Sharon’s note: There are all sorts of different types of relationship. No matter what type your trying for, always be honest and straightforward about what you want and it will save you a whole lot of heartache. Warning: Author believes that in depth communication is totally romantic.
Sam sat with his legs crossed, hands tucked under his thighs to stop them from fidgeting. He’d only put his pants back on after he reverted to human, and I got to watch his very nice chest tense, every muscle easily visible. Poor guy, he was so nervous. As much as I was enjoying the show, I had to put him out of his misery.
“It doesn’t bother me that you’re a werewolf.” I reached over to pat his thigh. “I’m not going to pretend that I didn’t just have my entire world view shifted, but that doesn’t change how I feel about you.”
His cheeks turned scarlet. I’d bet that if he’d still been a wolf his tale would have been wagging. “And, um, how do you feel about me?”
“I like you, beyond that, don’t push it.” I smirked and he chuckled, finally relaxing. “So, what made you decide to reveal this?”
He rolled his shoulders and rubbed at the back of his neck. “I . . . like you a lot. I could see things between us getting serious, so I don’t want to start them out with a lie. Even one of omission.”
“Oh.” I looked down at my hand where it braced on the blanket. A tiny spider crept towards my thumb, and I flicked it away. I’d decided after my last break-up with an immature jerk who refused to commit that I wanted someone who was in it to win it. It was refreshing to hear someone be that straightforward, but I hadn’t been expecting it. “So, anything else I need to know?”
Sam took a big, nervous breath. What could he have to say that was bigger than being a werewolf? “So, along with werewolves, magic is a thing. As a creature of magic, I’m prone to . . . feelings. Some call them animal instincts but it’s more than that. We can sense things that we shouldn’t be able to. One of those things that I’ve seen but never experienced before, um, you, is the, um, mating call.”
I raised an eyebrow. “And what is the mating call?”
His face was so red and his head was ducked so low he looked like a vulture. “It’s where, through magic, we recognize someone who would be a good mate.”
I frowned. He couldn’t be serious. “So it’s, what? Love at first sight?”
Sam was startled into a snort. “What? No. That is a myth. This is more like a magical dating algorithm. Like any relationship, it requires work.”
“So you’re saying that you’re magic told you that we were highly compatible, and you should swipe right?” I snorted. This was ludicrous.
He looked down at the grass and ripped up a handful. “Kind of. I asked you out because I’m lonely and well, I’d heard a lot about you. I think your dad was trying to set us up and I wasn’t opposed. You sounded pretty amazing.”
“Yeah, well, Dad’s partial.” My lip curled involuntarily. I knew it. I wasn’t mad, but I knew Dad was up to his old tricks.
“He’d made a big deal about you watching his house while he was gone, and I’d planned to find a time to introduce myself anyway. When I saw you from the park . . .” Sam licked his lips and blushed. “It was like getting hit with a ton of bricks. I always thought other wolves were exaggerating when they said things like that, but it’s true. It’s not love, but it’s like I knew how all the things your father told me about you fit into my life. From there, it would be really easy to make it love, and, uh, it doesn’t hurt that you’re beautiful.”
The sheepish, hopeful grin he gave me was painfully cute, but the cogs in my head were turning so fast I was surprised I couldn’t smell smoke. I needed time to think, but I didn’t want to accidentally burn any bridges. I bit my lip for a second then said, “I’m going to need to mull this over. How about we eat dessert first, then talk more about us.”
Gray Matters: The Works of Sharon and James Gray 