Page 13

CHAPTER 12

Noah

I jolt awake, my heart pounding against my chest and a tightness forming around my temples. I lick my lips, blinking my eyes open while sitting up. Wiping a hand down my face, I turn my neck to each side until I hear the snap of my bones and sigh. Glancing around, it takes all of two seconds for me to realize that Reed is no longer sitting in the chair in the corner. My eyes widen, the silence hitting me all at once. He left. My chest tightens, and my throat, which is already dry, somehow becomes drier. The air around me thickens.

I glance around the small room, willing Reed to appear somewhere, but the room is too quiet, so he’s clearly not here. He wouldn’t just leave me, would he?

Emptiness is loud in my ears, louder than my heartbeat, and my body slowly becomes numb. The stupid sinking sensation in my gut of desperation, fear, and vulnerability hits me. I don’t want to get out of this bed; I don’t want to move. Reed left me.

Granted, I shouldn’t be this upset; it’s stupid. He doesn’t know me, and I don’t know him. But I didn’t think he would just leave me in some town, in a motel room. I feel used. He tossed me aside because I was too much.

Just like my parents. He didn’t care enough to make sure I survived or–

I shake my head.

I don’t need Reed. I can survive out there on my own. I’ve been getting through life on my own for the last twenty years; I can do another twenty. It’s a piece of cake.

Blowing out a breath, I move my legs to the side of the bed. Slowly setting my feet on the ground, I stretch my hands above my head. I do my best to ignore my racing heart as I peer around the room. His bag is gone, which means he’s really gone.

It’ll be okay. I’m fine. Everything is…fine.

Who needs a big strong man anyways? I refuse. It was just a moment of weakness, and it’ll pass. I’m strong enough. I don’t need him—I don’t need anyone. It’s vulnerable, it’s messy, and it’s too risky. Letting someone in, it’s too much. Even if the persistent truth that beats against my skull tells me that I’m weak. That I’m unlovable.

Stay in control.

My mind pulls me in different directions, reminding me that I don’t need anyone. I haven’t all my life, and I don’t need anyone now. I need to stay in control; I can’t let myself fall into the longing of missing Reed. Even if the tightness in my chest hurts. Even if the heaviness in my stomach makes me want to throw it up. Even if I want to beg the person above to catch a simple glimpse of him again. I shouldn’t want to see the stupid muzzle or those beautiful blue eyes.

The battle between allowing myself to feel this hurt and not letting it consume me makes me want to curl back up into a ball on the bed. I could just stay here. I could stay in this small town and just be alone.

I bite my cheek to stop myself from crying. I won’t let some man whom I’ve known less than forty-eight hours dictate how I feel. I won’t.

Climbing to my unsteady feet, I curl my hands into fists and slowly make my way towards the bathroom. Against my will, my eyes searched the floor for his bag, hoping that he was somewhere around here.

I approach the door, praying that nothing is in the bathroom, and reach for the doorknob. I twist the handle and slowly push it open, only to hear a grunt from inside. My heart drops to my stomach, fear hitting me that a zombie somehow got into the room—into the bathroom.

Only it’s not a dead guy; it’s Reed. Standing there, the sun shining in from the small window, allowing just enough light in. It's just for a moment—a second if that—that I get a look at his back. Scars. It’s impossible to miss them. Even if I only got a small glance. It’s there, lines, welts, deep scar tissue.

I can’t stop myself from staring, even though he shrugs his long-sleeve shirt on. The scars are burned into my mind. I open my mouth to say something; only I have no idea what to say. Do I apologize for walking in on him? For seeing something he clearly didn’t want me to see.

But I thought he was gone; I thought he had left me.

Shock suddenly hits me, a punch to my chest, even though a small part of me is relieved. It still stings that I thought he had left me. A flood of mixed emotions hit me. I grab a hold of the doorframe to keep myself upright. I blame the fact I didn’t eat last night for the dizziness clouding my brain.

But all I can do is stand there, staring at Reed, not believing he’s actually here.

