Chapter 4

 

“Seriously, man?” Jared starts. “Is Laura a shifter, and you all haven’t told me? I don’t even want to know the kind of sex you have…”

 

Jared takes another look at Alex’s bare torso. There’s a fresh batch of teeth marks embedded into his skin. There are markings all over – from his neck to his chest and even on his back. Alex takes a clean shirt out from his backpack and pushes it down over his head. Jared does the same and reaches for the pile of new clothes he’s hidden beside a rock. It’s a half hour past midnight, and the full moon is high up above them, its moonlight eliciting a soft glow that lights up the ground beneath their feet. There’s no better time to shift than during a full moon when their shifter abilities, their strength and speed most especially, are on an inhuman level.

 

The run they just had was the best they’ve had in a month, since the last full moon more specifically. Now, they’re just lounging at the base of the mountain catching their breaths and letting the hours pass. It’s too early for them to head home, and it’s not every day that the two of them can get some one-on-one time and talk about more serious matters. Alex is usually with either Nate or Laura, or both at the same time, and Jared has a lot of things going on in his own life. They have their weekly barbecues or guy’s night out with Grant and the rest, but it’s hard to get personal time with each of the men.

 

“Why do you always bring it up? Jealous?” Alex asks, letting out a chuckle, as he puts his pants on. “Dry in the sack?”

 

“Ha. Very funny,” Jared says in response, and to hit back, “She may be great in bed, but you’re still sharing her with Nate.” All in good fun. The two aren’t immature to get into a fight because of a series of harmless jabs. Jared knows what to and what not to say. He won’t cross the line, and Alex knows to do the same. “But on a serious note, how does that work?” At this, Jared meets Alex’s eyes, genuinely curious as to the dynamic among Alex, Nate, and Laura. “Are you three always together? And the sleeping arrangements?” There’s no missing the grimace on Jared’s face when he asks, “Do you three share a bed at night?!”

 

“Why?” Alex cocks a mischievous eyebrow up. “Do you want to join?”

 

“Like there’s any space left,” he plays along. “But seriously, do you three ever think about what’s going to happen in the future? Sharing with another person and with your best friend especially?”

 

This time, Alex lets out a heavy sigh as he leans his torso against a tree bark. “Honestly…when you love someone, nothing else really matters…”

 

Jared lets out a low whistle. “Well then, you’re in deep shit, my friend.” To add salt to the injury, “Deep shit, I tell you.”

 

“Since when did our runs become a heart-to-heart talk?” questions Alex, trying to veer away from the topic of conversation. “What’s up with you?”

 

Jared shrugs his shoulders and takes a seat on one of the larger boulders. “Nothing much.”

 

“Bullshit,” barks out Alex. “You’re giving me flak for my love and sex life. Don’t tell me you’re projecting on me…?” When Jared furrows his eyebrows together and glares at Alex, the latter can’t help but let out a laugh. “Ho, ho, ho. So who’s the unlucky girl that has you acting like a bitch?”

 

“Nothing serious.” Another shrug of his shoulders and Jared looks away. “I just went on a date a couple nights ago.”

 

“And? Where’d you meet her?” Alex nudges, pushing his back off the tree and taking the empty space on the rock beside Jared’s spot. “Is she hot?”

 

“Don’t tell Laura yet. I don’t want to give her an ego boost so soon,” jokes Jared. “But I met her on the app.”

 

“I’m guessing it didn’t go so well if you’re giving me shit…”

 

“That’s the thing…it went great, better than I expected…” Jared looks far out into the distance as his memory goes back to a few nights ago. He remembers laughing the whole night and never having to worry about the flow of conversation. He remembers the authenticity in both Anna’s words and actions, from the way she raved about her work at the non-profit to the smile on her face every time Jared said something she connected with. “Except the end…”

 

“What happened?”

 

“She gave me a hug…a fucking hug.” Jared lets out a tight cough before he runs a hand through his hair. “Before she said goodnight…but she did agree to go out on a second date. That counts for something, doesn’t it?”

 

“So she didn’t invite you into her apartment?” Of course, that’s the only thing Alex takes note of. “Harsh. She left you dry, man.” Alex can’t help but give Jared a comforting clap on his back. Still, there’s no missing the holler Alex is trying to keep in. How the tables have turned…

 

“But she must be interested…we are having a second date next week…”

 

Alex nods his head in agreement. “You’re definitely not out of the game. Maybe, she’s just not a sex-on-the-first-date type of woman?”

 

“Man, she’s twenty-eight years old,” Jared says, letting out a chuckle and rolling his eyes in disbelief. No one, both man and woman, holds out anymore in this day and age. “You think it’s one of those tests women use to trick men?”

 

At the thought of something, Alex turns to face Jared. With the red creeping up his face, it’s obvious Alex is trying his best not to holler out loud, but then he fails when he opens his mouth and says, “What if she’s a virgin?”

 

Jared widens his eyes at the thought. No. A twenty-eight year old virgin? Not to mention that Anna is extremely beautiful both in body and personality.

 

There’s no way a woman like her is still a virgin? But what if she is?

 

Jared almost tackles Alex to the ground at opening up that idea. For some reason, Jared Harrison feels more nervous than ever, just because of the possibility that the woman he’s interested in may be a virgin. Shouldn’t she be the one getting antsy?