wasn’t prepared to find Dawson Rivers on his doorstep.
“Good morning.” Dawson’s trademark half-smile warmed Adam’s blood. His lavender eyes held a playful glint. He wasn’t making any attempt to pretend that yesterday’s events hadn’t happened.
“G-g-good morning,” Adam replied in haste, returning Dawson’s smile reflexively. He had Dawson’s attention and interest still, and that pleasant feeling in his belly was back. He stood frozen, wondering how he was supposed to act, the day after mind-blowing sex with a werewolf.
A werewolf who used to work for his brother.
Dawson’s gaze dropped to Adam’s throat. His eyes darkened, his nose flared. Adam knew what he was looking at. He’d only brought one collared shirt with him, and he was glad he had. Buttoned to his throat, it barely covered all the marks Dawson had left on him.
“I need to apologize for passing out on you, yesterday,” Dawson said. His eyes roved all over Adam. “I didn’t see that coming.”
Adam stepped outside. He turned to close and lock the door. “Don’t worry about it. It was no big deal.”
Behind him, Dawson chuckled. “Yeah, that’s the thing. It kinda was.”
Adam turned and bounded down the two wooden steps. He was surprised to find Dawson standing in his path. He looked up reluctantly. Dawson wore a hangdog expression. Adam bit back a smile at his own silent pun.
“Why is it so important?” He headed in the direction of the building where Ares had its offices. Adam didn’t have time for breakfast before the briefing started. A thought sent a sudden chill through him. “It’s not because of my brother, is it?”
“No.” Dawson fell into step beside Adam, shooting him a look of complete puzzlement. “How the hell did the major get dragged into this?”
“He’s a major. You used to work for him. Noah still does.”
“Wait, wait, wait, wait.” Dawson waved both hands, negating all of Adam’s statements. “What’s going on between us doesn’t really have a lot to do with the Marine Corps. It’s a werewolf thing.”
Adam’s laugh sounded slightly unhinged to his own ears. The irony amazed him. He’d spent a decade evading Tim, and by extension, werewolves. Now, here he was, up to his ass in a werewolf mess.
“How well do you remember your Sunday school lessons?” Dawson surprised him by asking.
“I never went to Sunday school,” Adam hastily replied. “Too many sports to play, too much homework to do. Why?”
“I was hoping you knew the story of Joshua and Caleb,” Dawson said, glancing all around them.
“I know Joshua was Moses’ brother, and he commanded their army,” said Adam. “Brought down the walls of Jericho.”
“That would be him.” Dawson was still glancing around, but he didn’t seem to be searching for anything in particular. “When the Israelites first reached Canaan, Moses sent out the Twelve Scouts. They were to gather info on agriculture and the lay of the land. Ten of the Scouts saw the well-fortified cities everywhere, and they lost faith that they could win any battles, despite the fact God had promised that they would take back their land.”
“Which means two of the Scouts kept the faith.” Adam had no idea why Dawson had taken their conversation down this very strange path.
“Those two Scouts were Joshua and Caleb.” Dawson finally looked at Adam again. “Joshua later became commander of the army. When they finally took back the Promised Land, Joshua rewarded Caleb with a grant of land.” His animated gestures were back, too.
Adam still didn’t grasp the relevance of the story to their previous conversation. “What does any of this have to do with werewolves, my brother, and…y-y-you and me?”
“Joshua’s tribe was a tribe of werewolves, but Caleb’s tribe was human,” Dawson replied, as if that explained everything.
Adam waited for him to continue. When Dawson remained silent, Adam replayed the story in his head, reviewing the facts.
“Good morning.” Dawson’s trademark half-smile warmed Adam’s blood. His lavender eyes held a playful glint. He wasn’t making any attempt to pretend that yesterday’s events hadn’t happened.
“G-g-good morning,” Adam replied in haste, returning Dawson’s smile reflexively. He had Dawson’s attention and interest still, and that pleasant feeling in his belly was back. He stood frozen, wondering how he was supposed to act, the day after mind-blowing sex with a werewolf.
A werewolf who used to work for his brother.
Dawson’s gaze dropped to Adam’s throat. His eyes darkened, his nose flared. Adam knew what he was looking at. He’d only brought one collared shirt with him, and he was glad he had. Buttoned to his throat, it barely covered all the marks Dawson had left on him.
“I need to apologize for passing out on you, yesterday,” Dawson said. His eyes roved all over Adam. “I didn’t see that coming.”
Adam stepped outside. He turned to close and lock the door. “Don’t worry about it. It was no big deal.”
Behind him, Dawson chuckled. “Yeah, that’s the thing. It kinda was.”
Adam turned and bounded down the two wooden steps. He was surprised to find Dawson standing in his path. He looked up reluctantly. Dawson wore a hangdog expression. Adam bit back a smile at his own silent pun.
“Why is it so important?” He headed in the direction of the building where Ares had its offices. Adam didn’t have time for breakfast before the briefing started. A thought sent a sudden chill through him. “It’s not because of my brother, is it?”
“No.” Dawson fell into step beside Adam, shooting him a look of complete puzzlement. “How the hell did the major get dragged into this?”
“He’s a major. You used to work for him. Noah still does.”
“Wait, wait, wait, wait.” Dawson waved both hands, negating all of Adam’s statements. “What’s going on between us doesn’t really have a lot to do with the Marine Corps. It’s a werewolf thing.”
Adam’s laugh sounded slightly unhinged to his own ears. The irony amazed him. He’d spent a decade evading Tim, and by extension, werewolves. Now, here he was, up to his ass in a werewolf mess.
“How well do you remember your Sunday school lessons?” Dawson surprised him by asking.
“I never went to Sunday school,” Adam hastily replied. “Too many sports to play, too much homework to do. Why?”
“I was hoping you knew the story of Joshua and Caleb,” Dawson said, glancing all around them.
“I know Joshua was Moses’ brother, and he commanded their army,” said Adam. “Brought down the walls of Jericho.”
“That would be him.” Dawson was still glancing around, but he didn’t seem to be searching for anything in particular. “When the Israelites first reached Canaan, Moses sent out the Twelve Scouts. They were to gather info on agriculture and the lay of the land. Ten of the Scouts saw the well-fortified cities everywhere, and they lost faith that they could win any battles, despite the fact God had promised that they would take back their land.”
“Which means two of the Scouts kept the faith.” Adam had no idea why Dawson had taken their conversation down this very strange path.
“Those two Scouts were Joshua and Caleb.” Dawson finally looked at Adam again. “Joshua later became commander of the army. When they finally took back the Promised Land, Joshua rewarded Caleb with a grant of land.” His animated gestures were back, too.
Adam still didn’t grasp the relevance of the story to their previous conversation. “What does any of this have to do with werewolves, my brother, and…y-y-you and me?”
“Joshua’s tribe was a tribe of werewolves, but Caleb’s tribe was human,” Dawson replied, as if that explained everything.
Adam waited for him to continue. When Dawson remained silent, Adam replayed the story in his head, reviewing the facts.
Similar Books
