Page 131 of Silent Fire (Sin & Steel #6)

As soon as he hit the main road, he spotted Noel’s blond hair. Tomas frowned. “How the hell did he get that far already?”

With a grunt, he took off, racing to reach the guy.

Noel glanced back, eyes wide, then hauled ass like he was part rabbit.

“Stop!” Tomas was not used to running this fast and hard in human form, but if he let his wolf free, he would scare the crap out of Noel.

“Screw you!” Noel darted left, cutting through the tall grass.

Tomas was moving fast and almost ate dirt trying to change direction. How the hell was this little guy so quick and agile?

Noel veered right, arms and legs going wild as he hollered, “Skunk!”

Oh shit! Tomas tried to stop instantly but ended up sliding on his ass. He immediately twisted sideways, shoved to his feet, and took off after Noel. If he caught him, Tomas was gonna need at least half an hour to catch his breath.

It felt like chasing an Olympic runner. Noel zipped through the grass like it was nothing.

Tomas couldn’t keep up. He either had to shift or admit defeat.

Defeat wasn't his style, and if he didn’t catch Noel and calm him down, the human might keep running to the next county or even farther.

And Tomas would never see him again.

His wolf burst free, taking over the chase. It was a game to the wolf, a pure adrenaline rush. The wind rushed through its fur, tongue flopping, paws pounding the ground.

It caught up to Noel in no time.

The male screamed, falling on his ass and scooting backward through the grass. “Stay away from me!”

Tomas’s wolf pranced around Noel, tail wagging, eager to play. What the hell? Since when did his wolf want to play with anyone? It usually ignored any guy Tomas was interested in, but here it was, acting like a playful pup for Noel.

Not just playful.

It was showing off for him, flaunting its prowess.

Oh, hell no!

Tomas struggled to get his wolf to back down. It didn’t want to shift.

I’ll let you play later. First, I gotta calm Noel down.

The shift happened fast but grudgingly. His wolf wasn’t thrilled about being caged again. Not when the dumb beast wanted to keep prancing—

Tomas stared wide-eyed at the little blond while Noel gaped at him.

His wolf had chosen.

It hadn’t even known the damn human for a full day. The hell?

Wolves were stubborn and selective, always turning their noses up at almost everything.

Tomas ran a hand over his mouth, simply stunned.

“How…how…how did you…” Noel blinked several times at him. “What is going on in this town?”

Tomas glanced over at his mate. Mierda!

“I just saw a wolf the size of a pony prancing around me,” Noel said, gesturing at Tomas. “And now there’s a completely naked guy sitting in the grass. I’ve officially lost my mind.”

Tomas rose to his feet. He wasn’t trying to flaunt his nudity, just not wanting to sit on the grass and think about bugs crawling around.

“I’m a wolf shifter, and those assholes who attacked you were hyena shifters.”

His elegido was already in shock, so Tomas figured telling him the truth wouldn’t make things worse.

Noel’s eye twitched.

He stood up, pointed a finger at Tomas, opened his mouth, then shut it. He turned and started walking away.

“I’m done. I finally cracked. Took twenty-five years, but my brain finally broke,” he muttered to himself as he kept going.

Tomas’s gaze slid to Noel’s plump little ass.

“Not now, idiot,” he grumbled and followed his mate. “You gonna run again, Noel?”

“Nope,” he said without turning around. “I’m too exhausted, so I’m going to embrace my insanity.”

Tomas chuckled. “You’re not crazy, florito .”

Noel spun around, glaring. “Quiet calling me little flower. It’s insulting.”

Switching to Spanish, Tomas said, “It just popped into my head, and now it’s stuck.”

“Unstick it,” Noel shot back in English. “How’d you like it if I called you perrito ?”

“Baby, you can call me whatever you want.” Tomas was just glad his mate wasn’t backing away or running.

“Seriously?” Noel squinted at him. “I’m having a meltdown and you’re hitting on me?”

Normally, Tomas wouldn’t make light of someone spiraling. He still wasn’t, but he saw the spark in his mate’s blue eyes. It was helping Noel shift his focus, keeping him grounded, and distracting him from those filthy hyenas.

Or from realizing Tomas wasn’t exactly human.

“I just said you could call me whatever you wanted.” Tomas shifted his weight, the ground rough on his bare feet. “So, you gonna tell me why you bailed without a word?” The teasing was gone, replaced by genuine concern. “Didn’t even know you took off.”

“It was easier this way.” Noel crossed his arms and stared at the grass. “Spared us both the awkwardness of a goodbye.”

“And you figured making me worry was a better option?” Tomas shook his head in disbelief. “Didn’t peg you as a coward, florito.”

