Feral Northern Shifters 2

didn’t even know where he was, only that Ethan was here, a rather strained, concerned expression on his face. Ethan’s warm hands held one of Bram’s and the touch was a welcome respite.
    Then memories exploded and Bram stiffened right up. Christ. “Doug. He’s going to…” But he didn’t want to alarm Ethan any more than he already was. “You’ve got to get away from me, Ethan.”
“Doug’s not here,” Ethan said quickly.
“He will be. He’ll find me.” Bram pulled in a breath, trying to figure out if there were others in this place, but he could only find his and Ethan’s scent.
“No, he won’t,” insisted Ethan. “This is a safe place.”
Safe? No such thing. However, Bram got distracted by the way Ethan tugged his arm, pulled him over to the bed and pushed down on his shoulders so Bram sat. “Doug is going to kill me.”
Ethan ran a hand through Bram’s hair and he shuddered in reaction, an awkward mix of emotions running through him: yearning, embarrassment, lust. When Ethan proceeded to run the flat of his hand up and down Bram’s back, his chest grew tight, the sudden tenderness of that caress almost painful.
“You’ve just shifted. You might have been a wolf for three months. That’s probably why you’re so confused. But listen, Doug is not here, okay?”
“ Three months?” It felt like just yesterday when Bram had betrayed his alpha and freed Ethan.
“Yes.” Again that hand slid down Bram’s back. And up. The sensation overwhelmed him and he didn’t know if he could continue to sit so close to Ethan. Yet he couldn’t bring himself to move away.
His dick felt overwhelmed too and he didn’t want Ethan to know, so he pulled his legs up onto the bed and hunched over them. It almost didn’t matter if Ethan wasn’t fooled, as long as they could pretend. A wolf would smell Bram’s arousal, as well as all his other emotions. A cougar’s sense of smell was not as strongly developed. Bram hoped.
He put his face on his knees and closed his eyes. Let the hand, Ethan’s hand, rub his back. He pushed out a breath, pulled it in again.
“Doug doesn’t know where we are, Bram. I promise.” Ethan paused. “You believe he wants to kill you?”
Bram nodded against his knees.
“Because you let me go?”
Bram turned his face sideways, cheek on knee, and really looked at Ethan this time. He was cleanshaven, his face still beautiful but not so sharp. No longer giving the impression he was possibly starving. “I attacked Doug.”
Regret filled Ethan’s eyes. “I’m so sorry, Bram.”
“Not your fault.” Bram wanted to look away, but something in Ethan’s face wouldn’t let him. “I’m not sorry. I just think it’s safer if you stay away from me. Doug can be tenacious. He’ll find me eventually.”
Now Ethan was tracing a pattern on Bram’s back. Bram wasn’t sure if he was getting used to the sensation of this kind of caress or if somehow a finger was less overwhelming than the entire palm.
Offering him the slightest smile, Ethan murmured, “I can be tenacious too. After all, we’ve been looking for you for months.”
Bram frowned. “We?”
“Do you not remember the past few days?”
“Not right now. I will,” Bram added hurriedly, in case Ethan thought him mentally impaired. Yes, his shifting had always caused him problems, but he did recover, given time and a little peace.
“Sure you will,” Ethan agreed. “You must be hungry.”
Bram felt like he’d always been hungry, but he nodded.
The finger continued to trace that pattern on Bram’s back, across muscle, down the bumpy line of his spine, across another muscle. Ethan didn’t say anything for a few moments, seemingly intent on stroking Bram’s back. Finally he rested his palm on Bram’s shoulder, squeezed once.
“Why don’t you come to the kitchen?”
“Can I have some clothes?” Bram’s face felt hot. It was obvious why he needed clothes, and it was an effort not to turn his head and bury his face in his knees, but he didn’t want to act like an infant. Besides, Ethan wasn’t a wolf demanding Bram show submission by lowering his gaze.
“Sure.” Ethan slid off the bed and disappeared. He promptly came back. “These are a bit big on me, I hope they’re okay.”
“That’s great.” Bram waited while Ethan put the clothes down beside him. He didn’t move.
Jabbing a thumb backwards, Ethan said, “I’ll be out in the kitchen, pulling some stuff out of the fridge.”
“Okay.”
“The