Chapter 11
ELEVEN
DAWSON
The scent hit me before I saw him.
It was Parker. His scent along with a woodsy aroma and anger tangled together and my wolf whined in distress. I'd been so focused on finally getting to shift and allowing my wolf to run free that I hadn't noticed.
Parker and I had spent so much time together because he'd stayed at my house for weeks because of the damage to his street. We'd grown so close but my wolf needed to take his fur. Somehow Parker had followed me and watched me shift.
Our eyes met across the clearing, and the color drained from his face. He looked like he might be sick, or run, or both. But he just stood there, frozen behind that tree, staring at me as if I was a monster. In his mind, I probably was.
I shifted back immediately and stood naked as Parker finally moved and tugged at his hair. Tony was still in wolf form but I ignored him.
"Parker." I cleared my throat and tried again. "Parker please wait." Oh gods I'd ruined everything.
He took another step back. "You're a… no you were a wolf."
"I can explain."
"You turned into a wolf." There was no inflection in his tone as if he was trying to piece together what he'd seen. "That wasn't real."
Tony shifted back. "I'm going to give you two some privacy." He grabbed his clothes and disappeared into the trees, leaving us alone in the clearing.
Parker's eyes tracked Tony's departure, then came back to me. "There are more of you."
"Yes." I pulled on my jeans, needing the barrier of clothes for this conversation. "We're called shifters and we live among humans."
"And you didn't think to mention this?" His voice cracked. "We've been working together for eight months. We've been dating and we've had sex. And you never thought to say 'Oh, by the way, I turn into a wolf'?"
"I wanted to tell you." I took a step toward him, and he immediately stepped back, putting up his hand and telling me to stay away. "Parker, please. Let me explain."
"You lied to me." His hands were shaking. "You said you were sick. That was fake so you could what? Come out here and run around as a wolf?"
"I need to shift regularly, especially around the full moon." I shrugged. "If I don't, my wolf gets agitated and he's harder to control. It's not an excuse, but it's the truth. I should have told you, but I didn't know how."
"How about 'Parker, I'm a shifter'? That would have been a start.
" He laughed but it was harsh and there was no laughter in his eyes.
"Gods, I thought you were cheating on me.
I saw you pick up that guy and I—" He shook his head and stamped his foot.
"I followed you like some paranoid stalker because I thought you were lying about being with someone else.
Turned out you were just lying about being human. "
The pain in his voice cut deeper than any physical wound. "I wasn't trying to hurt you."
"But you did." He finally met my eyes. "You lied to me, Dawson. Just like Callan lied. Just like everyone lies. And the worst part is, I was starting to trust you."
"You can trust me."
"Can I?" He gestured at the clearing, at the impossible thing he'd just witnessed. "What else haven't you told me? What other secrets are you keeping?"
This was it. The moment where I either lost him forever or fought for what we had. "The wolf that saved you during the hurricane. That was me."
He let out a deep breath. "I figured that out when I recognized your wolf."
"I saw you fall into the water. My wolf took over before I could think. I shifted and pulled you out." I took another step toward him, and this time he didn't back away. "I couldn't let you drown, Parker. You're important to me. More important than keeping my secret."
"You saved my life." His voice was barely a whisper.
"Yes."
"And then you yelled at me for being reckless."
"Because I was terrified." How did I explain that he was my everything? "I'd just revealed myself to save you, and all I could think was what if you'd died? What if I'd been too late? So I got angry instead of scared, and I took it out on you which was wrong."
Parker was quiet and when he finally spoke, his voice was steadier. "Why didn't you tell me afterward when we started dating?"
"Because I didn't know how." I ran a hand through my hair. "Shifters don't usually tell humans about ourselves. It's not safe for us or for them. If the wrong people found out..." I shook my head. "But I was going to tell you, I just needed to figure out the right way."
"I guess there is no right way to tell someone you're a shifter." He jammed his heel into the soft dirt. "I get that it must have seemed impossible to broach the subject.
"You're right." I moved closer, and this time he let me. We were only a few feet apart now. "I'm sorry for lying about being sick and for not telling you sooner. I'm a butthead for making you think I was like your ex. I'm not, I promise. I would never cheat on you."
"You did hurt me." His voice was calmer and not accusatory. "It's not about who you really are though that's a lot to take in. That's not a dealbreaker. It's the lying. You made me think you were sick when you were coming out here and I thought I couldn't trust you."
