Page 14 of Seducing Sasquatch

My heart sinks. That’s not fair.

“I’m sorry to hear that.” I swallow around the strained growl that vibrates through my body. My arms ache to wrap around Blake; my hands itch to pat his soft blond hair. I want to hold him. No, I need to hold him.

“She died of ovarian cancer.” Blake picks up a wrap and places it onto his plate. “But I was only seven when she passed. So it’s been a while.”

I don’t move from my spot as I watch Blake pile on a healthy serving of chicken topped with cheese and salsa. His nimble fingers roll the wrap a little too loosely, and without folding the bottom, the contents fall onto his plate.

Everything inside me aches. I want to howl and throw something. I want to run until my lungs burn or split a tree right down the middle. I want…

I sigh under my breath. I don’t know what I want. But I do know it involves helping Blake. He’s like a baby bird still learning to fly.

Gently, I reach forward. Blake eyes me closely as I take the badly rolled wrap and refold it properly before passing it back to him.

His smile warms my heart, and I want to see it again. I’d gladly refold a thousand wraps if it means I get to see his smile.

“Thank you,” he says as he digs in. I chuckle and make my own wrap. We eat in the kitchen; neither of us makes a move for the table. Instead, Blake watches me as he eats, and I watch him. His eyes wander over my face, my neck, before dipping down to my chest. I saw him checking me out the day he first woke up. I could feel his eyes on me from the front door. I could smell his lust that got caught in the wind.

And now, less than two feet in front of me, Blake shuffles on the spot, his heart rate spiking as I move to make another wrap. As I fold the sides in tightly, a piece of chicken falls out onto my plate. Plucking it up between my fingers, I slide the chunk of meat deep into the wrap, making sure it won’t fall out again. Pulling my fingers free, I lift my hand to my mouth, gliding the pads of my fingers across my tongue as my gaze meets Blake’s.

His wrap is long forgotten in his grip as his eyes follow my movements, and he visibly swallows.

He’s clearly interested in some way. A straight man wouldn’t be watching me the way Blake is now, with such heat burning in his eyes. So I go for the kill.

Sucking the tips of my fingers free from sauce, I pop the question. “Tell me, hiker. Are you into men?”

My question is like pouring gasoline on an open flame. Blake’s spine snaps straight, his wrap falls to his plate, and his head swivels around the cabin.

“I-I…uh…” Blake mutters, his gaze avoiding me at all costs as he suddenly chooses the pile of cheese before him to be the most interesting thing to look at.

“I am,” I supply.

If I were honest with him, I’d have said I was into anyone if my beast called them our mate. Man, woman, anyone at all, for that matter. I’d love them no matter who they were. But for now, before he knows what I really am, I’ll gladly share that I’m into him.

“You are?” Blake finally meets my gaze, his cheeks a bright red as he clutches his wrap and takes a tentative bite.

I nod, finishing my third wrap and turning to make my fourth. “My family has always been open about sexuality and gender. Growing up, I knew I could be anyone I wanted.”

“Oh,” Blake huffs. “My dad would probably crucify me if he found out.”

I quirk a brow. He didn’t outright say he’s gay, but he definitely agreed to it. But his father… That’s a whole other can of worms that will need to be opened one day. But for now, Blake can enjoy being himself around me.

My wrap turns dry in my mouth as I chew. Blake will leave in less than a week. He’ll face a relationship with his homophobic father and the reality of his dead mother. He’ll be alone.

The growl rolling through my chest vibrates the cabin, and I can’t stop myself in time before Blake looks in my direction.

“Are you okay?”

I cough, beating my palm against my sternum. “Yes,” I choke. “Want another wrap?”

Blake pushes his plate away with an upturned lip. “No thanks. I’m stuffed.”

I swallow the lump stuck in my throat and pick up the final wrap in the packet, using the last of the chicken and cheese to make my fifth. It’ll do for now. I usually have all six in the packet, so maybe a midnight snack will go down a treat.

“How do you eat so much?” Blake chuckles. “It’s seriously unhealthy to eat this much before bed.”

I roll my eyes, finding my lips tilting upwards. “Let me eat in peace, hiker.”

Blake huffs, “You won’t keep your six-pack if you keep eating like this.”