8. Morgan

Chapter 8

Morgan

I woke up the next morning feeling a strange mix of hope and despair. The sunlight reflecting in through the crack in the curtains had that too-bright, too-white quality to it, and I knew without looking that it had snowed overnight. It likely wouldn't stick around for long, but it was coming. A less-determined man might've given up on camping, at least until next spring, but not me. I would be heading back to Outdoor Adventures to ask about outfitting myself with winter gear. Better boots, a warm jacket, maybe even snowshoes. At least the river would freeze over.

My recent trip had been a total disaster—but also, a complete success. Now I was even more certain that my wolfman was mine. At the precise moment I was sure I was about to die, my wolf had snagged my jacket and gotten me out of that river. He'd led me to shelter and kept me warm all night long. He was my hero.

The man I woke up to, though, he was my fantasy.

Gods, he was bigger than I'd thought. The first time I'd seen him it was from a distance, but once I was in his arms, he was large enough to totally own me—he hadn't, unfortunately, but from the monster erection he had, it wasn't from lack of interest. I guess he was just that much of a gentleman. I'd tried not to stare at his cock, because that was probably rude, but it was right there! Of course he was naked, because wolves didn't wear clothes—duh—but there was just so much skin! I didn't know where to look first. And he was warmer than I imagined and smelled even sweeter than his wolf had. My mouth watered just thinking about it.

Those muscles, drool-worthy , the way they flexed when he moved. And even though he'd been startled, he'd been so incredibly gentle with me. His green eyes had flared, a mix of so many emotions all at once, and he'd tried to back away, but the cave was too small for a man his size. I wish I knew what I'd done wrong to scare him off like that; I wanted to make sure I didn't do it again. He'd followed me all the way to the car, though, I was sure of it, even going so far as leaving me berries, so I knew he felt something for me. But what that something was, that was another question entirely.

Maybe he was entirely wild, more wolf than man, with no language skills. I looked forward to teaching him. Or… A cold tendril of doubt crept in through a chink in my armor. Maybe he just didn't want me. Maybe I wasn't good enough for him.

I was torn from my thoughts by a knock at my apartment door. I hadn't even gotten out of bed yet, lingering over my memories. It couldn't possibly be my wolf at the door… could it? The hollow echo in my chest said it was not. I got out of bed and pulled a t-shirt on. Instead of calling out to whoever was in the hallway, I tiptoed across the cold floor in my underwear, listening.

The knock came again, more insistent. "I know you're in there," a familiar voice called. "I can hear you breathing. Open up."

I winced, guilt churning in my stomach. It was my landlord, Al. There was no chance his hearing was that good, but I pinched my lips shut and held my breath just in case.

The cheap door was thin enough that I heard his frustrated groan. "Come on, Morgan, you can't hide from me forever. You're way late on your rent. This isn't a charity. I've already cut you a ton of slack. You have until the end of the month to pay up. After that, you're out. "

We both stood there on either side of the door for a long moment, each waiting for the other to break. Finally, he stomped off down the hall, cursing under his breath about his useless tenant.

Great, now he would be looking to corner me. I would have to sneak out the back.

Okay, so I really needed to make finding a new job a priority, but… it just hadn't been. The only thing that seemed to matter anymore was finding my one true love. I felt like I was living in a fairy tale—except Cinderella did chores to pay for her room and board, and the prince did all the hard work tracking her down. All she had to do was wait. Not to mention all the animals helping out, plus a fairy godmother? Puh-lease. I didn't get what she was complaining about.

Maybe Al would let me do some cleaning or building maintenance to make up for what I owed him.

I tugged on some pants, then my shoes, and grabbed my jacket on the way out the door. I eased it shut behind me, since Al was no doubt listening from his first-floor apartment, then I slipped down the back stairwell and around the building to my parking space. It was probably just my overactive imagination, but I swore I saw Al glowering at me from the window as I peeled out of the parking lot .

When the bell over the door at Outdoor Adventures went off, the salesman's eyes lit up. I was no doubt his favorite kind of sucker—the kind willing to spend his life savings on camping gear, only to lose it all in the river. I told him I was just browsing, but he wasn't fooled by the lie. He left me alone for now, but he was circling like a vulture over fresh roadkill.

I was comparing prices on backpacks when I felt someone move in next to me. "I told you I don't need any help," I repeated. Then their smell wafted over me, and my stomach lurched in an unpleasant way. My head whipped up, and I turned to the man. "You!"

His smile was all charm, but I refused to be taken in by it again. "Oh, I wasn't sure you would remember me. You'd had a fair bit to drink last time we spoke." It was the guy from the bar. "Eric," he reminded me, holding out his hand to shake, but I stepped back, and he eventually let his hand drop. "I was glad to run into you here. We never got a chance to finish our conversation."

"There wasn't anything left to discuss," I said sharply, looking around for that salesman. Of course, the moment I needed an interruption, he was nowhere to be found. Go figure.

Eric held his hands up, palms forward, in some kind of placating gesture. "Hey, no need to get defensive. I admit, I got a little worked up talking about shifters, but can you blame me? You're fascinated too. Besides, I don't think either of us were at our best that night. I seem to recall you'd needed help getting into a cab."

