Chapter 11
Jake slept badly.
At three fourteen in the morning he woke to scratching at his bedroom window.
He refused to look.
At three sixteen it stopped.
At three seventeen Noah climbed into bed beside him.
Jake opened one eye.
“You know there’s a guest room.”
“I heard it too.”
Jake moved over.
Noah lay on top of the blanket.
For several minutes they stared at the ceiling.
“You scared?” Jake asked.
“Yes.”
“Good.”
Noah turned his head.
“Good?”
“I’d be worried if I were the only one.”
Noah smiled.
Their hands found each other beneath the blanket.
Nothing supernatural happened.
No glowing.
No visions.
No magical bond snapping into place.
Jake liked that.
It was just Noah’s hand in his.
“Tell me about mates,” Jake whispered.
Noah groaned.
“We’re doing this at three in the morning?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because your aunt pulled the romance card.”
“Two of Cups is not the romance card.”
“That sounded suspiciously like something somebody says when it is absolutely the romance card.”
Noah laughed quietly.
Then grew serious.
“Mates are complicated.”
“Everything about you is complicated.”
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
Noah rolled onto his side.
“Some wolves recognize someone by scent. Sometimes immediately. Sometimes after years. Families turned it into mythology.”
“Destiny.”
“Yeah.”
Jake disliked the word.
Noah apparently smelled that too.
“It doesn’t mean ownership,” he said quickly. “Not in my family. Not the way I was raised.”
“Good.”
“You can recognize someone and still walk away.”
“Good.”
“You can love someone who isn’t your mate.”
“Also good.”
Noah hesitated.
“And sometimes two wolves recognize each other and choose it.”
Jake looked at him.
“Choose what?”
“Each other.”
Jake squeezed his hand.
“Do you recognize me?”
Noah’s eyes stayed on his.
“Yes.”
The answer landed quietly.
No thunder.
No wolf howl.
Just yes.
Jake swallowed.
“Since when?”
“The woods.”
“You told me you didn’t.”
“I lied.”
“You’re terrible at that.”
“I was terrified.”
“Of me?”
“Of wanting something while my entire life was falling apart.”
Jake understood that more than he wanted to.
“And the growling?”
Noah buried his face in the pillow.
Jake laughed.
“Oh, absolutely not. We’re discussing the growling.”
“No.”
“You growl when you’re excited.”
“Jake.”
“You growled when we kissed.”
Noah pulled the blanket over his head.
Jake laughed harder.
From beneath it came a muffled, “I could kill you.”
“You’d miss me.”
A pause.
Then Noah lowered the blanket.
“Yeah,” he said softly. “I would.”
Jake’s laughter faded.
He touched Noah’s cheek.
“Can I?”
Noah nodded.
Jake kissed him.
No urgency.
No hunter.
No stadium.
No reason except wanting to.
Noah kissed him back.
When they separated, Jake rested his forehead against his.
“I choose this.”
Noah’s breath caught.
“Jake.”
“I’m not saying forever. We’re eighteen. I don’t even know where I’m going to college.”
Noah smiled.
“Romantic.”
“I’m serious.”
“I know.”
“I’m saying I like you because you’re annoying and weird and eat six people’s worth of chicken. Not because a card or my nose tells me to.”
Noah’s smile widened.
“You think I’m weird?”
“You sniffed me before our first date.”
“We haven’t had a first date.”
Jake froze.
“That is unacceptable.”
“What?”
“We’ve nearly been murdered twice and kissed behind bleachers, but I haven’t taken you anywhere.”
“Priorities.”
“Tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow what?”
“Date.”
Noah looked delighted.
Then suspicious.
“Where?”
Jake smiled.
“Somewhere without silver, hunters, tarot cards, or nudity.”
Noah raised an eyebrow.
Jake reconsidered.
“Okay. The last one is negotiable eventually.”
Noah shoved him off the bed.
Jake hit the floor laughing.