Chapter 25
The river was the logical place. Not too far away, not too difficult to get to, at least not the section of it that we were taking Marcus to.
Ell had suggested a picnic when Dom and Marcus were still asleep, and while I had worried about Marcus getting fed up with the short hike before we even got there, we’d made it.
And now he was actually impressed.
“This is so pretty.” He walked past Dom, who looked all kinds of pleased.
Here, the river was still slow and mostly shallow, though it already had spots where you’d sink in all the way to your waist. Pebbles lined the shore, and beyond them were grasses and flowers, a slice of meadow hidden in the woods.
Dom turned toward me while Ell followed Marcus. “Do you think he knows he’s even prettier than the river?”
I smiled and shook my head. Marcus was looking back with that sour-sweet look I was starting to love, having heard the comment.
“I don’t remember a river from the maps,” he said, walking right up to the water with Ell close by his side.
Dom and I joined them right where the water was lapping over the rocks.
“You must’ve missed it, Little Red.” Dom picked up a pebble, then tossed it into the water, where it sank with a satisfying pop.
Marcus reached up to scratch his head before remembering his stitches and flinching. “I never claimed to have memorized it. You don’t have to when you have the map on your phone.”
Ell put a hand on Marcus’s shoulder. “We know our way around. Dom is the most knowledgeable, especially in our territory. Stick with us.”
Marcus nodded. “No wandering off. Check.”
Ell kept holding on to Marcus, who didn’t seem to mind.
Dom threw another pebble into the water while I looked around.
This area was easily reachable from our property, but it was also relatively close to one of the parking spots the serious hikers often started from, so there was always a chance of running into people.
Nothing to worry about under normal circumstances, but with the possibility of a hunter out there, I’d rather be too alert than miss anything.
Dom stretched his arms over his head. “Should we find a spot to sit down?”
Marcus shuffled a fraction closer to the river. “Can I go in the water?”
I cocked my head. “You want to go for a swim?”
Ell shook his head. “Not with your wound.”
Marcus pointed. “No, I mean just go in the water. I just want to take my shoes off and walk in, get my feet wet. Have an adventure, you know?”
Ell rubbed Marcus’s back. “If that’s the most adventure you’re going to have, why not?”
Marcus unzipped his jacket, then stopped. “There’s nothing dangerous in there, right? I read this story about giant catfish once. Nothing like that in this river, is there?”
Dom was more than eager—he’d taken off his own shirt and shoes already. “I’ll protect you, Little Red.”
I started walking around our spot by the water.
I didn’t want anyone to see Dom shift, but I didn’t want him not to do it, either.
Marcus and Dom had found a tentative rapport between them, I was pretty sure, and it would be best for them and for us to deepen that.
It just meant the rest of us had to keep watch.
“Linc.” Ell put the backpack down against a large rock. “Mind me turning as well?”
I nodded. “Go ahead. I’ll stay here.”
Dom was already busy with his pants. Marcus looked from one of them to the other.
“You two realize I just wanted to take a few steps into the river?”
Dom shifted and loped over, circling around our mate’s legs. And then he nipped him on the butt. Marcus hopped around and made the pebbles grind under his feet.
“Hey!” Marcus was red in the cheeks, finally a healthy color. “That’s—hey, Linc, did you see what he just did?”
Dom yipped in pleasure. Ell was smiling while shaking his own shirt off.
“I saw.”
Marcus pointed at Dom, who was now splashing around near the shore.
“Harassment in the workplace. Make him stop.”
Dom huffed in delight, and I did my best to keep a straight face. “I’m afraid this isn’t a work excursion, but what was it you said? There’s lattes to be exchanged for butt stuff?”
Marcus’s eyes went wide. “That’s not what I said.”
I shrugged. “I mean, if someone offered me a really good flat white, I’d consider it.”
Ell laughed while getting out of his pants, which drew Marcus’s gaze. He was staring while Ell got naked and continued to stare as he shifted, exchanging skin for silver-gray fur.
On all fours, Ell was still the biggest among us. I watched him walk up to Marcus and rub his head against his belly, a sweeter gesture than Dom’s nip. What a sight this was though, our human mate and the two of them shifted, keeping him between them and watching over him like this.
