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CHAPTER 9
LUKE
This was bullshit.
The level of betrayal I was feeling right now was equal to a toddler who’d just discovered his chicken nuggets were made of tofu.
I couldn’t say that right now, though, since I was shifted, so instead I glared at Hunter through the plexiglass of the hydrotherapy tank, lifting my top lip in the beginnings of a snarl so he’d know I thought it was bullshit. The asshole just grinned and upped the incline on the treadmill.
I scrambled for a few seconds but managed to keep my footing, and when I started walking again I could feel the muscles in my back legs moving, and how dare this actually be working? I kept glaring, because when we’d finished breakfast and he’d said, “Up for some therapy?” I’d assumed he meant the sex kind when I’d agreed.
Nobody had said a word about the wet fucking treadmill.
And fine, that was on me for not checking what he’d meant, but come on, what was I supposed to think? I trudged forward, the water sloshing against my legs and belly, and let out a huff of annoyance.
“You’re doing great,” Hunter said, leaning on the side of the tank. “Ten more minutes and we’re done.”
Fuck that. I was done, and I sat down abruptly. Hunter raised an eyebrow at me, but I stayed sitting, and he heaved a sigh and jabbed at the controls. The treadmill stopped moving and a few seconds later, the tank began to drain. My fur was wet and heavy, and I couldn’t wait to change back to my human form and get dry. I sat patiently, waiting for the tank to empty, and when Hunter unlocked the door I backed out, stood next to him, and shook myself, sending droplets of water flying. Hunter sputtered and lifted his hands to defend himself against the spray, but he still got decently soaked.
Was it petty? Yes.
Would I do it again? Also yes, because the shocked expression on his face was priceless.
“Really?” he said, grabbing a towel and patting himself dry.
I chuffed out a laugh, my tongue hanging out of my mouth in the biggest wolf grin I could manage.
I waited for him to turn around so I could change, but he seemed to have forgotten that it was bad manners to watch a wolf shift. I let out a heavy sigh and stared at him intently until he got the hint. “Sorry,” he said and turned his back.
I closed my eyes and concentrated and let the shift overtake me. I was getting more used to the sensation of my body reshaping itself, but it was still intense, and it took me a few seconds to adjust to finding myself crouching on the ground with two legs instead of four.
But it was only a few seconds this time. I glanced down at my feet, and they remained just that. Feet. There wasn’t the echo of paws or any confusion. I stood and stretched, my spine crackling as the bones adjusted to their proper position, and grabbed the towel Hunter had left draped over the edge of the tank. I dried myself and tucked the towel around my waist before saying, “I’m done.”
Hunter turned and looked me over, and the way his gaze lingered on my abs was anything but professional. Which was fine with me because I was eager to get home and start the next round of therapy, the one where he pounded me into the mattress.
“How do you feel?” he asked, gesturing to my lower half.
I took a moment to consider it. My thighs ached from the strain of walking in water and so did my glutes, but I was also more aware of my body than I had been before we’d started. “I hate that fucking tank,” I finally said, “but I hate that it’s working even more.”
Hunter looked like he was biting back a smile. “Well, we’re done for now.”
“You mean we’re done with this part of therapy. We’re going back to my place to fool around, right?”
The corners of Hunter’s mouth pulled up in the beginnings of a smile. “Yeah. But you should probably put some pants on before we go out there.”
He nodded at the door leading to the gym, and I heard the muffled clang of the weight machines and the steady slap of sneakers on a treadmill. The gym had been empty when we’d arrived, but that clearly wasn’t the case now. I dressed quickly and finger-combed through my hair in an effort to look less like I’d taken part in a mega-church baptism. Then I had to wait while Hunter wiped down the tank, checked the controls were locked off, and mopped up the puddles of water from the floor. I shifted impatiently from foot to foot and gave a sigh of relief when he said, “Okay, we can go.”
“Finally,” I muttered.
He raised an eyebrow at me. “I’m not gonna leave my workspace a mess just because you’re in a hurry to get dicked down, Luke.”
A pang of guilt wormed its way into my gut, but then he leaned in, hooked his fingers into the belt loops of my jeans, and pulled me in for a slow, lingering kiss that was far hotter than it had any right to be. When he pulled back, he murmured low in my ear, “For the record, you’re not the only one looking forward to it.”
“And we’re still here why?” I teased, taking his hand and pulling him toward the door. He followed willingly as we made our way through the gym and past three sweaty guys in tank tops who were working out.
First, Hunter drove us to his place. I opted to stay in the car when he ducked inside to pack a bag, telling me he wouldn’t be long. My knee bounced with anticipation while I waited, and as the minutes dragged on, I hoped he wasn’t having second thoughts.
No, that was dumb. This had been his idea in the first place. Besides, I was a catch, thank you very much.
