hell.”
Nathan waited, not sure what to do next. Jared was a mess of mixed signals, frustration, despair, anger, and… embarrassment rolled off him in waves. The van was so full of tension that Nathan was tempted to open a window just so he could breathe better.
Eventually Jared dropped his hands to his lap and met Nathan’s gaze. The look of defeat and resignation wasn’t one Nathan cared for either. “Sorry. I knew what you were trying to do. I just….” He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. “I guess up until now none of this has seemed real. I mean, I know you’re a shifter and you bit me and there’s a very real chance I’ll become one too, but….”
“But?”
“But I don’t think it ever sunk in. My bite mark disappeared, and we’ve been holed up in your flat without seeing another soul. I don’t know, I guess for a moment there I forgot that my life is actually in danger and this isn’t some game we’re playing.”
Nathan had a million questions to ask in response to that, but the one at the forefront of his mind was Who have you seen shift before now?
It wasn’t the right time to ask it, not with their truce so new and tenuous, but Nathan would ask it soon. It probably explained a lot about Jared’s aversion to all things shifter.
“Can we go now?” Jared asked, nudging Nathan’s thigh with the back of his hand. “I think I’ve had enough excitement for one day.”
Nathan too, but the excitement wasn’t over for him yet. “I have to make a call first. What’s your last name?”
“What?”
“The cat’s out of the bag now. Sooner or later news will find its way back to my alpha that I was seen here with a human—who I appeared to be involved with. I need to get in there first so that it’s not a surprise. I don’t need to be hauled in front of a pack meeting and asked a load of questions about you. Better to tell them what I want them to know.”
Jared looked back at him, eyes narrowed. “So if they know about me, I can stay here at my flat. You can just say you’re seeing me, and that will explain my scent on you, right?”
“Well, yes, but—”
“Awesome.” Jared’s smile was huge, and Nathan felt an unexpected stab of hurt.
Is he that eager to get away from me? Fuck, of course he is.
Nathan had virtually been holding him prisoner, for God’s sake. And he hated having to do this, but… “You can’t go home, Jared. I didn’t realise until you mentioned it, but your bite mark hasn’t disappeared.”
“It fucking well has. Look!” He pulled the sun visor down and angled it so the mirror pointed at his neck. “See!” He prodded at the skin. “There’s nothing there.”
Nathan sighed. “Nothing that you can see, that humans can see.”
Jared looked as though he didn’t believe a word of it, and he glanced back at the mirror. “It’s gone .”
“Not for me. That’s why I kept my hand on your neck after I kissed you.” Warmth flared in his chest as he remembered, and Jared’s cheeks flushed. “I know it’s hard for you to understand, but even though the bite itself is fully healed, it left a mark behind. It’s like… like an imprint underneath the skin.”
“Like magic.” Jared deadpanned.
“Yeah, I guess you could think of it like that.” Nathan ignored Jared’s eye-roll. “So, you’re perfectly willing to accept shifters exist, but not this?”
“That’s different. Shifters have been around forever. Everyone knows about them.”
True, but still. “You’re just going to have to trust me on this one. That bite mark on your neck is as clear to me as the day I gave it you.” Wow. Just saying the words sent a wave of possessiveness through him. Nathan rolled his shoulders in an effort to shake it off. “If I can see it, then so can any other shifter. I’m sorry, I know you don’t want to, but you’re gonna have to stay with me until the full moon.”
Jared bit his lip, obviously thinking, and Nathan knew what was
Nathan waited, not sure what to do next. Jared was a mess of mixed signals, frustration, despair, anger, and… embarrassment rolled off him in waves. The van was so full of tension that Nathan was tempted to open a window just so he could breathe better.
Eventually Jared dropped his hands to his lap and met Nathan’s gaze. The look of defeat and resignation wasn’t one Nathan cared for either. “Sorry. I knew what you were trying to do. I just….” He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. “I guess up until now none of this has seemed real. I mean, I know you’re a shifter and you bit me and there’s a very real chance I’ll become one too, but….”
“But?”
“But I don’t think it ever sunk in. My bite mark disappeared, and we’ve been holed up in your flat without seeing another soul. I don’t know, I guess for a moment there I forgot that my life is actually in danger and this isn’t some game we’re playing.”
Nathan had a million questions to ask in response to that, but the one at the forefront of his mind was Who have you seen shift before now?
It wasn’t the right time to ask it, not with their truce so new and tenuous, but Nathan would ask it soon. It probably explained a lot about Jared’s aversion to all things shifter.
“Can we go now?” Jared asked, nudging Nathan’s thigh with the back of his hand. “I think I’ve had enough excitement for one day.”
Nathan too, but the excitement wasn’t over for him yet. “I have to make a call first. What’s your last name?”
“What?”
“The cat’s out of the bag now. Sooner or later news will find its way back to my alpha that I was seen here with a human—who I appeared to be involved with. I need to get in there first so that it’s not a surprise. I don’t need to be hauled in front of a pack meeting and asked a load of questions about you. Better to tell them what I want them to know.”
Jared looked back at him, eyes narrowed. “So if they know about me, I can stay here at my flat. You can just say you’re seeing me, and that will explain my scent on you, right?”
“Well, yes, but—”
“Awesome.” Jared’s smile was huge, and Nathan felt an unexpected stab of hurt.
Is he that eager to get away from me? Fuck, of course he is.
Nathan had virtually been holding him prisoner, for God’s sake. And he hated having to do this, but… “You can’t go home, Jared. I didn’t realise until you mentioned it, but your bite mark hasn’t disappeared.”
“It fucking well has. Look!” He pulled the sun visor down and angled it so the mirror pointed at his neck. “See!” He prodded at the skin. “There’s nothing there.”
Nathan sighed. “Nothing that you can see, that humans can see.”
Jared looked as though he didn’t believe a word of it, and he glanced back at the mirror. “It’s gone .”
“Not for me. That’s why I kept my hand on your neck after I kissed you.” Warmth flared in his chest as he remembered, and Jared’s cheeks flushed. “I know it’s hard for you to understand, but even though the bite itself is fully healed, it left a mark behind. It’s like… like an imprint underneath the skin.”
“Like magic.” Jared deadpanned.
“Yeah, I guess you could think of it like that.” Nathan ignored Jared’s eye-roll. “So, you’re perfectly willing to accept shifters exist, but not this?”
“That’s different. Shifters have been around forever. Everyone knows about them.”
True, but still. “You’re just going to have to trust me on this one. That bite mark on your neck is as clear to me as the day I gave it you.” Wow. Just saying the words sent a wave of possessiveness through him. Nathan rolled his shoulders in an effort to shake it off. “If I can see it, then so can any other shifter. I’m sorry, I know you don’t want to, but you’re gonna have to stay with me until the full moon.”
Jared bit his lip, obviously thinking, and Nathan knew what was
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