I don’t want to move. My heart’s still racing from what was definitely more than a simple kiss. I was just trying to be funny and not expecting any of that. Sam...he just…I’ve never seen someone so alive. 

He seems content to stay like this, skin to skin with my head resting against his. Sam’s arms are unusually warm on my waist while his fingers curl and uncurl, gently tickling the spots he’s touching. His soft spikes of hair against my cheek waft the freshness of a lavender breeze in the forest after rain through my lungs with each breath I take, and I figure maybe this is how we’ll be for the rest of today.

When Sam’s entire body suddenly tenses, I break from my trance and glance at his face. Uh…?! His eyes are flipping between a startlingly deep gray and his usual black-coffee-brown, and I don’t know what the hell that’s supposed to mean.

“You okay?” I tilt his chin towards me, but he snaps his head back and storms out of my room without a word. 

“Sam!” I holler as I sprint to catch up to him in the kitchen. What the fuck is this?! 

His arms are braced against the sink basin as his flickering stare glares through the window at my empty driveway. “Someone’s coming.” His tone is like a low growl in place of actual speech.

“Uh...I don’t see anyone.” I try not to let my voice tremble as claws begin to emerge from his fingertips. 

“I hear a car,” he mumbles.

“Huh?” I can’t hear anything. 

His eyes drop to his claws when my hands grip his fingers. “Oh.” He retracts in a second. “Sorry.” He seems confused by it, even though I thought this was possibly something normal for him. Before we can clear whatever this is up, I hear the crunch of gravel, and moments later there’s a familiar faded green truck crawling up my driveway. 

“It’s just Ben.” I nudge Sam lightly in the side as I release a sigh of relief. “Calm down, will ya?” 

He shakes his head a few times and releases the breath he was apparently holding. “Wait-you know Ben?” His voice is scratchy, so he clears his throat. 

“Yeah. He helps out at the gallery in town where I work. He’s probably here to pick up some stuff.” I shrug. “I’m guessing you know him since he’s Ella Jo’s grandson and she’s somehow connected to your...situation…?” I wave in his general direction as I move towards the front door. 

But Sam’s firm grip around my wrist instantly pulls me back. “He’s my friend.” He looks nervous when I turn around to get him to cut this nonsense. “He’s in my pack.” 

“Wow. This world just keeps getting smaller and smaller.” I try to smile, but Sam’s expression freezes my face. His eyes are so wide that I stop breathing.

“I can...I can hear his heartbeat,” he whispers.

“What…?” I glance towards the truck as it slows to a stop near the garage. “But I thought-”

“I can hear yours, too.” Sam’s staring at my chest like it’s the most terrifying thing he’s ever seen.

“Hey, are you-?”

He jumps about a foot in the air at the sound of the truck door closing, and pulls me behind him. 

“Sam, just calm d-!” A deep growl cuts me off, and I instinctively clasp my arms around his chest in an attempt to pull him away from the front door. 

“You. Need. To. Calm. Down.” I yank him backwards with every word. My god, he’s heavy.

“What the hell’s going on in there?” Ben shouts while he walks up the front steps. 

“Uhhhh.” I grit my teeth as Sam gains some ground against my efforts.

“Is our boy getting a little territorial?” Ben laughs and peers around the door through the window slivers that frame the sides. Of course he knows. 

“Should I stay out here a minute?” Ben’s curly red hair presses against the glass as he chuckles the surface into a fog. 

“I’m fine,” Sam grunts, but his muscles are still tense. 

“Okay then...ding dong?” Ben’s still laughing when he steps back. 

I push Sam away from the door as I reach for the lock. “It’s my goddamn house!” I snap back at him when he immediately tries to overtake me. He opts to mumble something to himself and cross his arms over his chest instead. 

“I gotta say, it’s refreshing experiencing you like this.” Ben nods to me when he steps inside, but he’s clearly addressing the sizzling wolfboy behind me. 

He’s answered by an aggravated sigh. 

“Oh wowza.” Ben’s light blue eyes pop on his freckled face as he stares at my neck. “Good work.” He’s looking mischievously at Sam now, who merely groans in response.

I’m distracted by desperately trying to see what he’s talking about, but I don’t bend that way. I give up when Ben speaks again.

“I’m here to swap spots for a few hours. You’ve been summoned.” He tosses the truck keys to Sam, who has been completely consumed by his blush.

“No.” Sam lets the keys fall to the floor with a firm shake of his head.

“Not really up to you.” Ben shrugs and kicks them with his shoe. “I’ll look after him. You know I will.” He nods towards me with all traces of humor gone from his voice.

“No.” 

“It’s important for you to go home. Trust me.” Ben picks up the keys and grabs Sam’s hand, forcing him to take them. Then he has to basically push him out the door, and locks the latch behind him with a curt grunt. “Finally.” 

“What’s going on?”

“Shh.” Ben places a gentle hand on my shoulder and ushers me towards the kitchen. 

We watch in silence as the truck tears down the driveway and out of sight. 

“Sorry, I was worried he’d hear me and get all ragey again when he needs to just go home.” Ben sighs and turns to me. “The pack caught her. The wolf who attacked you the other night.” He swallows and glances at the floor. “Alpha Lettie...Sam’s mom-she needs him there...she’s just really worried. I’m not entirely sure what’s going on.” Ben’s gaze meets mine and I know he’s sincere. “Huh…” He narrows his eyes on my neck again.

“Okay. What the hell?” I stomp into the bathroom and turn towards the mirror. “Shit!” The skin on my neck is covered in hickeys, and some are already turning dark shades of purple. 

“Weird he didn’t mark you.” Ben’s standing in the doorway like this is any of his business.

“I beg to differ,” I mutter as I inspect one particularly large bruise under my jaw. This one felt so good.

“No, I mean…the bite.” He laughs lightly. “You know, to seal your...mateship.” 

I blink at him blankly. I’d kind of heard a bit about that in the memory of Sam’s conversation with his Mom, but it didn’t really make much sense to me.

“The bite imprints you, I guess, so others know you’re spoken for.” Ben scratches his head. “It will be like a tattoo that always smells like Sam.” He gives me a tight smile, but I know by the sudden leap of his brows up his face that he’s caught on to my reaction to this new information. 

My stomach flips repeatedly while my legs start to tremble, and all I can do is stay in place for a moment. I fucking want that. Waves of dizziness and excitement crash into me, and I grasp the bathroom countertop, it’s surface soothingly cold beneath my fingers. I fucking NEED Sam’s bite.