Page 57 of Same Difference
He was already getting on her nerves, so she got up from the table and announced, “I’m going to get some fresh air.”
She shut the front door behind her and pressed her palms against the cold wood. With a sigh she closed her eyes and reveled in the relief of being out of a crowded room with a bunch of dominant werewolves. Nory and her magic omega-ness would keep them all calm enough, but it was still hard to breathe in small spaces with them. Sometimes Delta hated that she’d beenborn with a submissive wolf. Even shy, human Nory was more dominant than her. She could feel it.
A sound tickled her sensitive ears, and Delta turned and listened harder. There it was. That was Nathan’s truck picking its way up the hill.
Her heart drummed faster inside of her chest. She rushed to the window on the front porch, and made sure her hair looked okay in the reflection there, until she noticed all of the Pack had frozen at dinner inside, and were staring at her through the front window. Ha. Oops.
Delta waved awkwardly and turned to see Nathan’s truck through the trees.
She jogged down the steps and came to stand by her 4Runner. She didn’t even know why she’d driven it over here instead of walking. The cabin was just across the clearing. Maybe for the excuse to drive it. She loved that 4Runner and was proud of it. She liked that it was parked by the boys’ trucks.
Nathan pulled his truck up next to hers and parked, and her heart pounded even harder.
She walked around the front and waited for him to get out. He shut the door and stood facing her, still, his eyes bright gold. No smile existed on his lips though, and hers fell too.
She backed off a few steps and kicked at the snow. “Hi.”
He cleared his throat. “Hello.” His voice was too gravelly, like his wolf was riled up.
“H-how was work?” She dared a look up at him. God, he looked hot tonight.
He wore a black T-shirt and black jeans over black boots. The glint of a pocketknife was clipped just inside his pocket. He was wearing a charcoal gray beanie, and his beard was thicker than she’d ever seen it. She liked it a lot more than when he’d been clean-shaven.
“Work was good. Hectic.” He glanced up at the front door, and back at her. Right. He probably wanted to get inside and out of this awkward conversation she’d created.
“You look really good,” she blurted out, then dropped her gaze. “I like when you wear a beanie. And you smell good.”
“What are you doing?” he asked, grabbing a six pack of beer out of the back seat.
Valid question. “I don’t know.”
“You told me to leave you alone, and then you blocked me.”
“How do you know I blocked you?”
He didn’t answer but she already knew. He’d tried to text her. She felt awful.
“How was your week?” she asked, trying to keep him in the conversation with her.
He swallowed hard and scratched the back of his head, tucked his chin to his chest. “I’m going to go inside.”
The cold distance that existed between them now hurt in ways she hadn’t expected.
“Hey, Nathan?”
He stopped on the stairs with a sigh and turned for her, then waited, his glowing gold eyes trained on her.
“Are you okay?”
“You know, I used to hate when you asked me that.”
“Oh. Oh yeah. I forgot. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize.” His muscular chest pushed against the fabric of his shirt as he inhaled deeply. “It’s actually nice to be asked that.”
“Oh,” she said again. “Um, are you okay? Really?”
He felt so different now. Hotter. Bigger. Better.