I scowled at him. "My behavior isn't what's in question right now."

He pulled a face, sighing. "Okay, fair enough. I just wanted to let you know that my offer still stands. I can help you find your wolf."

"I don't need your help. I found him myself," I snapped without thinking.

Eric's eyes lit up with a hungry fervor. "You did?"

I realized my mistake when he took a step closer, and I backed into a stand of camping gadgets and knocked a few fire-starter kits on the floor. "I-I mean…" I'd just wanted him to back off, to let him know that I had no use for him, but all it had done was fan the flames of his obsession.

"And?" he pressed, cornering me by leaning an arm across the aisle so there was no chance of easing past him. "Was he aggressive toward you? Protective?" Then he grabbed my shirt and pulled back my collar to expose my neck. "Has he bitten you?"

"B-bitten me?! Why would he—I mean, that's ridiculous…" I sputtered, slapping his hand away, knocking a few headlamps from their hook in the process. But it was too late. The image had crept into my imagination and would live there rent-free until the day I died. My large, shy wolfman hovering over me, sinking not just his cock inside me but also his fangs into my neck, marking me as his forever, inside and out. Was there something wrong with me? I shouldn't want that, I was a confident, independent omega all on my own, but… for some reason, the thought of being physically owned by him appealed on my most base level.

"Do you think you could find him again?" Eric asked, leaning in, and that strange chemically scent tickled at the back of my throat. "I could go with you."

"Never," I growled, bunching my fists at my sides. I wasn't a naturally violent guy, but I'd never wanted to punch someone as much as I did in this moment. "I don't know what your deal is, but you will never get your hands on him. He's mine."

Over the top of the shelves, I saw the woman at the checkout turning to see what the ruckus was. I tried to make eye contact, indicating that I needed some assistance, and I saw her pick up the phone, hopefully to call security.

Eric's grin turned sly. "Hmm, I wonder… You seem to have quite an intense attachment to this wolf of yours. I would almost call it possessive." His eyes seemed to darken. " Yes, I think it's more likely that he will find you . Isn't that right?"

The floor seemed to tilt, my stomach dropping right down to my toes. "No, you're wrong. He doesn't want anything to do with me."

"Really?" He seemed skeptical.

As much as I wanted it to be true, that my wolfy-poo cared enough to come for me, it wasn't just unlikely. It was impossible. "He seemed… scared of me, or maybe angry," I admitted, swallowing hard. "It's more likely I'll never see him again."

Eric examined me for another moment before he finally sighed. "You truly believe that."

"I do. So you can just fuck off now and leave me alone." But then I seemed to remember where we were. This wasn't a chance meeting at a bar. We were in a totally different neighborhood in a very specific kind of store.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "What are you doing here, anyway?" He didn't look like the type of guy you'd find in an outdoors store. He was wearing spotless tan Chinos and an impeccably ironed button-up and navy blazer. In fact, his skin was so smooth and pale that I doubted he spent much time outside at all. "Did you follow me here?" I gasped, putting two and two together .

He snorted, his eyes skittering away. "You're being paranoid."

"That's not a no," I snarled. Feeling brave, I took a big step forward until I bumped into him. He stood a good few inches taller than me, but what was he going to do? We were in public. It wasn't like he could lay a single finger on me. "Don't follow me. Don't talk to me or even look at me. Leave me alone, leave my wolf alone, or I will call the cops."

I waved at the salesman who'd reappeared from the backroom. He came jogging over, expecting commission on a sale. I almost felt bad for what I was about to do.

"Hey, Jerry," I said, reading the name on his tag. "This is my good friend, Eric, and he's in the market for a tent. Could you help him out?"

Jerry nodded eagerly. "Oh, yes! Eric, you're in good hands."

With Eric temporarily waylaid, I headed straight for the exit and made a quick getaway. I was scared to head straight home, because I didn't want Eric to follow me. What if he had an accomplice outside the store, tracking me right now! I drove in circles for an hour just in case. I'd watched enough cop shows to be relatively confident that I could lose a tail .

When I finally risked heading home, it was already getting dark. I was totally wrung out after all the stress of the day. I was no closer to solving any of my problems than I had been this morning. I was completely alone and lonely. I didn't buy any camping gear, so I couldn't even go back out looking for my man. I still didn't have a job or enough money for rent. And the most pressing issue of all, my fridge was empty, and I was currently starving.

I half expected Al to be lying in wait outside my door, but he was surprisingly absent. I wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth, so I counted my lucky stars and unlocked the door as quickly as I could. I stumbled into my apartment, running on empty. My stomach was officially digesting itself.

I had just decided to eat (or was it drink?) what was left in the ketchup bottle—I had officially hit an all-time low, don't judge—but when I opened the fridge, I was surprised to see a jar of peanut butter, a little block of cheese, and a jug of milk. Huh. How on earth had I forgotten I had those? I also seemed to have a loaf of bread. Perfect!

After scarfing down a sandwich and a tall glass of milk, I flopped into bed. It was far too early to go to sleep, but I wanted to see my wolf so desperately, and I knew we would always be together in my dreams. And as I lay my head on my pillow, I could've sworn I smelled him .

I didn't even care if I was going crazy anymore. If he was there, I would gladly leap headfirst into madness.