Page 62 of Same One
“Good Lord, Bayen. Let me ask questions. You are offering me nothing and I’m excited for you. Explain or I will keep asking questions.”
Bayen heaved another sigh and pulled the new drone box off the top of the supply pile in the seats next to him. He began opening the box, and nonchalantly said, “She’s human. She’s cute. She doesn’t seem repulsed by me, so that’s a plus. Anything else?”
“Is she nice?”
He pursed his lips and looked thoughtful. “I have her in statistics. She sits at the back of the class a couple tables over from me. She seems quiet but she smiles a lot, and in the hallways, she laughs a lot with her friends, but I never hear her laughing at other people. If that makes sense. I like her laugh.”
Tru glanced at Tabian and back at Bay. “She sounds cool.”
“Don’t say ‘cool.’ It ages you.”
“She sounds rizz. Drippy-drip, no cap.”
“That’s not at all how you use any of those terms,” Bay said with a disgusted look as he put earphones into his ears.
“Bruh.”
“Stop,” he gritted out. She saw it though. He was fighting a smile.
Tabian squeezed her hand and held it, and whooo that man gave her butterflies. The more he touched her, the more she grew comfortable.
Zane hadn’t liked affection, and had always flinched away from her touch, and she hadn’t realized how much damage that had done until she felt hesitant touching Tabian at first, as if she would get in trouble or make him uncomfortable. He seemed to like affection though.
As if he could read her mind, he pulled her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss there, then settled her hand on her thigh and held it there, driving with one hand.
A thrill of excitement and happiness washed through her and she closed her eyes and smiled at the sensation. He was bringing her back to life. Even if Bay was making barfing soundsfrom the back seat, no one could take away from the relief and joy and excitement she felt at doing an adventure with her guys.
Did Tabian realize he was healing her with each comforting thing he did?
Chapter Fifteen
Being with Tabian in his element was so eye-opening.
This was the most capable man she’d ever met.
He’d been a patient instructor for her and Bay as they’d set up camp and given them tasks off camera.
The cameras dotted the campsite. There was one with a tripod farther back that captured Tabian building the tent, tables, woodburning stove, camp chairs and the fire. There was one tied to a nearby sapling, one mounted in the tent, and one in the bed of the truck, where it had filmed Tabian cooking them dinner—steak smothered with mushrooms, carrots and a vegetable and noodle dish that was fighting to be her favorite food now.
The cameras had been hard to get used to for a bit, because she had it in her mind that she and Bay needed to be hidden, but Tabian was comfortable talking to them, or drawing them in to see something, or taste food. He said he could edit anything out that he wanted to, and so as the hours had passed, she and Bay had settled into a rhythm ghosting in and out of frame. Tabian was so confident in everything he did. Bay had fiddled with a drone for an hour, and any questions he had about it, Tabian knew the answers without even looking at the instructions. When Bay had the hang of flying the thing, Tabian asked, “Do you want to come out and find firewood with me? You can learn what wood to look for and use the saw.”
Bay glanced over at Tru. “Is it okay if I go?”
She smiled and nodded. “Go have fun. I’m going to get ready for bed.”
Tabian approached with strong, powerful strides and pulled her in, kissed her cheek. “We will be right through there,”Tabian said, pointing. “We won’t go too far. Call out if you need anything.”
“I can Change fast,” Bay assured her. “I can be back here in five seconds, tops.”
She grinned. “You used to say that when you first met me. Do you remember?”
He nodded but then ducked his gaze and headed toward the woods behind Tabian. “Five seconds,” he reminded her. “I bet Tabian could be here in two.”
She stood there with the mushiest feeling in her chest, watching Tabian lead Bayen out into the woods.
She trusted him with the boy. Twice, she’d seen Tabian reprimand Bay for his attitude, and instead of his wolf snarling in his throat, Bay had listened and adjusted.
Maybe the boy had needed a firm-handed male werewolf to guide him all along. She’d done her best, but she was soft, and understanding, and never wanted to upset him. Tabian didn’t care about that. He would call out his shit, but in a soft-spoken way that urged Bay to listen, not to argue with him.
