Chapter 21
Tyler
After letting the Lawsons know everything was okay and that they were clear to head out hunting for the evening, we packed up and hit the beach.
Hudson’s only stipulation was that we brought the grimoire along so he could keep researching in between our brief delves into Lake Superior.
While it was the cleanest source of fresh water in the western hemisphere, it was also the coldest of the Great Lakes.
Your skin would turn beet red if you stayed in the deeper parts for long, so the shallows that surrounded the Garland property were our usual hangouts.
After swimming a little too far in and my skin turning the shade of a lobster, I took a turn skimming the pages of Hudson’s family spellbook, spread out on a large towel in the grassy portion of the shore to avoid the rocks.
There was no way I was actually going to accomplish anything, thumbing through the grimoire absentmindedly as my eyes kept flitting up to watch Hudson splash Em, only to get his scrawny ass scooped up and hauled underwater, squealing with laughter as they vanished beneath the surface.
My smile faded as the notion of the three of us living a normal, boring life came back to me. I’d never been enamored with the supernatural growing up alongside those two, but now, after deciding I’d become a werewolf too just to stand beside them for as long as possible…
It felt like I was losing something.
Even if Hudson bound both sides of his magic and we took off across the country, and Emery kept his shifts to full moons just to quell the beast inside, I’d still feel like I was on the outside looking in.
Sure, I could be there to help Hudson adapt.
I could help Em get all his pent-up wolf energy out with a few rounds of hot naked grunting.
I could get another boring day job, put in the office time and come home to two absolutely amazing guys day after day until I died a normal mortal death long before either of them.
Maybe that would be enough.
“Aww, come on, Em!” Hudson’s whine pulled me out of my melancholy, and my eyes snapped up again. “Ty got to see you shift!”
“It’s still daylight, Hud!” Emery groaned, rolling his eyes before swatting a face full of water at him. “You want both of us on a hitlist? A heretical witch and his rule-breaking wolf, undesirables number one and two?”
With a pout, Hudson leapt out of the water, wrapping his arms around Emery’s shoulders from behind and tucking his legs around his waist. “Yes! If I’m going down, you’re going down with me! Now shift, puppy dog!”
Growling in his throat, Emery simply dropped to his side, taking them both under the water again. I dropped the grimoire, laughing my ass off as I stood, striding toward the surf. Emery finally came back up, and Hudson was still stuck to him like a barnacle.
“I can stay here all night,” Hudson sputtered, burying his face in the crook of Emery’s neck, squeezing him tighter. “Only way to get me off is if you’re too big for me to hold on to, I guess.”
“Why do you want to see me shift so bad?” Emery grumbled, latching his hands over Hudson’s. “You’ve seen wolves before. I look just like them.”
“I don’t know, firesnout,” I shouted, folding my arms over my bare chest. “Never seen a pretty red coat like that before.”
Em’s eyes narrowed on me. “You’ve seen five werewolves in total, sweetcheeks, and I’m the only one that’s been fully shifted.”
Giving a shrug, I shook my head. “Still the prettiest werewolf I’ve ever laid eyes on.” I shot him a wink, grinning.
“Don’t encourage him, Tyler,” Emery growled, trying to peel Hudson off him without any real effort. “Anyone could come by and see me. We don’t need that trouble.”
“We’re on private property, Em,” I said, taking a few steps closer to them. “And can’t Hud just like… mind wipe them or something if we’re spotted?”
“Probably,” Hudson cocked his head in thought. “Never tried before, but I bet blood ma—” Emery fell backward into the water, cutting him off. Hudson emerged first, leaping away with a splash. “Oh, shit! I didn’t think he’d actually do it!”
“Do wha—” I took several steps back as water churned in the place Emery had gone under. “Oh.”
The crystal clear surface showed everything as his body morphed beneath.
Red hair, darkened by the water, erupted from his skin.
His arms elongated and his legs snapped back, then forward, creating an additional bend.
The dark green swimsuit he’d been wearing was shredded, fabric floating to the surface.
Water burst upward as Emery breached the surface, cascading outward to reveal the magnificent beast he’d become, far clearer than I’d witnessed him in the dark woods.
A gigantic creature, standing at least seven feet tall—a hulking, humanoid wolf-man that should’ve sent me screaming in terror.
And all I could do was stare.
Beads of water trickled off his majestic coat.
Flaming red fur adorned his head and his limbs, turning white beneath his jaw and continuing down his chiseled pecs and abs.
