Chapter 450 Chapter 450
He pulled his shirt back on quickly. If it were just the guys from the shop around, it didn’t bother him as much, but with so many around here, he didn’t need to see those looks on their faces. The ones that bled pity when they saw his scars.
As he stepped out through the gate to the yard, Julian came running toward him, shirt and shoes in his hands. Noah paused to tell him to put his shoes on because it was snowing, then he saw tears on his face and froze. He’d had to persuade him to shift, promised him it would be different from before. He frowned, Julian had run like the wind and jumped any obstacle out there, he thought he’d enjoyed it. He prepared to apologize when Julian threw himself at him and hugged him tightly. Noah sucked in a breath and held it, trying not to panic but wanting to console him at the same time. When his grip loosened, he looked down to see Julian smiling.
“That was amazing.”
The tears weren’t from fear or trauma. Noah was slow to smile, as he stepped back to put space between them. “You have quite the speed.” He tilted his head to the side, “maybe just try not to jump so far until you have more control.”
Julian grinned and bobbed his head up and down, “I just—I can’t believe how awesome that was.”
Noah smiled, a real one this time. “It’s pretty cool.” He glanced over to see Kobie and Blair coming back into the yard, “Kobie will work with you on tracking and hunting.”
“Really?” Julian looked from her back to him, and Noah noticed the guarded look in his eyes was gone. Julian spun on his heel and rushed toward them.
Noah blew out a breath and then looked around for Emersyn. He turned to see if she was back in the yard already. She’d seemed like she enjoyed the run, her cat was less hesitant this time. Scowling at the ground, he moved back to the gate to look for her.
She stood in the opening of the trees, near to where they had shifted. She had her back to him, so he couldn’t see her face. He could smell the saltiness of tears and hurried toward her.
She turned her head and glanced at him as he got closer. “I feel so silly.” Her voice shook with emotion.
Noah’s throat tightened; his cat was still, wary. “What’s wrong? Your cat looked like she was having fun.”
Emersyn nodded, “she did, we did.”
He stepped closer so he could see her face. It was stained with tears. He didn’t understand.
“Look.” She turned her head.
Noah jerked his chin and looked in the direction she was. There was nothing there, just open land. They were on a hill, so the view stretched out for many miles.
“It’s beautiful.” She whispered.
He nodded; he couldn’t deny that. When she looked up at him, he forgot what he was going to say. Her eyes were drowning in unshed tears, and it made them sparkle as gems would.
“I want to stay here, Noah.” She smiled at him, “with this clan,” she looked back out from the trees, “with this endless wilderness.” She wiped at one eye, “I want Aspyn to grow up in the open, not locked in a house or surrounded by cement and buildings.”
He blew out a breath, “you don’t have to go anywhere if you don’t want to.” It wasn’t what he wanted to say, but those words he couldn’t speak out loud.
She smiled up at him again, and he could see there was a tinge of happiness in her eyes. It made his heart swell seeing it. “And you? Are you going to stay?”
He frowned, “I said I’d help Blair...”
“No, I mean are you going to stay here at this house, with this clan, after they’re on their feet again.”
He nodded slowly, “I don’t have plans to leave,” he shrugged, “I might go help Ed from time to time and I do have to go out with the teams...”
“This will be home for you though?”
Maybe it was the way her scent was wrapping around his insides or the fact that his cat felt like he was rolling around inside him, but he couldn’t quite focus to understand what she wanted him to say. “This area is my home now.” He hoped that was the right answer, “I’m not going back to my family’s clan.” He hadn’t decided that in such a definite term until his mouth just said it.
“Good.” She smiled again and then placed her hand on his chest and rubbed it gently.
It was such a small movement, but he felt it through his whole body. It relaxed him but tensed his cat. Being in conflict internally wasn’t a new thing for him.
“I want to run every day.” She looked at him through her long dark lashes, and he was rendered mute.
He nodded.
“And when you’re here, I want to run with you.”
Noah looked at her, really looked at her. The sprinkle of freckles across her nose and cheeks was wet and shining from the tears. He reached before he realized it to wipe her cheek dry and then froze when she lifted her face to him and didn’t shrink from his touch. His heart felt like it was beating so fast it was closing off his throat as he fought to draw air into his lungs. Everything moved in slow motion but seemed lightning fast as he leaned down and placed his mouth gently against hers.
When she didn’t pull away, he did it again. He felt her hand move up to his neck and the warmth of her palm against his skin sent a shiver through his whole body. Touching her hip, he kissed her again. It was awkward and needy when he knew she deserved so much more.
Jerking his head up, he gave her a cautious look. “I shouldn’t have done that.” He blurted out.
Her hand moved down his shoulder, then the length of his arm. “I didn’t mind, Noah.”
His cat was frozen inside him. Offended beyond any measure that he’d taken such a liberty with her. “We should get inside now.” He stepped back and held his hand out in the direction of the gate.
She nodded, “yes, we’re deciding on paint today.” She smiled up at him once more before she started for the gate.
Paint? She was thinking about painting? She should have smacked him, or-or he didn’t know but she should have done something.