answer honestly. I need the truth, not the dance around it.”
“Everyone’s scent is as difficult to mask, but their scent wouldn’t be as compelling to follow.”
“What do you mean?”
The words were like an invisible command. I stepped close and gently ran my hands down her arms as I leaned in to inhale deeply. A tremble ran through her, and I reminded myself to keep it as general as possible. If she knew just how much her scent called to me, my testicles would never survive the kneeing she’d give.
“Your scent calls to our kind. Remember Nana mentioning a certain scent calls to a Mate? Yours teases all of us. Calls us closer to test it, to see if you really might be a match for us.”
I nuzzled her cheek, and her breath caught. The flavor of her scent deepened, growing richer. My canines lengthened, and need clenched in my gut.
“And when you do that, it just about brings me to my knees,” I said softly against her ear.
Her embarrassment told me I’d said too much. She pulled away and retreated to the kitchen. I let her go, but followed closely behind.
“If my scent is hard to mask, and you can smell my trails crisscrossing the apartment, why would one of your kind need to lean in close to scent me?”
A shudder of fear ran through her, making me regret saying so much.
“I’m sorry for upsetting you. I didn’t think you—”
“Oh, no, not you,” she said quickly, turning to face me. “I just meant—” She exhaled heavily. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Fair enough. You know I’m here when you do.”
“I’m sorry, Emmitt. I’m just not ready to divulge all my secrets yet.”
“I understand.”
“Will you show me again how you shift?”
I studied her for a moment.
“Are you sure?”
Since the morning after I’d revealed what we were, her moments of fear and panic had decreased. Yet, each time she felt either emotion, it worried me that I’d finally pushed her too far and she’d leave.
“I’m sure.”
I led her out into the heat, waving at the boys as they called to us. Winifred and Jim were playing baseball with them. Winifred had probably joined to keep Jim in check.
She’s testing my abilities so keep the boys back here.
We will. Don’t show her too much. She’s taking a lot in very quickly.
She wants to see me shift again.
It might be better to hold back on a full shift.
Agreed.
The heat pressed in on us as we walked along the porch to the front. In the shade, it wasn’t too bad, but it would be hot in the sun. The front was an ideal place, though. Branches from the trees surrounding the space extended over the lawn by several feet, creating cool pockets.
Michelle stepped off the porch and walked to the center of the lawn. The sunlight glinted off her dark hair as she inspected the clearing.
“Nana said no full shifting. She doesn’t want me upsetting you.”
“Um, okay.”
I didn’t need her scent to know she was disappointed.
“Nana mentioned that the benefits of both forms differ. What are the attacking benefits of each form?”
She wanted to know how we fought? I wanted her to know everything, but found it odd that was the first thing she wanted to know. Well, maybe not odd. She was afraid of Blake and probably needed assurance that we could handle him.
She seemed to read my hesitation.
“I want to know the strengths and weaknesses of each form. Like speed, for example. How fast can you move?”
Speed was easy. Sprinting, I made it to the other side of the clearing in a second.
“Can you move as fast carrying someone?”
I grinned and ran toward her. Before she could focus on me, I had her in my arms and we were running the perimeter of the yard. Her breath caught from the wind, and she turned to bury her face in my neck.
I swallowed hard at the feel of her exhale on my skin. Her fingers clenched at my shoulders as I continued my sprint, waiting for her to signal she was done. The signal I got wasn’t one I expected. Her lips brushed the crook of my neck, the place where a Mate bit to establish a Claim. Too many emotions exploded in me for me to maintain control. Hope, lust, and aggression clouded my reasoning as I quickly set her on the ground and stepped away. In a crouch, I struggled to pull back the change that fought to burst forth.