There was a story my dad used to tell me when I was a kid, about a wolf and his human mate and how they’d followed the moon to the eternal night of the north, where the sky was awash with color.
The wolf had kept his fur to warm his mate, and while there was no danger of Marcus freezing out here, this moment reminded me of that, of taking whichever shape your mate needed to reach the goal you both were traveling toward.
Marcus patted Ell’s side and leaned on him while taking his own shoes off, then he rolled up his jeans.
“Okay, these rocks are not great to walk on. Doesn’t that bother them? Or are toe beans stronger than rocks?”
I kicked one of the little pebbles. “I’ve never thought about it.
I don’t usually come out here barefoot, you know.
Paws are better for running. Scratch that.
It’s having four legs that does that.” I closed the distance between us, and Ell easily switched positions with me to keep an eye out.
I put an arm around Marcus. “But I can only hold you like this.”
Dom raised his head to watch us. Marcus turned to face me, and like that, this was very nearly romantic rather than casual. I hadn’t been angling for that. Marcus raised his arms, hesitated for a moment, then put them around me. Then he stepped on my shoes with his bare feet.
“That’s better,” he said, his mouth very close to mine.
“Yes. I like it too.”
“Anyone ever tell you that you’re really tall?”
My fingers curled against his back. “Probably.”
“I think I like it. I have a really tall boss.” He looked up, his chin almost brushing against my chest. His moonstone eyes caught a ray of sunlight and shimmered. “Kiss me?”
The request was barely loud enough to hear, and he sounded uncertain. Not afraid, but…like he wasn’t sure he wanted me to.
I moved slowly, giving him time to pull back or turn away. He did neither.
Our lips met, and we kissed. It wasn’t like the electrifying and needy exploration from yesterday.
There was need there, yes, but also tenderness.
Something in Marcus’s demeanor reminded me of dry earth waiting for rain, and I thought, let me be the water you crave.
Let me soothe every crack and every lack you’ve suffered.
I had no idea whether it translated, but I knew we held each other tightly. Before too long, the kiss was everything I cared about, everything that mattered.
Except then Ell started growling, and Dom jumped out of the water and came to us.
I pulled away, and the world around me flooded back into my awareness. Marcus was still blinking up at me as if he wasn’t sure what had just happened when I heard them. They were coming our way, though they were on the other shore.
Branches cracked and leaves rustled.
“Well, well, well,” someone said.
I pulled Marcus to my side. The voice had jolted him to cling to me anyway though. I turned to see Steven across the water from us, a leer hiding the sour, jealous expression on his face.
Ell and Dom were on either side of us, eyes on Steven. They kept quiet. A big dog growling was more suspicious than just a big dog.
I cupped the side of Marcus’s head, pressing his face to my chest. “I hope you aren’t lost, but I’d be happy to point you in the right direction.”
Steven bared his teeth in challenge. Next to him, another man came into view, then a second.
“Isn’t that your man?” the second one asked.
I was barely paying Steven any mind now. The first of the two men, smaller and wearing a blue and white cap, was eyeing Dom and Ell.
“Are those sheepdogs?”
I nodded, my other hand stroking Marcus’s back. “Yup. Old French breed.”
Steven’s lips curled into a sneer. “That what you like now, Marc? For that guy to ruin your ass in the woods?”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Dom flatten his ears and almost go into a crouch as if he wanted to jump at Steven. He stopped halfway through, raised his ears back up, and moved a pebble with his snout, pretending to be a regular dog.
Marcus’s breathing was shallow, and he tensed against me.
I forced myself to smile at Steven. “Marcus mentioned you work for a university. I didn’t know the tone in academia had shifted this much. I’ll have to check in with my research friends and ask them about it. What department are you in again?”
Steven gasped. It was utterly satisfying.
He also, unfortunately, looked like he wouldn’t mind doing something stupid if only it could make him feel powerful again.
Marcus had done the right thing breaking up with him, and leaving town had been even better.
Whether he knew it or not, our mate had good instincts.
“You,” he started, clearly wanting to insult either me or Marcus or the both of us. He reconsidered. “You shouldn’t go running your mouth about me, Marc. I might start doing the same.”
