Blind Wolf (A Werewolf BBW Shifter Romance #1)(16)

"Did I say something wrong?" he asked.

"No, it's just...we're getting foreclosed on," Julia said.

"Oh! I'm so sorry." Damien reached over and put his hand on hers. "I wouldn't have asked."

"We're trying to make the payments," Julia said. "But it looks like we only have a couple of months before we're going to be evicted. The house is already listed as a short sale."

"That's terrible. Is there anything I can do?" His face twisted into an odd expression that lasted for only a second.

"No, no, it's okay. There's nothing worrying about it will fix," Julia said. Dee came back with tea, and they changed the subject to more pleasant topics. Damien praised Granny Dee's tea and soon they were talking and laughing like family. By the time Damien and Julia headed out the door, Julia was certain that Dee had forgiven him.

CHAPTER TEN

Damien

As they hiked out to the lake through the pine trees, Damien could smell the traces of wolf faintly. He wanted to shift into his wolf form—there was no way he could discern the danger with a human nose—but he couldn't come up with a pretext for leaving Julia. No matter. Normal wolves wouldn't want to come close to his scent anyway, and Kyle and Jordan had assured him that there were no other shifter packs around.

The branches overhead cleared and Damien could feel the sun shining down on his face, along with a cooler breeze. Sweat trickled down his face, stinging his eyes, and he wiped it away.

"We're here," Julia said. Damien reached out and took her hand. He had grown accustomed to the presence of her emotions, and now her happiness extended outward in a bright halo, enveloping the both of them. Katherine's face appeared briefly in his thoughts, and his heart tore at the idea that he might have to hurt her. To hurt either of them. He'd hated lying to Julia, pretending not to know about their house being foreclosed.

"What does it look like?" Damien asked, as they walked slowly out towards the source of the coolness. "Tell me."

"It's...it's a big lake. A mile across, maybe. It's too hot out today, so nobody else is here."

"We're the only ones crazy enough to hike in this heat?"

"I suppose so," Julia said. "There's a rock outcropping not too far away, with a pine tree that's growing sideways out of the rock. Step up, we're at the dock."

Damien pressed her hand as they stepped onto the wood planks. He could hear the faint splashes of water underneath the dock.

"And here we are," Julia said. Damien grinned and tore his shirt off. Immediately he sensed a sharp ache, and for an instant he was concerned. Then he realized that the ache coming from Julia was the ache of desire. She wanted him.

How could he tell her that he was a shifter? There was no way she would believe him, no way she would want to stay with him once she realized the truth. He wanted her so badly, but...but how? The two worlds of humans and wolves were separate for a reason.

"Ready to swim?" he asked.

"Um...I need to change," Julia said. He could tell that she was blushing, the feeling of embarrassment radiating from her skin. Embarrassment and desire.

"Are you worried about changing into your bathing suit?" Damien asked. "I won't look. Promise."

"I'm shy in a bathing suit," Julia said. "You just stay right there, okay?"

"Okay. How deep is this water?" he asked.

"Right here? Ten, fifteen feet, maybe. It's all pebbles around here on the bottom, too. Like swimming in a pool."

He could hear her clothes falling to the dock, sensed her anxious hurry as she stood nak*d on the dock, pulling on her suit.

"What if I fell into the water right now? Would you jump in nak*d to save me?" Damien stood at the end of the dock. He could hear the water underneath.

"Don't you dare."

Damien grinned. He could sense the distance down to the water's edge as he leaned over. Her nervousness increased, and he knew it was because of him. He savored it, wanted her in his arms, wanted to make her happy. The pack would have to understand that she was his mate.

"Be careful!" Julia said. "You're going to fall—"

Damien jumped, his hand tossing his glasses down back to safety as he tumbled off of the edge of the dock and into the water.

His feet hit first, and the cold water shocked his body as he submerged. The air in his lungs buoyed him up, but he did not want to rise. The water was an alien environment, one he indulged in rarely. When he did, it was a treat, and today he thought he might just burst with happiness. Sharing this experience with Julia—with his true mate—was incredible.

He dove down with one hand outstretched and found the bottom after just a couple of kicks. Pebbles, as Julia had said. He opened his eyes underwater. The cool liquid was soothing, gentle. The pressure was greater the deeper he went, and for a moment he worried about getting disoriented. Underneath the water, he could not know which direction was up. Here, though, his feet found the lake floor, the pebbles round and cool.

Would Julia ever jump in? He felt an anxiety radiating from above, but he waited at the bottom of the lake, his arms propelling him down, until he heard a splash from above. He smiled before pushing himself back up towards the surface.

She had come to save him.