FIVE
ELLIOT
I ate,making sure to put more than half the food on a plate for Lizzy’s wolf, and then took a quick shower with the wolf sitting just outside, watching me. Wrapping my mind around everything was slow-going, but it did get easier as the night went on.
The most difficult thing about the whole situation was not being able to talk to Lizzy. Not being able to ask her how she felt about the situation, or what she wanted me to do about it. Especially considering her toddler was involved. If I fucked up with him, there would be no forgiveness. Messing with a wolf’s baby was a sure way to get your throat ripped out—as her ex could attest, had he been there.
But he wasn’t.
I was.
And… she was mine.
Theywere mine.
I just had to prove myself worthy of that.
Considering I wasn’t sure I was worthy, that would be a challenge. But I’d sure as hell do my damned best.
After my shower, I finally gave my wolf the control he’d been wrestling me for. He brushed up against Lizzy’s wolf’s side, snuggling her a bit, and then they walked circles around each other, sniffing and prodding.
When they were both satisfied, they squished into her twin bed and went to sleep.
A couple hours later,sad little cries from the crib woke my wolf up.
He took one look at the toddler standing in there, bawling sleepily, and threw control back to me.
The shift was painful but smooth, and I hurried to grab the kid out of the crib without even thinking about the fact that I was naked.
Evan didn’t notice or care though, so it didn’t matter.
“Hey, buddy,” I mumbled, my voice heavy with sleep. “Sabrina said you’d want water?” I looked around the room.
Shit.
Should’ve grabbed water.
“Mick,” he sobbed. “Mick.”
“I don’t know any Mick, buddy, unless we’re talking about a certain mouse. But your mom’s right over here; we can snuggle with her,” I whispered, carrying him to the bed.
As soon as I sat down on the edge, he dove off my lap.
Biting back a curse, I caught him mid-air and pulled him back to my lap. The move made him furious, and he grabbed a whole chubby handful of my bicep.
“Ouch, dude. That hurts.” I carefully pried his angry, chubby hand off my skin. “Like a pinch on steroids. What’s going on, huh?”
He wiggled, starting to scream and shift while he dove toward the ground again. I still caught him, of course, but that only made him even more of a rage monster.
I looked at Lizzy’s wolf for help, but she was still just relaxed on the bed, watching me with sleepy red eyes.
Testing me.
Right.
“Alright, you want to get down? We’ll get down,” I mumbled to him, sliding to my knees and setting him on the floor beside me.
“Mick,” he sobbed, lunging under the bed.