Page 101 of Shifted Desire

How I’m scared of ruining his relationship with my parents and worried it’s deeply selfish of me to ask him to choose me over them, if it comes down to that.

I tell him about Max being cool with us, and how lucky I am to have him as my brother and best friend, and that I pray the rest of my family will understand too.

I admit I’ve never felt the way I do about him, and it terrifies me because there’s a part of me that believes no matter what, I’ll ruin it.

I whisper how much I love him and mention my idea of getting a house in Moonvale.

The next thing I know, I’m startled awake as I tumble backwards when the door behind me opens.

“Shit!” Nathan dives to catch me before my head hits the floor, and I blink up at him groggily. “Sorry, I didn’t realize you were leaning on the door.”

“S’okay.” A smile curls my lips as I savor him cradling my head in his lap and hands. “Morning.”

He chuckles, the sound raspy. “Morning.”

I rub the sleep out of my eyes as he helps me sit back up, and can’t help the gasp that escapes me when I get a good look at him. “Oh gods, Nathan!”

His bruised and scraped body looks like he was hit multiple times by a battering ram, his eyes bloodshot and full of exhaustion.

The werewolf has the audacity to wave me off. “I’m fine,” he croaks. He clears his throat with a grimace. “I’m fine,” he repeats, voice still raspy.

When he attempts to stand, his legs buckle underneath him, and I have to steady him so he doesn’t fall.

“Whoa, no, you’re absolutely not okay!” I guide him over to the couch, grunting a little at supporting his weight. When he collapses onto it with a pained grimace, I glare at him. “Stay here.”

“I’m fi⁠—”

“Quit being stubborn!” I interrupt. “Sit here and shut up and let me take care of you.”

His nostrils flare but he sighs, defeated. “Yes, ma’am.”

When I’m sure he won’t try to get up or do something stupid, I make a beeline for the medicine cabinet in his bathroom. My stomach lurches with worry at the trail of blood in the hallway, but I tamp it down because if I gasp, that idiot will try to run to my side to make sure I’m okay. The shattered remains of his diffuser on his bedroom floor must be the culprit for the bleeding. I didn’t notice any open wounds on him, but I’m sure as hell going to check every inch of him to make sure.

Meds and first aid supplies procured, I hurry back to the living room, where Nathan is slumped against the arm of the couch. He tries to sit up and pretend he’s fine, but it’s too late. I already caught sight of his true condition.

I get a glass of water and a protein bar from the kitchen, and shove him a handful of meds. “Take these.”

He pops them in his mouth without looking at what I gave him, swallowing them down and drinking the entire glass of water.

“Aren’t werewolf transformations supposed to regenerate cells and heal injuries?” I ask with a frown as I inspect the largest bruise across his forearm.

He attempts to shrug and winces at the movement. “They do, but I guess that excludes things like throwing yourself against a magical ward until you pass out from the pain.”

“Gods, Nathan…” I assess the damage, heart hurting at how bad it looks. “Why? Why did you transform without telling me? I could’ve been here with you.” My fingers skate across the bruise on his jaw, and his eyelids flutter shut, whether from pain or shame, I’m unsure. “We could’ve avoided this if you’d trusted me.”

“I’m sorry,” he rasps, throat working on a heavy swallow.

My chest aches at his clear suffering, but also with frustration. “Why don’t you trust me with this side of you?”

He looks away. “It’s not about trusting you. It’s about not trusting myself.”

“Fine, then why don’t you trust yourself?” I ask, forcing myself to keep the frustration out of my tone. Clearly, there’s something deep-seated in him that makes him avoid this topic at all costs.

I lean in, pressing my lips to his in a gentle kiss. “Talk to me, Nathan. If we’re going to be together, I need to know why you’re so scared of your curse.”

He releases a shuddering sigh. “It’s… it’s not a pleasant subject. I don’t want to scare you away.”

I level him with a steady gaze, opening my emotions to him as best I can so he can feel that what I’m saying is the truth. “Unless you’ve murdered multiple people and enjoyed it, you won’t scare me. Are you a serial killer, Nathan?”