunrise.”
She sat up on her locked arm and stretched her leg out, poked him with her toe. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”
Wes shook his head, and there it was. There was Old Wes.
“You know when we were together before, I tried so hard to get through to you. To earn your trust so you would lean on me.”
“An impossible task,” he said softly to the sunrise.
“Yes,” she whispered, “an impossible task. I thought if I was good enough to you for long enough, you would eventually see how important I was.”
“I always saw that. I just didn’t show you enough. I know how much you did. I watched you spinning your wheels, trying to fix me.”
“Not fix you, you stupid boy. You could’ve stayed just as you were or changed altogether, and I would’ve loved you either way.”
Wes sighed, and some of the tension left his shoulders. She could tell because from here, in this dim dawn light, every muscle in his back pressed against the material of that thin T-shirt. “We should get going.”
“You’re ready to see Sam?”
He nodded.
“I remember this feeling so well.” He didn’t answer so she stood and folded the sleeping blanket he apparently kept in the back of his truck. “You were