even if he didn’t want Lyndon around.
He slid his hand down Levi’s forearm and skimmed his fingers over Levi’s palm before letting go of him, conscious of the fact they were in a small town where people might not react well to two men holding hands. His fingers itched to lock with Levi’s regardless, so Lyndon stuffed them in his pants pocket and pulled out his wallet to get the key card for the door. That task done, he gave Levi what he hoped was a reassuring smile then started towards his room, gaze sweeping the parking lot to see if anyone was watching. He wouldn’t want to cause problems for Levi here.
“Your door is open,” Levi said in a barely audible voice. “And I smell cougar—not you.”
Lyndon’s heart stopped then slammed hard against his ribs as he grabbed Levi’s shoulder and squeezed. He saw the slight gap where the hotel room door hadn’t quite been shut all the way and cursed himself for thinking he was safe.
“Is there—” Levi sighed and shook his head before darting a glance from Lyndon to the door. “Do you have someone else?”
“No,” Lyndon bit out, angry that Levi would think so little of him but more angry at himself for giving Levi reason to do so. Fear also fuelled his temper. He wasn’t afraid for himself. Lyndon sniffed the air and barely caught a whiff of the other cougar, but the scent was familiar and his pulse pounded as his two halves had a quick disagreement. His cat wanted to stay and fight and claim Levi as his own, but the man in him wondered if it wouldn’t be best to leave and hopefully keep Levi from becoming involved in this twisted game that had become Lyndon’s life.
“Don’t even think it,” Levi growled, and Lyndon looked at him, surprised at Levi’s perception. “I can read you—” he faltered, blanching and turning away.
“Great,” Lyndon muttered. Now he had another thing to try not to freak out over. Jesus, what is going on between us? And if he can ‘read’ me, can I do the same to him? This wasn’t the time to worry about that, but Lyndon did intend to investigate it. Right now he had another question to ask. “How sharp is your sense of smell when you’re like this?”
Levi’s frown wrinkled his brow in a manner Lyndon found entirely too adorable. “Not as good as when I’m my other, but—” He sniffed. “Good enough to pick up what I should have a few minutes ago if I hadn’t been distracted by you.” Levi tempered that with a smile that eased away some of Lyndon’s tension. “Whoever it was is gone now, and the odour of his markings is very strong. Can’t you smell it?”
Lyndon shook his head as Levi fanned a hand under his nose. He was impressed with Levi’s abilities. “Not as strong as you can. I don’t think I retain as much of my cougar’s attributes as you do your snow leopard’s.” So was he defective, or were their shifter differences normal? Did it matter? Not right then it didn’t. “I’m going to go check the room out. Wait—”
“I’m not your little woman,” Levi snapped. “I don’t need to be protected and I will not stand out here like a simpering, brainless idiot while you play the part of the hero. If that’s all you think of me…”
Lyndon shut his mouth against a lie claiming Levi had misunderstood. He could no more lie to this man than he could pull the moon down and hold it in his hands. “All right. I’m sorry. I just don’t know how to handle all this—all these emotions and instincts I feel when I’m with you.” Lyndon contemplated stopping there, but figured he might as well finish what he wanted to say and damn being coy. “Or when I think about you. And I don’t want you hurt, okay? I won’t apologise for that or try to stop wanting you safe.” Any amusement he felt withered as he tipped his head towards the room. “This, it’s a threat, a promise. I’ve been followed for months and I don’t know why or by whom.”
Levi was looking, slowly moving his
He slid his hand down Levi’s forearm and skimmed his fingers over Levi’s palm before letting go of him, conscious of the fact they were in a small town where people might not react well to two men holding hands. His fingers itched to lock with Levi’s regardless, so Lyndon stuffed them in his pants pocket and pulled out his wallet to get the key card for the door. That task done, he gave Levi what he hoped was a reassuring smile then started towards his room, gaze sweeping the parking lot to see if anyone was watching. He wouldn’t want to cause problems for Levi here.
“Your door is open,” Levi said in a barely audible voice. “And I smell cougar—not you.”
Lyndon’s heart stopped then slammed hard against his ribs as he grabbed Levi’s shoulder and squeezed. He saw the slight gap where the hotel room door hadn’t quite been shut all the way and cursed himself for thinking he was safe.
“Is there—” Levi sighed and shook his head before darting a glance from Lyndon to the door. “Do you have someone else?”
“No,” Lyndon bit out, angry that Levi would think so little of him but more angry at himself for giving Levi reason to do so. Fear also fuelled his temper. He wasn’t afraid for himself. Lyndon sniffed the air and barely caught a whiff of the other cougar, but the scent was familiar and his pulse pounded as his two halves had a quick disagreement. His cat wanted to stay and fight and claim Levi as his own, but the man in him wondered if it wouldn’t be best to leave and hopefully keep Levi from becoming involved in this twisted game that had become Lyndon’s life.
“Don’t even think it,” Levi growled, and Lyndon looked at him, surprised at Levi’s perception. “I can read you—” he faltered, blanching and turning away.
“Great,” Lyndon muttered. Now he had another thing to try not to freak out over. Jesus, what is going on between us? And if he can ‘read’ me, can I do the same to him? This wasn’t the time to worry about that, but Lyndon did intend to investigate it. Right now he had another question to ask. “How sharp is your sense of smell when you’re like this?”
Levi’s frown wrinkled his brow in a manner Lyndon found entirely too adorable. “Not as good as when I’m my other, but—” He sniffed. “Good enough to pick up what I should have a few minutes ago if I hadn’t been distracted by you.” Levi tempered that with a smile that eased away some of Lyndon’s tension. “Whoever it was is gone now, and the odour of his markings is very strong. Can’t you smell it?”
Lyndon shook his head as Levi fanned a hand under his nose. He was impressed with Levi’s abilities. “Not as strong as you can. I don’t think I retain as much of my cougar’s attributes as you do your snow leopard’s.” So was he defective, or were their shifter differences normal? Did it matter? Not right then it didn’t. “I’m going to go check the room out. Wait—”
“I’m not your little woman,” Levi snapped. “I don’t need to be protected and I will not stand out here like a simpering, brainless idiot while you play the part of the hero. If that’s all you think of me…”
Lyndon shut his mouth against a lie claiming Levi had misunderstood. He could no more lie to this man than he could pull the moon down and hold it in his hands. “All right. I’m sorry. I just don’t know how to handle all this—all these emotions and instincts I feel when I’m with you.” Lyndon contemplated stopping there, but figured he might as well finish what he wanted to say and damn being coy. “Or when I think about you. And I don’t want you hurt, okay? I won’t apologise for that or try to stop wanting you safe.” Any amusement he felt withered as he tipped his head towards the room. “This, it’s a threat, a promise. I’ve been followed for months and I don’t know why or by whom.”
Levi was looking, slowly moving his
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