7. Slade

7

SLADE

W hen I wake, Quin is nestled in my arms. Perfect Quin, who I made promises to. I should feel guilty for that. My brother has to be my main focus over the next few months. But I told Quin about him.

Maybe there’s enough space in my life for both of them.

I should wake Quin up. The sun is shining through my window. Georgina could walk in at any moment and see us together in my bed. But would that be the worst thing? I’m afraid of other people finding out because I know Quin’s brothers won’t approve, but Georgina would never tell them.

A few minutes more with Quin won’t hurt.

His warm body feels right in my arms. It makes me a little nervous, because I already like him far too much. Enough that my grizzly heart might already be lost.

Quin stirs. His eyes flutter open, taking in my room and me next to him in bed. He smiles, and I get to see his cute dimples. I press a gentle kiss to each one.

“Good morning, baby.”

He grins up at me, so full of sunshine, he seems to glow. I forgot how stunning he is in the daylight. My stomach twists in discomfort.

I know damn well that guys like Quin don’t end up with guys like me.

“Thank you for last night,” he says. He kisses the tip of my nose. “It was the best night of my life.”

It’s impossible to not get sucked into whatever this is between us. I know it’s doomed. I know I don’t deserve him. But he’s so happy in my bed, and that happiness seeps into my bones through some magical form of osmosis.

“It was the best night of my life too,” I admit.

He beams with joy. Because of me.

That doesn’t seem real.

“I think I’m going to call you my sunbeam,” I say. “Because you’re all sunshine.”

He covers his mouth with his hand. “That’s the cutest pet name I’ve ever heard. I knew my brothers were wrong about you.”

That brings reality back. I haven’t told Quin about the stolen cars. I don’t think I should. That would make him an accessory to the crime. I haven’t told him about Jake’s drug problems, either. There’s so much we haven’t talked about.

My bedroom door opens. “Good morning, sleepyhead—” Georgina’s mouth drops open. Quin is under the sheet and nestled into my arms, but the back of his head is clearly visible from the door.

He turns his head to look at her. “I’m sorry. I’ll go.”

Georgina finally recovers, a wide smile spreading across her face. “I’ll give you two a little privacy. I just wanted to remind Slade that his bus leaves in an hour. We’ll need to head out in about thirty minutes to get to the station on time.”

Fucking hell . I packed everything, but I was planning on showering before we left. I want to make a good impression with my new boss.

Georgina closes the door behind her. Poor Quin’s cheeks are bright pink with embarrassment.

“I’m sorry. I have to go.” I sound like a creep. Quin deserves a slow morning with coffee and cuddles, and here I am, quick to leave.

“Okay.” He tries to smile, but his happiness from before is gone.

“You mentioned you could visit?” I say hopefully.

He smiles at that. “I have a little money saved up. I could take the bus to Austin this weekend.”

I have no idea if my boss will be okay with me inviting a boyfriend over. It will probably be a mistake to ask. I’m supposed to be proving myself, not requesting favors. But Quin is worth it.

“That would be great. Could I get your number?” I ask.

“Yeah, of course.”

This is crazy. I don’t even have his number, and I’m planning my life around him. I don’t care, though. I need to see him again. Something primal and needy pulses through my body, demanding more of him. I’ve never felt anything like it.

I grab my phone from the nightstand and hand it to him. I love the way he bites his bottom lip as he focuses on the screen. He finishes inputting his phone number and hands it back to me. “Here.”

I brush my lips against his, needing one last kiss before we have to say goodbye. “Thank you.”

He stares into my eyes with a vulnerability that reminds me a lot of last night when he was crying about his brothers leaving.

“You won’t forget to text, right?” he asks.

I shake my head.

He glances around the room. “I don’t exactly have clothes. I was a raccoon last night when…” He trails off and his cheeks flush pink.

Most shifters only take their animal form a few times a year. We think of our animal forms as private and sacred—something we’d only show to our mates or our immediate family. But raccoon shifters are different. I heard they sleep in their animal forms every night. That must be why Quin was wandering the neighborhood as a raccoon.

“Stay away from Georgina’s house while you’re shifted, okay? Her nephew is a piece of work. He likes to shoot at any animal he finds around her house.”

He swallows hard. “Okay. But if I don’t shift, I won’t be able to go home without wearing your clothes, and my brothers…”

If his brothers found out what we did last night, they won’t be happy. Last night, Dalton drank a whole bottle of whiskey. There’s no way he’ll be up before noon.

I reach back and pull my window open. “Go now. I’ll keep an eye on you.”

Too late, I realize I’ve asked him to shift in front of me. That would be a wildly intimate request if he was a grizzly shifter. He pauses, and for a moment, I worry I’ve gone too far. Then his body begins to shrink. His skin sprouts soft brown fur, and his hands transform into little black paws. A long, bushy tail extends from his back and cute, triangular ears pop up on either side of his head. He looks at me with soft eyes framed by patches of black fur, and God. I’ve never thought of raccoons as beautiful. Cute, sure, but Quin is more than that. He curls his tail around his body shyly, like he’s afraid of my reaction.

“You are lovely, Quin,” I say. If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was my fated mate. That’s how much I feel drawn to him, even as a raccoon. He can’t be, though. Fated mates among grizzlies are rare, and I would have noticed before now.

He nuzzles my hand. Maybe he doesn’t know that it’s inappropriate for most shifters to seek touch from anyone but their mates. I stroke his furry head anyway. I can’t help it. He’s so soft, and the way he leans into my touch feels too good. I run my fingers down his back, and he arches into me, like a cat.

“Do you like that?” I ask.

A low vibration comes from his chest. I think that’s a purr. I had no idea raccoons purred. He gives my hand a lick, then he jumps off my lap and scampers toward the window. With one graceful leap, he lands on the ground below and sprints toward his house. His tail juts out behind him as he runs, and his legs bound off the ground like a dog or deer. In only a few seconds, he makes it to the back door of his house and disappears inside.

As I watch him run off, I hear my phone buzz. I glance at the nightstand. It’s a text from Jake.

Good luck with the move today.

I’m surprised he remembered. He’s been out of it recently. I message him back.

Thanks. I’ll see you Monday.

Now that I’m living in Austin, I can visit Jake every week, instead of once every few months when Georgina scrounges together enough money to pay for the bus fare. It’s hard to leave Quin behind, but it’s necessary.

I text Quin next.

Hey, this is Slade. Thank you for last night.

Maybe I really can have them both. It seems like an impossible thing to wish for.

Either way, I know my heart is Quin’s forever. I just hope I can be enough to claim his, too.