“You done staring?” Reed finally breaks the silence.

I let out a nervous laugh; for the first time, I’m not sure what to say.

“I thought you left.” The moment the words leave my mouth, I want to take it all back. I want to stay mad at him, but he didn’t do anything wrong.

“I didn’t.”

“I… well, I see that.” Why am I so nervous?

“Clearly.”

Reed slowly turns on his heel, his muzzle firmly in place, his eyes zeroing in on me. I swallow around the lump forming in my throat. While he stares at me, all I can look at is his arms. Reed's shirt stretches just a bit too tightly across his shoulders and chest. I hadn’t realized how big his muscles were, probably due to him wearing a coat. But now that he only has a long sleeve on, I’m panting. I can feel my dick hardening in my pants. And that’s the last thing I need right now. I don’t need to be thinking about him naked, him being stretched out on the bed. I surely don’t need to think about what he would look like if I were riding his cock.

Fuck.

My dick is tenting in my pants, and I’m praying he doesn’t notice. Even if my entire body heats at the sight of him.

I hate him.

It’s been too long since I’ve had any decent dick, and of course the man who’s bothered by my presence is the one I want to ride like a fucking cowboy. What’s the saying, ‘save a horse, ride a cowboy’ ?

“Noah.”

“What?” I snapped my head up, realizing I was definitely just staring at his dick. And he knows it. I’ve been caught red-fucking-handed. There’s no denying it.

“I said, get ready, we’re leaving in ten.”

I hum and nod my head slowly. Reed grabs his bag from the counter and his coat. Backing up, I keep my eyes focused on anything but him. I have ten minutes to freshen up and do something about my throbbing dick.

Just as I think I’m in the all clear, he stops in front of me. I hold my breath and glance up.

“Next time I catch you staring at my cock, be prepared to bend over and take it like a good boy.”

* * *

In life I’ve always had a few things I’ve taken pride in being able to do. One of the things is reading people. I’m good at picking up when someone wants to be left alone, especially when they want me to leave them alone. It probably has a lot to do with my parents. They never wanted me around, and when I was old enough to understand that, I had a key for always showing up. It would annoy them, though they never spoke the words out loud. I knew deep down, somewhere along my bones.

Which is the reason I enjoy bothering Reed so much. He makes it easy. Maybe a little too easy.

But after having called me a good boy and then calling me out for looking at his package, he deserves it. I won’t let him get the upper hand in this, especially this.

Hiking my backpack onto my shoulders, I fall in behind Reed as we cross the parking lot. Thankfully the sun hides behind the clouds, not allowing the sun rays to beat down on us. Growing up in Florida, I’m used to the heat, but I’m also used to being able to hide away in some air conditioning. Unfortunately, with the world going to shit and people coming back from the dead, we can no longer just live our lives in the cool houses.

“Hey, did you know in Paris, the metal in the Eiffel Tower expands with heat? So the tower can grow up to six inches during the summer months.” I announce, acting as if I’m not talking to anyone in particular.

After Reed left me feeling needy, I knew the only way I could get back at him was if I annoyed him. He shouldn’t make it so easy; fortunately for me, everything I do bothers him. I’m sure even breathing gets under his skin. I just wish I could get under him. Not that I would ever tell him that. I would take that tidbit of information to my grave. Or maybe when I’m dying. Wouldn’t that be a wonderful way to go? Maybe make him feel bad for not saving me.

“Did you know that bananas are technically classified as berries and that strawberries aren’t?”

I keep a watchful eye on his back, waiting for those muscles to tense. That’s when I know I’m getting closer to a strike. Hopefully a spanking too, but I doubt those threats are real. He probably thinks he’s just making me uncomfortable.

“Bananas come from a flower with only one ovary, while strawberries are classified as aggregate fruits because they form from a flower with multiple. That’s interesting, right?”

I pick up my speed until I’m walking next to him. Reed doesn’t bother glancing my way. Smiling to myself, I take that as my mission to get so far under his skin he really does bend me over.