Wolf Bonded (Wolfish 1)

Turns out, Rory wasn’t exaggerating. Calling himself “a bit of a nerd” is an understatement. From the way he talks about it, he’s practically obsessed.

There are a couple times he almost catches me smiling at something he’s just said, but I try to keep my thoughts to myself. I like this version of Rory. The last thing I want to do is bring out his cold side.

We stay out long enough that the afternoon heat starts to vanish, replaced instead by a steady cool breeze coming down from the mountains.

Soon, it gets so cold that my shivering starts making it hard to write in my notebook. Rory notices and takes some of the blankets from underneath him to throw over my legs and wrap around my shoulders.

“Thanks,” I say.

“No problem. We can stop for today if you’re getting too cold.”

I shake my head. Even though I’m definitely starting to get chilled, I’m enjoying working on the project together. Rory isn’t acting at all like he had been before. He’s acting surprisingly kind and friendly. Of course I wonder what changed, but I’m glad for it regardless.

“Here, look at this,” he says as he leans closer to show me an illustration on one of the pages. I feel his shoulder press up against mine as he leans into me. There’s a hint of incredulity in his voice as he shows me an illustration of a werewolf.

It’s standing on two legs like a man, but its back is all deformed and hunched over. It has a giant hairy face and an oversized mouth with several rows of teeth. It looks both nightmarish and ridiculous at the same time.

“It’s insulting really,” he says under his breath.

“What is?” I ask.

“They get to decide what werewolves would look like,” he shakes his head again, “and that’s what they come up with?”

“I’m guessing you have a di

fferent theory?”

Rory raises an eyebrow at the picture. “Well, not like that, that’s for sure. Look, he’s completely naked and he doesn’t even have anything between his legs.”

I laugh. “Seriously that’s the thing that bothers you the most about the picture?”

“Well, why wouldn’t it?” he says with a chuckle. “I mean, if I was a werewolf, I certainly wouldn’t want a naked picture of myself to show that I had no cock and balls.”

I roll my eyes at him. “Good thing you aren’t a werewolf then.”

When he doesn’t laugh, I look up from the page and turn my head toward him. I guess I didn’t realize how close his face has gotten to mine, because I find myself about an inch away from his mouth. Something in his stare makes me freeze in place.

“Sabrina,” Rory says. I can feel his breath against my lips. “You shouldn’t be this close to me.”

I try to snap out of it and back up, but I feel like a transfixed animal that’s trying not to make any fast movements in fear of attracting a predator.

“You’re the one who leaned into me,” I remind him.

He looks like he’s wrestling with something, but he eventually leans slowly away from me without arguing.

“You’re right, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” I reply quickly. I feel shaken, partly because of what he said, but mostly because of what just happened. Or didn’t happen. Or might have happened.

This time, I don’t just let it go.

“Why did you say that?” I ask. “The part about how I shouldn’t be that close to you. What d’you mean?”

I expect him to tell me to forget it, or pretend that he didn’t say it at all since that seems to be his usual game. But instead he answers me.

“I’m pretty sure I’m not good for you,” he says. His words are soft and humble as he looks down at his lap and pretends to be reading again.

“I’m pretty sure I can make up my own mind about what’s good for me and what’s not,” I say.