drive, he noted with no small measure
of relief that the tension between them was gone.
Chapter Five
As it turned out, their little road trip lasted more than
Jensen had expected and would have liked. Erdi's acquaintance lived somewhere
in the Rockies, and the distance meant that they had to drive through the
night, with only a few pit stops to eat and go to the bathroom. At times, Erdi
shot Jensen a few concerned looks, mindful of his discomfort, but Jensen just
arched a brow at his companion. "I assure you I don't need to be coddled.
It's best to reach our destination quickly. I wouldn't be able to sleep in one
of these motels anyway."
Not to mention that, with the sexual tension rising between
them, he doubted there would be that much sleeping involved. And Jensen was
many things, but he couldn't afford to think with his cock, not when he still
didn't know what exactly had happened in Willow Cove.
They arrived in Denver early Monday morning, and their car
was trapped in the somewhat sluggish traffic. Jensen stretched a bit to smooth
out the kinks in his neck and stole a glimpse at Erdi. He felt mildly guilty
that he'd slept through the night whereas Erdi had driven, but the other man didn't
look tired. "So do werewolves not need rest or what?"
Erdi chuckled. "Of course we do. But I'm well trained
and far more resilient than a regular werewolf. I can go for days without
sleeping if I have to."
The words "Trained for what?" were on Jensen's
lips, but for whatever reason, he didn't say them. He had a feeling the answer
was connected to Erdi's abrupt departure the night of their argument.
So instead of asking that, he inquired, "Do you think
we're jumping at shadows? I mean, the car accident could have easily been just
that, an accident."
Erdi shook his head. "I'm sorry, babe, but I saw it
pretty clearly. You were targeted. The car came straight at you, and made no
attempt to stop. The driver wanted to hurt you. When they hit me, the people inside
were pissed off, and I heard them actually comment on the fact that they'd
missed you."
Jensen couldn't suppress a shiver, and Erdi seemed to notice
the effects his words had. "It's okay," he whispered. "I won't
let anyone hurt you. I promise you that."
And Jensen believed him. He believed Erdi, even if they knew
so little about one another, even if physical chemistry—however
incredible—meant nothing in the long run and Erdi still had so many secrets.
Jensen's heart told him he could trust Erdi to keep him safe.
"I know you will," he told the other man. "I
believe in you."
Erdi made a noise—one of those 'I can't fathom what you're
thinking' sounds that Jensen had grown accustomed to despite the little time
he'd spent with Erdi. Barely audible, but there, they appeared when Jensen said
something affectionate, and that in itself was telling and it made Jensen
wonder further about Erdi's previous life.
He'd have probably said something more, but Erdi parked the
car and announced, "We're here."
They both slid out of the car and Jensen looked around for
anyone who might look like a shape-shifter. The street was crowded, and so was
the cafe in front of which they'd parked. There were a lot of hipsters, young
men and women, businessmen working on laptops or reading on tablets—but no one
Jensen could pinpoint as a paranormal creature.
Erdi took his hand and guided him inside the cafe.
"Remember, a bit eccentric," he murmured under his breath.
"Don't worry about him. He means well."
Jensen would have been worried about that, but they were
suddenly pounced by a young, purple-haired man. "Erdi... You're
here."
The man rubbed his cheek over Erdi's chest. Some of the other
patrons stared, while Jensen had the strongest urge to shove the young man off
Erdi. Remembering Erdi's words, he kept his calm. That turned out to be the
right thing to do, because Erdi managed to extract himself from his attacker's
embrace. "Jensen, this is Ian St. Claire. Ian, this is Jensen