While I couldn’t see the green in his eyes in the darkness of the night, his gaze still captured mine with ease. “Yeah.”
I managed a smile. “Remember what I said before, or do you need me to—”
“I’m good.”
Yes, he was.
I pursed my lips together, focussing on the energy vibrating off his body. His excitement buzzed through the air, its scent contagious. Without any more preamble, I shifted. While it wasn’t my record, it was fast, my intent to show off just a little. When my wolf eyes gazed up at him, this time having absolutely zero choice but to travel the length of his body, a tingle shot through me. He was wide-eyed, his mouth agape. Yeah, he was impressed. I puffed my chest out and gave a deep yip. He jumped and I grinned, sure I looked manic doing so in wolf form.
Thatch snorted, and he shook his head, his own grin forming on his face. “You were always a show-off.”
Heat bloomed through me. Such familiar phrases were getting a little easier. So many small moments of my and my sister’s history were slipping out of him, most of them happy. I’d decided it was best to try to embrace those and feel lucky for having them.
“Big head,” he mumbled. He followed it up with a wink, and I stepped back, waiting for his transformation to unfold.
Fifteen seconds later, Thatch in wolf form stood before me. Strong and dark, he looked every bit the predator I was sure he was. I’d learned some of his past over our late-night talks, but there was still so much more to discover.
My padded feet edged towards him. Every step I made was confident. While in wolf form, different instincts would surface in him. He was still Thatch, just a hell of a lot furrier and faster. I brushed against him, following my instinct to do so. It was something I would never have dreamed of doing in human form—’cause who in their right mind went around brushing themselves against people? I snorted internally.
He leaned into me as my heat touched his. The connection was understandable, since it was my sister who had turned him. It meant we were genetically of the same pack. We were bonded in some way. Magically, mystically linked. Obviously my lusting after him also had something to do with it.
Content from our touch, I nipped at his flank, then bounded away.
The pounding of his large paws was surprisingly soft behind me. I’d expected him to be swift, but not quite stealthy, considering his size. A quick glance to the rear and I continued forward, doing a loop already around the property. He was barely a metre behind me, his presence familiar. We didn’t charge or push our speed or our abilities. Instead, we kept a steady pace, stretching our legs, allowing Thatch to familiarise himself with the power of his limbs.
While his property was large, considering its proximity to the city, it didn’t take long for us to loop the border a few times. The welcoming scent of the cooler evening mixed with honeysuckle and the few gum trees he had on the property. The bright stars lit our path, their brother half-moon beside them.
The week had been long and confusing. With grief a constant at my heels and my desperation to get on top of the case—alongside the unexpected attraction I had for Thatch—it was the first real time I’d felt at peace. I shouldn’t have waited so long to free my wolf.
The transition usually presented an opportunity to gain perspective and freedom. Despite everything going on, this time was no different.
After maybe fifteen minutes of loops, my legs stretched and satisfaction sliding through me, I led Thatch to the small dam tucked in the corner of his property. Racing towards it, I grinned, leaped, and landed in the water. On contact, I changed forms. My human head broke free of the surface and I laughed, the sound loud in the otherwise still night.
Adjusting to the darkness, my gaze quickly found Thatch’s sleek form. A moment later, he crashed into the water. A splash, a ripple, and a few seconds later, he broke free.
His laughter licked at my skin, and gooseflesh popped up.
“Hell, this feels good.” His bright grin faced my way, and I quickly mirrored his happiness. The whites of his eyes stood out in the darkness, his gaze steady and directed at me.
“Impressive change there.” It was. I didn’t rub anyone’s ego for the hell of it. He was picking everything up impressively fast. Which made sense. In the few days I’d known him, both in the office and in his home, he was a force to be reckoned with. Controlled, observant, and intuitive.
He ran his hand over his face. “Thanks.” His tone was lighter, so much lighter than I’d previously heard it. Thatch in a relaxed state was something special. He kicked away and lay back, floating on the surface.
Averting my eyes from his exposed package, I ducked under and did a few strokes in the inky darkness of the tepid liquid. Once back on the surface, I treaded water, this time behind him, closer to his head. “Feel better after the run?”
“Definitely.” His eyes were closed, and just a glint of his pearly whites was exposed. “I feel more relaxed.”
Humour lifted my voice when I said, “I can tell.”
He opened one eye and peered back at me, angling his head a little under the water to see. “Smartarse.”
“I have been known to be one every once and a while.” The water rippled when I swirled my fingers. I fixated on the movement.
