Hunt Me! (I Crave The Chase) - Page 175

For long enough the moon rose high and the air grew brutally cold. Half-melted snow crunched beneath our feet as I stood, carrying him in my arms. The trees waved along the path but I paid them no heed, my smile absent as I walked us back to his car before Jeffrey could catch a cold. His breath came out in foggy puffs, and he curled into me, brave even now. Letting me hold him, because he trusted me, even after what I’d just done.

Trusted me even though every person he’d ever trusted had hurt him.

Noble.

Even now.

Even when he was hurting, just as much as I was. I could smell it in the air as easily as I could smell the citrus-bright of his scent.

“I swear I will,” Jeffrey promised, face buried in my chest, muffled. “I’ll fix it.”

“You can’t.” I hardly recognized my own voice, it was so hoarse. When we got to the car, I pulled the door open and carefully set him down. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize to me.” Before the door could shut, Jeffrey reached for me, curling his fingers around my wrists and tugging till I filled the gap between him and the woods. Even after he released me, I remained obediently still. Jeffrey’s thumbs skimmed my cheekbones, a hot tear dashing down my cheek as I memorized the feel of them. Memorized how long they were. Memorized the brush of his palms and the scratch of the pads of his fingers. “Just…just tell me what’s happening? Explain so I can understand why you would ask me something so…so awful.”

He was brave.

He was so brave.

So strong.

He would survive this, I knew he would.

And I supposed…the time to protect him from the truth had already passed. There was only forward. There was only the moon and its cruel caress. There were only the handful of days I had left, and I only had one heart. One heart I’d already given him.

I’d trusted him with that.

The least I should do is trust him with the truth.

“I’m going feral,” I said, and it was easy. It was easy. Like it wasn’t this horrible, awful thing that had stolen my childhood from me. Like it wasn’t the end of my life. Like it wasn’t a nightmare only alphas had to face, one I’d been fighting for years.

“Feral?” Jeffrey made a sound. His scent was confused, and I sighed, forcing my eyes open to meet his gaze.

“I’m an alpha,” I said softly.

“I know.”

“How much do you know about wolves?” My hands found his hips, fingers digging in—clawless now that I’d settled. I made sure to keep my tone gentle and sweet as I spoke.

“I dunno. Not much. Lydia taught me some—” Lydia again. I hated her so fucking much. I growled, and Jeffrey laughed, smacking at my chest. The fact he could still laugh made me settle a little. He was strong. So incredibly strong. I’d always thought so. “And I’ve been researching on my own.”

“I have three forms,” I started, because it was easiest this way. Rip the Band-Aid off.

“Right,” Jeffrey nodded, staring at me, his dark eyes warm and frightened.

“My wolfskin.”

“The one you use when you’re pretending to be my dog,” Jeffrey interrupted.

I blinked, shocked.

“What?”

My ears rang.

“Dude, I figured that out months ago,” Jeffrey laughed, but then he sobered. “Just…just keep explaining? It doesn’t matter. It’s water under the bridge. I don’t even fucking care.”

I didn’t know what bridge water had to do with anything, but I didn’t ask. “You’re not angry?”