"I'll spend however long it takes making it up to you." I reached out slowly, giving him time to pull away. When he didn't, I took his hand. "I care about you, Parker. More than I've cared about anyone in a long time. You're my—"
I stopped, but I'd just promised no more secrets. No more lies. If I was going to do this right, I had to tell him everything.
"You're my mate," I finished. "Fated mate. It's a shifter thing. When we meet the person we're meant to be with, our wolf recognizes them and so does the human part of us. It's an unbreakable bond that's permanent and instinctive."
Now Parker's eyes grew wide and he fisted his hands. Damn was that a deal breaker? "Mate as in soulmates?"
"Something like that. It doesn't mean you have to feel the same way. It's just what me and my wolf feel." I squeezed his hand. "I'm not trying to pressure you or freak you out more than I already have. But I promised no more secrets, and that's an important one."
Parker nibbled his bottom lip and avoided my gaze. "You're a lot, did you know that?"
"Yeah. It's one of the reasons I never let people get too close."
"You've already apologized enough." He took a breath. "I'm glad you told me and didn't keep that secret tucked away" He managed a small smile. "How long have you known?"
"My wolf was trying to tell me the day before we met that early morning in the café but I refused to listen because I was scared. But it got to the point where I couldn't ignore it. And I didn't want to. You're my everything."
Maybe that was too much but he'd wanted honesty.
"You might be my everything too."
Relief flooded through me. He wasn't rejecting the bond outright. He needed time, which was understandable.
"I didn't run away."
"The day's not over yet." I was teasing him and hoping it wasn't too soon. "And I want us to work if you'll give me another chance."
Parker looked down at our joined hands, then back up at me. "I need you to promise me something."
"Anything."
"No more lies. Even if the truth is hard or scary or you think I can't handle it." His grip tightened on my hand. "I can handle you being a shifter. But no more lies."
"I promise." I pulled him closer, relief flooding through me when he came willingly. "No more lies or secrets. You want to know something about shifters, about me, you ask and I'll tell you."
"Even the weird stuff?"
"Especially that."
He laughed. "Okay. So there is weird stuff. I can work with that."
I wrapped my arms around him, and he melted into the embrace. His scent was calming with the fear and hurt fading. Maybe this was how forgiveness smelled.
"One more thing, if you agree to be my mate, I have to mark you."
He asked how that worked and I explained my wolf would scratch him.
"Okay but can we leave that for the future."
I agreed though my wolf wanted it done yesterday.
"For the record," he said against my chest, "the wolf thing is actually kind of cool."
"Yeah?"
"But I have questions. Though right now…" He pulled back to look at me. "Kiss me?"
I didn't need to be asked twice. I cupped his face and kissed him, pouring everything I couldn't say into it. I experienced relief that he was still here, still mine, and still willing to try.
When we pulled apart, he was smiling. "We should probably get out of these woods before your friend comes back."
"Good idea."
We walked back to the cars hand in hand, and I felt lighter than I had in weeks. The burden I'd been carrying had been lifted.
We reached my truck, and I turned to face Parker. In the dappled forest light, he looked beautiful. He was rumpled and confused but he was still here despite everything.
"Thank you," I said. "For not running away. For giving me another chance."
"Thank you for being honest. Finally." But he was smiling slightly.
"Parker." The words stuck in my throat, but I forced them out. "I love you. I should have said that earlier. I love you, and I'm sorry I hurt you, and I promise I'll spend every day making it up to you."
His eyes went bright with tears. "Say that again."
"I love you."
"I love you too." His voice was barely more than a whisper. "Gods help me, but I do."
I closed the distance between us and kissed him. Really kissed him, not the quick press of lips from before but deep and desperate and full of everything I'd been holding back. He made a small sound and grabbed onto my shoulders, kissing me back just as fiercely.
When we finally pulled apart, both breathing hard, he was smiling.
"We're going to figure this out," he said. "Together."
I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him close, and the world tilted back so everything was as it should be.
Parker pulled back slightly. "So, tell me about this shifter stuff. What do I need to know?"
I smiled and took his hand, lacing our fingers together. "Well, shifters need to shift regularly, especially around the full moon."
I was explaining the basics of shifter biology like how often we needed to shift, what the full moon felt like, and why we had better senses even in human form when Parker grabbed my arm.
One second he was fine and the next, the blood drained from his cheeks and he grabbed me for support.
"Dawson?" His voice was panicking. "I'm not okay."
His legs were unable to hold his weight and I steadied him before he crashed headlong into a tree.
"Parker!"