Chapter 96

For a brief moment, I  completely lost track of the fact that I was still in my wolf form. I trotted over to the bag containing our clothes, grasped the handles between my teeth, and carried it back to him.

After I set the bag down beside his muscular frame, I stole one last glance at his broad back before turning away, allowing him some privacy. This move not only spared me from facing an awkward silence with Xavier, but it also helped me avoid that intense urge I had felt earlier to jump him right then and there.

I heard him chuckle softly behind me. "You can turn around now."

When I did, I found him perched on a fallen log, pulling on his shoes. I approached him and halted directly in front of Xavier. A wave of worry washed over me about my ability to shift back into my human form, and I yearned for the comforting touch that always seemed to assuage my anxieties.

As though he could sense my thoughts, he reached out and gently held my face betwee