Page 59 of Brazen

Sam whined, his tongue slipping out like he wanted to lick JT’s hand.

I dropped to my knees beside Sam, burying my fingers in his fur. I stroked his soft, silky ears. “You can touch him,” I encouraged JT. “It’s still Sam. See?”

Sam nuzzled JT’s hand until JT gingerly patted his head. “He’s big.”

“Yes, he is,” I said appreciatively. I’d seen Ted’s wolf, and it was impressive. I found it exciting. But Sam’s wolf thrilled me. It was almost as if I had that sense of recognition that Sam said he’d felt when he first met me. Like I’d dreamed about this giant white wolf before. Like I’d been waiting my whole life to meet him in person. Tears filled my eyes.

“He’s beautiful, isn’t he?” I choked, throwing my arms around Sam’s neck.

The next instant I found myself wrapped in his arms, sitting on his lap. He’d shifted back to hold me.

24

SAM

* * *

The scent of my mate’s tears made me instantly shift back to man form. Changing shape was harder for some shifters than others. My sister, Sylvie, had to concentrate hard and breathe deeply as she pictured her wolf before she shifted. My other sister, Genevieve, thought it was painful–she said it hurt her joints and made her want to puke. My mom said it felt like being birthed every time.

For me, shifting had always been fluid. One moment, I was on my belly in wolf form with my mate’s arms around my neck, the next instant, I had her cradled on my lap, my arms secure around her.

“Whoa,” JT said with awe again.

“Yeah. Whoa.” Clio buried her face against my neck, as if to hide whatever emotion had surfaced to make her cry.

I didn’t know her well enough yet to be able to guess what was wrong.

JT seemed to understand we needed some privacy, though, because he looked at us for a moment, then said, “Okay, I’m gonna go let my wolf run.”

Clio lifted her face from my neck and made her voice almost sound normal. “Okay, babe. We’ll be right behind you.”

We both watched as JT zoomed away.

“You okay?” I asked. “I smell tears.”

“Of course, you do.” She let out a soft puff of laughter. “You wolves and your super-sniffers catch everything.” She didn’t sound bitter, so I figured she was talking about JT, not her ex.

“I’m okay. I’m just happy.” Her voice sounded a little choked. “I felt like…I felt like I recognized your wolf. Is that crazy?”

Warmth flooded my chest. I squeezed her closer. Now my eyes were burning. “No, not crazy. That’s Fate talking to you. Just like she talked to me the moment I met you. Why do you think I spilled my coffee all over myself?”

Clio’s laugh rang out, sweet and full this time. It went straight to my dick.

Fate, this female did everything for me.

“It wasn’t just so you could show off your sexy chest by taking your shirt off?” She slid her fingertips lightly across my pecs, raising goosebumps on my arms.

I kissed her. “Oh, it was. If that worked, it definitely was.” My voice came out in a deep, suggestive rumble. My lips met hers again one more time before I lifted her off me and stood to pull on my clothes. JT was racing back and forth, climbing up and down boulders as he explored the Montana outdoors at a quick wolflike pace.

“Thanks for talking to him,” Clio said as I pulled on my jeans.

“Of course. I’ll always be there for him. He’s my family now. I already love your pup, Clio. As much as I love you. I would do anything for the two of you.”

Her eyes grew bright with tears again. “Stop making me cry.”

I reached for her waist and pulled her in. “Stop being so perfect.”

She blinked back the tears. “God, why am I so teary?”