I turned just enough to have a better view of everyone. “That sounds threatening. I’m sure you don’t mean it that way, of course. If you all aren’t lost, you’ll have to excuse us. We were just heading home.”
Steven snorted. The guy with the hat was still looking around. “Those your clothes?” he asked.
I nodded. “Yeah. We went in the water to cool off. We always bring a change when we head out here.”
He didn’t look like he was armed, but that meant nothing. The vegetation was thick enough that they could’ve left their weapons behind before making themselves seen. Steven was running with a crowd that had nothing to do with academia and that I’d rather not have in town or anywhere near our mate.
The guy with the hat gave me an oily smile. “I see. Well, we’ll be on our way then. Such a nice day out to see some of the local wildlife.”
That man was dangerous. He wasn’t dressed like a hiker, and neither of them had a backpack, at least not on them. Their shoes were the kind you’d get used to in the military, and the first guy was still eyeing Ell and Dom with too much interest.
I made myself smile. “Enjoy, then.”
I kept stroking Marcus’s back as they vanished into the underbrush again. Steven had that look on his face that promised he wasn’t done with Marcus yet. I didn’t care. All I cared about was getting Marcus back to the house as fast as possible.
Even after they were out of sight, we all stood listening. In fur, Ell and Dom were bound to have an easier time with that, so when Ell huffed and turned, I moved too.
“Marcus?” I tilted his head up until I could look into his eyes. They were full of fear. “Are you okay?”
His lips pressed tight. “Why is he everywhere? Why can’t he just leave me alone?”
I stroked his cheeks. “It’ll be fine. We’re going to head back home, okay?”
He nodded. “Yeah. Really wanted to go in the river.”
“I know. We’ll do it another time. Ready to go?”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
Marcus stepped off my feet and flinched. Ell came close to shield him and offer his back to steady him while he started pulling on his socks and shoes. I collected the clothing and the picnic bag, tying the laces of the shoes so I could carry them over my shoulder.
“Marcus, ready?”
He nodded and wiped his face, then stopped himself when it looked as if he was about to scratch the back of his head.
“Yes. Do we have to hurry? You sound like you want me to hurry.”
Dom turned and circled around, still sniffing the air as he prepared to take the lead.
He’d probably want to take a shortcut that wasn’t as easy to walk as the way here had been, but if push came to shove, I could always carry Marcus.
Ell stuck to his side while I tightened the straps of the bag and got ready to walk.
“We’ll go as fast as you can manage. You don’t have to be scared, Marcus. They’re gone. It’s best to get home though. Dom’s going to make you a fresh cup of tea once we get there.”
Marcus nodded. “Yeah. You sound very calm, but I don’t think you’re as calm as you sound. That guy was creepy.”
He looked over his shoulder but started walking toward Dom.
“Which one? Do you know either of them?”
Marcus shook his head. “No. I mean, they’re the guys from yesterday.
The ones Dom and I saw Steven sit with. I’ve never seen them before that.
The one on the left though, he was looking at me funny.
There was this one professor Steven was working with—or under, fuck if I give a shit anymore.
He was like that, kind of…the kind of guy that makes you want to take a shower after you’ve had a conversation with him. ”
I hadn’t noticed that, but I took Marcus’s word for it. “They really were not the academic type. Does Steven know a lot of people like that?”
We left the pebbled shore, and I fell in behind Marcus and Ell, who managed to stick to our mate’s side even without a clear path.
Marcus chuckled. “I don’t know. But that was a nice line about asking your buddies in academia about his manners. It’s the kind of thing he loathes.”
“I had a feeling. What do you mean you don’t know? You don’t know his friends?”
Marcus ducked under a pine branch, and a few squirrels dashed away as we made our way through their trees.
“I think I know his work buddies. But he likes to go hunting every now and then, you know? Where other people go for paintball, he has to shoot things and then have a barbecue after. I mean, yuck, am I right?”
Ell made a surprised, wolfish noise, and even if I could barely see Dom’s red fur, I could hear him growl.
“I’m beginning to realize that Steven is worse than we thought.”
Marcus snorted. “You and me both.”