Noel clenched his fists, nostrils flaring. “Why would you even care? We barely know each other.”

“You’re under my damn protection,” Tomas snapped, pointing at the ground. “That might not mean much to you, but it’s important to me, Noel.”

He was being petty and didn’t care. Now that the adrenaline was fading, his fear was creeping back. When he’d returned from the bathroom and found Noel gone, Tomas had a moment of sheer panic. He still felt it.

“I don’t need your protection. I’ve been handling things just fine by myself.” Noel stomped through the grass, heading back toward the road.

“You’re kidding, right?” Tomas followed, wishing he had some clothes on.

Being naked usually didn’t bother him, but during a heated argument, it made him feel exposed.

“You call what just happened at that house handling things?” He clenched his jaw, the image of the hyena pinning Noel replaying in his head.

That intense level of rage was something he’d never felt before.

Noel was so small, and whether it was fair or not, Tomas saw him as fragile.

If Noel knew Tomas thought that, the guy would try to kick his ass.

Noel whipped around, his eyes crystal pools of anger. “Are you saying that was my fault?”

“What? No!” Jesus. Why was Noel being so hostile?

He was twisting Tomas’s words. “I’m saying you agreed to let me protect you.

” He raked his fingers through his hair, ready to pull it out.

“And maybe letting someone watch your back isn’t such a bad thing.

We all need help at some point.” He sighed.

“I just want to be the one to help you, flor —Noel.”

“I—” Noel crossed his arms, scuffing his sneaker against the edge of the road. “I don’t know how to accept help, Tomas.”

Standing in front of the male, he gently lifted Noel’s chin. Their eyes met, and Tomas saw fear but also the longing in them. “Let me show you.”

* * * *

Noel swallowed hard, his pulse fluttering under Tomas’s fingertips as they lingered on his chin. The soft touch sent tingles through his skin, a jolt of electricity that made his knees weak. He wanted to lean into that strong hand, to let Tomas wrap him up and chase away the chill of the night.

But he couldn’t. Accepting help meant lowering his defenses. It meant trusting someone else not to hurt him. And Noel had been burned too many times before.

He stepped back, breaking the contact. Tomas let his hand fall to his side, but his gaze remained steady on Noel’s face. Patient. Understanding.

“I’m trying to keep you safe,” Tomas said quietly. “That’s all I want to do.”

Noel shook his head. “You don’t even know me. Not really.” He laughed without humor. “I mean, shit, I apparently don’t even know you. Wolf shifter?” He threw his hands up. “What does that even mean?”

“It means I can take the form of a wolf. That I have...abilities most humans don’t.” Tomas took a careful step closer, like he was approaching a skittish animal. “I know it’s a lot to absorb. I’m sorry you had to find out this way.”

Noel snorted. “Yeah, well, having sharp-toothed guys try to kill me in an abandoned house kind of forces the issue, doesn’t it?” He sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. God, he was so tired. Tired of running, of looking over his shoulder, of never feeling safe.

Maybe...maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to let someone else carry the burden for a little while. To rest. Just for a minute.

He met Tomas’s eyes again. “Okay.” He nodded once. “I'll let you help me.”

Noel was only setting himself up for disappointment.

He couldn’t even trust his own stepfather and ex-boyfriend, yet he was willing to trust a complete stranger?

Maybe he really had lost his mind. It sure as hell felt like it.

A wolf shifter? Holy. Fuck. He’d known something strange was going on in Blackthorn, but never in his wildest dreams would he have guessed some residents weren’t human.

Tomas slid his hand to cup Noel’s cheek, thumb brushing his skin. He leaned into it for just a moment before catching himself and straightening, clearing his throat.

“We should, uh, probably head back.” His gaze slid over Tomas’s very naked body before his eyes quickly darted away, face heating. “And find you some clothes.”

Tomas chuckled. “What, you don’t like the view?” He gave a playful flex of his muscles.

“Oh my god.” Noel covered his face with both hands, muffling his voice. “Put that away before you poke someone’s eye out.”

Tomas’s laugh was rich and warm. “All right, all right. Let’s go, florito .”

Noel peeked through his fingers to glare. “What did I say about calling me that?”

“That you secretly love it.” The guy winked and started walking, not a hint of shame at his nudity.

Noel gaped after him before huffing and jogging to catch up, very determinedly keeping his eyes above Tomas’s waist.

“You gonna make it, florito ?” The endearment slipped out, but this time Noel found he didn’t mind it so much. Maybe because of the way Tomas said it, all soft and fondly.

A sudden thought made him pause. “Wait, where did your clothes go?” He’d been so distracted, the question never occurred to him.