Jagged claws extended from his hands. Glistening with droplets, his black nose twitched as he inhaled deeply, his long muzzle opening to reveal deadly fangs.
His bright golden eyes glittered in the sunlight, slowly settling on Hudson where he stood in front of him.
“Emery…” Hudson breathed his name in awe as he took a step toward him without even a glimmer of fear in his eyes, reaching for him with both hands. “You’re beautiful.”
Emery jerked backward as Hudson closed the space, his chest heaving.
“It’s okay,” Hudson whispered, carefully threading his fingers into the fur at Emery’s neck, just below his jaw. “You won’t hurt me. I know you won’t. You’re my wolf, remember?”
A canine whine left Emery’s throat as he pressed into Hudson’s touch, closing his eyes.
Tears clouded my vision as I watched them, their connection visible in every movement, every breath and expression as Emery knelt in the water in front of Hudson, just letting him love on him.
Hudson wrapped his arms around the great wolf’s neck, burying his face in his fur.
After a beat, Emery’s giant arms surrounded Hudson, holding him close.
Whatever I thought I understood of the bond between a Garland witch and a Garland wolf was completely rewritten in mere moments, seeing such a beast become completely docile in his witch’s embrace. And I got to witness it.
Unfortunately, I also craved it, being so completely Hudson’s like that.
“Ty…” Hudson’s eyes were on me, his hand outstretched. “Come here.”
My lips parted with a shaking inhale as my gaze flitted between his hand and his eyes. I waited for Emery to give me a sign, anything to tell me that it was alright for me to approach. He seemed to be in another world, totally lost in Hudson.
As if his wolf had been dying to meet the boy he yearned for face to face after all those years.
“It’s okay,” Hudson said softly, waving his fingers inward. “You’re part of this, too, Tyler. Part of us. Emery knows that.”
Blowing out a tense breath, I waded forward slowly, watching for any change in the wolf’s demeanor. None came. Emery’s deep breaths made his entire form rise and fall as I reached out, daring to touch the fur on his shoulder. “He was not this chill when he shifted in the woods.”
A heavy huff of air left Emery’s muzzle, almost like a laugh.
“You mean when you were hunting the bitch that wanted to kill me?” Hudson laughed, placing his hand over mine on Em’s shoulder. “He’s a wolf, Ty. He was in murder mode, trying to protect someone he cares about.”
“Still… it’s wild to see him like this.” I reached behind his ears, speaking with a cute baby voice. “You really are just a big ol’ puppy dog, aren’t you?”
A rattling growl left Emery, and his eyes opened as he turned his massive head to face me, baring his teeth.
Throwing up both hands with a step back, I sputtered, “Okay, you’re a big bad wolf. Do not eat me, Emery, or so help me, I will give you the worst stomach ache of your life.”
Emery’s massive, flat tongue slid out of his mouth, laving up my neck, over my cheek and right into my hair, covering me in slobber.
“Dick,” I grumbled, splashing water on my face to remove the drool.
Hudson laughed so hard he had to clutch his stomach.
The gorgeous sound made Emery whip back to him, running his tongue up Hudson’s bare skin, licking from his navel to his neck over and over.
“Emery, stah-hah-haap!” Hudson cackled, trying to shove the massive wolf back to no avail. “Quit it, you big furball!”
Still laughing, Hudson threw himself into Emery’s chest, wrapping his arms around his thick neck.
Emery let out a chuff as he dropped back on his ass, creating a wave that engulfed me completely.
Even spitting water out of my mouth, I couldn’t help but smile so wide it hurt as Emery lifted Hudson up with incredible ease, then dropped him with a crash before locking that predatory gaze on me.
“No!” I shouted as his gigantic, furry hand wrapped around my waist, pulling me helplessly into his arms. “Emery, put me down!” I wailed as he vaulted me up into the air, dropping me right beside Hudson, covering him in water just as he resurfaced.
When I could breathe again and managed to get the water out of my face, Hudson had Emery’s huge foot in both hands, his jaw hanging open with wide eyes. “Look at those beans!” he squealed, squishing the pads of Em’s toes with his thumbs.
I didn’t know if werewolves could roll their eyes, but it looked like Em was trying. He tugged his hairy leg away and grabbed Hudson around the stomach with both hands, pulling him into his lap to straddle his waist and nuzzling him with his head.
“I know, Em,” Hudson cooed, rubbing his face against Emery’s fur as he settled on top of him. “You’re not a dog. You’re a werewolf. A big, strong, dangerous werewolf. And you’re ours.”