Chapter Twenty-Five

Gabe ran up the side of the mountain until he reached the hot spring valley where he and Serena had first made love. Or had it just been sex?

He’d thought she had feelings for him. He thought she was the one. But the look in her eyes today told a different story. Yes, she desired him. But she seemed to think it was all the fever, all their overwrought bodies and the push of their wolves.

He trotted past the hot spring down to the creek and dove in, letting the icy Rocky Mountain water chill the fever’s heat. The pulsing need of his wolf retreated, and he was finally able to think with his brain and not his dick.

And what he wanted was still the same. Serena.

He enjoyed her company. They laughed and had fun together. She was smart, career driven. She’d been brave enough to leave her pack and come clear across the country to Windy Gap. Not many wolves would have done that.

And yes, she was a wolf. His wolf responded to her as if she could shift. He knew she was a wolf. But she’d never understand the push that having a physical wolf gave him. The smells, the sights, the sounds. He’d run in wolf form on the dreamscape, so he knew the difference. But she didn’t.

He swam over to the shore and got out, shaking excess water off his fur and letting the light night breeze blow him dry as he tried to sort out his emotions. Despite the swim, he was still frustrated and angry, and so damn confused.

He could love who Serena was without completely understanding her. Why couldn’t she do the same?

It was nearing dawn before he began the long run back to the compound. Finally, he was within sight of the shearing shed on the western edge of the ranch. The last few miles had worked the worst of the fever from his body and as he stopped at the pump and shifted to human to get a drink in the predawn light, he felt almost normal.

Normal enough to know what he needed to do. He had to head back up the hill to Serena’s and help her understand that their differences shouldn’t drive them apart, they should pull them together. He could support her in her work, make sure she had whatever it was she needed to be a therapist for the pack. He could help her understand what the differences were between physical shifters and dreamwalkers, and if she knew that, she’d be a better therapist. They didn’t need to be the same, and he didn’t even need to completely understand her for them to be a team.

He took a drink of the fresh well water, then stuck his head underneath the pump and got his entire head wet.

That’s what they could be—a team. That’s what the fever saw that they didn’t—the unspoken complementary pieces of two people that fit together and, with the Bite, would become whole.

He turned off the pump and shook off the excess water. Time to find Serena and talk to her, while he was in control of the fever and she could understand—this wasn’t just the fever, his desire, or his wolf pushing him to mate with her. It was him, and her, and what an amazing pair they could be.

And he had something else to do, something that he’d forgotten in the rush of sex and the heat of the fight. He had to find out just whose scent was in Serena’s bedroom and take care of the threat.

The wind shifted, and in the near-dark, the scent of Sam wafted in the breeze. He turned just in time to brace himself for the impact of 180 pounds of adult shifter landing on him and knocking him to the ground.

“Sam, what the hell?” He shoved his brother off his chest and stood up, brushing the dirt from the road off and frowning at his twin.

Sam’s light-gray fur was matted, and his eyes were fever bright, the pupils tiny pinpricks nearly lost in blue. He growled, and it was the kind of growl Gabe had only heard a few times in his life. The kind that said his brother was here for the kill.

Gabe knew he smelled like Serena—even if he hadn’t seen her for a week, his brother’s fever-heightened senses would pick up every trace of her on his skin. And he’d not only just seen her; they’d had sex.

He backed down the dirt road in the direction of the main ranch buildings. They weren’t far. Someone would be driving by here soon. He just hoped it wouldn’t be too late.

“Sam, you have to get control of this. Serena’s made it plain, she doesn’t want you anymore.”

Sam circled him, his tail low and his lip curled. The message was clear: fight me.

“No. I don’t want to fight.” Gabe moved to walk away, but he wasn’t sure which direction to go. Back up the mountain was where he wanted to go and see Serena, but with Sam here like this? There was no way he’d endanger either his brother or Serena. Instead he headed closer into the ranch, moving past the empty sheep-shearing shed and closer to the stable where he could hear the distant sound of men and horses getting ready for the day. Someone would help him with Sam.

Sam ran in front of him. He lashed out a paw around Gabe’s lower legs, swiping at his ankles and taking them out from under him. Once again he hit the ground hard.

This time he got up growling. “Back off, Sam. I don’t want to fight you.”

Sam darted in again, his teeth grazing Gabe’s thigh and leaving a trail of blood.

Gabe’s wolf howled inside, and the rage of the fever, so carefully banked with the last hour of running, broke. “Fuck you!” Gabe snarled, the shift racing over him.

Sam’s eyes answered with a bright gleam. The fight was on.

Gabe’s shift was too fast. It took him a moment to adjust to the lower level of vision and the increased power of scent. Sam didn’t give him the time. He rushed him, low and fast and heading for his neck. Gabe dropped his muzzle at the last minute, protecting his throat.

Sam nicked his shoulder, his hot damp mouth taking a chunk of Gabe’s thick neck ruff. Gabe spun around and crouched. He smelled the fever on his twin and in Sam’s saliva left on his coat. His own virus responded. His human side receded, and his vision went red.

No longer did he see Sam as his twin, the brother he’d loved since before birth. Now he only saw the other male for what he was—the wolf who wanted his mate. His enemy.