Page 51 of The Librarian’s Familiar

August shrugged off the bag and handed it to Charlie. “Are you able to hold my clothes?”

“Of course.” He wasn’t about to tell him to throw them on the ground. “Maybe you should have stripped in the hut?”

“And stepped out as a polar bear…I don’t think you would’ve liked that. This way it’s a little more private, and you can watch.”

Charlie frowned and accepted the coat that was handed to him. “Are you sure about that?”

“Yeah. My brothers and I have always shifted in front of each other. There are some ridiculous moments, though, as the fur sprouts and limbs reshape. But I’d rather you laugh than scream.” He undid his boots and pulled them off, along with his socks.

He talked about shifting so casually, like it didn’t even matter that he’d be a twisted mess of part human and part bear for a few moments. “Do you laugh at each other?”

“When we were kids. I knew my family were shifters and had seen them all shift long before it happened to me.” He kept taking off pieces of clothing and handing them to Charlie as he talked, as if now that he’d started, he needed to finish.

“Is it actually funny though, or is it scary to see?”

That made him pause. “I guess my family made it seem like fun, pulling faces and making silly noises.”

“They were making sure you didn’t get scared,” Charlie said softly.

August paused, fingers on the zipper of his jeans. “Huh…I never thought of it like that.”

Of course he hadn’t. To him, it was normal. Only a shifter family would turn stripping off and morphing into an animal into a game to not scare the non-shifting children.

“Would you like me to pull faces?” August undid his jeans.

“No, it’s fine.” Keep your eyes on his face. We are not out here to have sex.

But they could.

And a shifter’s blood ran hot after a shift.

What was he thinking? It was a public lake, and they weren’t that hidden. Not only that, but there might be another shifter out here in the woods who might stumble on them or worse, watch them. “How alone are we?”

August tilted his head, and his nostrils flared. “Now you want the polar bear to eat you?”

“No. Oh my God, why would you say that?”

August laughed. He took one step, closing the gap between them, and kissed him. His hand on the back of Charlie’s neck, holding him close. “I won’t touch you as a shifter. I’ll sit and let you approach me and pat me if you would like to. Obviously, I will be able to understand you, but I won’t be able to talk. So yes and no questions only.”

“But you can’t talk?”

“I can still nod and shake my head.”

“Oh.”

August released him and stepped back, stripping off his jeans and briefs and tossing them to Charlie. Then he was standing there naked. “Ready?”

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

August rolled his shoulders as the cool breeze swept over his bare skin. It was only then he realized he’d never shifted in front of anyone outside of his family. Not only that, but Charlie’s scent was a mix of fear and lust that was doing weird things to him.

He hadn’t shifted since the bond had been made, so he wasn’t sure how it would affect him. This was all very unknown. For both of them. He took another step back to give Charlie a bit more space, then dropped onto his hands. It was possible to remain upright while shifting, but it did require good balance, and given that he wanted to keep an eye on Charlie, he didn’t want to be worried about falling over.

Charlie exhaled, and August risked a glance up. He gave his mate a small nod, then drew the shifting heat up. It spread up his spine and through his blood and bones. On the outside, nothing changed at first, but he felt the way every cell in his body sparked as the orders to change form were processed.

A final burst of heat flicked the switch, and his bones moved. Muscles contracted or expanded. His cheekbones ached, especially the metal around his eye socket, as his face became a snout. He stuck out his tongue, wanting to make Charlie smile.

He didn’t, but he wasn’t running either.