Little Wolf (16 page)

“Can you really quote
The Art of War
?” Nathaniel asked out of nowhere, probably surprised that anyone who babbled like Tim did was smart enough to get through a book like that.

Tim felt his heartbeat quicken anyway. “Backwards and forwards. I simply choose not to use my knowledge for evil. Or for good for that matter. You might have noticed a total lack of strategy from the way I trip over my own feet.”

“I wouldn’t say that. Your defenses are well maintained.” Nathaniel had a point, even if Tim didn’t feel like addressing it in front of an audience.

“Be grateful I don’t go for offense. I know ways to be ruthless that don’t involve teeth and claws. I’d probably run the town in a week.” Tim had never said anything like that out loud before to anyone who wasn’t his uncle. But he couldn’t resist adding, “The town council is weak. You’re the only real obstacle to power. If I removed you from the equation I probably could run the town in a matter of days.”

“Less time than that, I think, if you made your mind up to do it.” Nathaniel hadn’t taken long to consider his answer, but Tim couldn’t tell if he was being serious. “How would you remove me from the equation?”

“Like I would tell you.” Tim looked up at him again and inched closer. He let his confusion show. “You aren’t threatened by that? You don’t want to go for my throat? That makes no sense to me. You should beat me down to show your strength and prevent others from thinking you’re weak.”

“It’s hard to be threatened by someone who ran after me to apologize for hurting my feelings.” Nathaniel was fighting a smile now.

“What? I did not!” Tim instantly denied. Nathaniel seemed unperturbed by that, damn his superior scent-identifying skills.

“Maybe I like the idea of having someone ruthless around. Sharp people make good weapons, useful tools. Maybe I want someone with pointy edges out in front of me.” Nathaniel gave in to his smile. It was all teeth and intimidating as hell.

Tim let out a small breath. “Damn.” He was impressed. “Speaking of ruthless, that wasn’t bad, Neri.”

“Glad you approve.” Nathaniel’s grin softened into something friendlier. “You can stop holding back now,” he added, making Tim jump. “You have been, haven’t you? You meant that boast about running the town. I can see it now. I’m beginning to see a lot of things now.” Tim met Nathaniel’s stare, though when he opened his mouth nothing came out. In the silence his heart lurched uncomfortably and his thoughts ran together. He was warm and still breathing hard, and vaguely aware that Nathaniel wasn’t exactly relaxed either.

Nathaniel had been holding back too; Tim was sure of it without knowing clearly why. It had probably been that statement earlier, where Nathaniel had admitted to thinking of people as tools. It was the kind of thing a leader would say, even a leader like Nathaniel who took in lost orphan weres. Tim was beginning to suspect Nathaniel was powerful in a way Tim’s uncle hadn’t managed. There had to be a reason a town of weres worshipped him. He displayed his authority in small ways. No circle of bodyguards or fortress in the mountains, he laid down the law with a minimum of fuss. It was amazing that he was taking the time to talk to Tim, unless he liked having someone to talk with who recognized all he was bringing to the table. Someone who, Tim had to admit, was being as high-handed as he was by ignoring the tourist listening to this whole discussion.

It only made Nathaniel sexier. That said something about Tim’s upbringing, and confirmed what Luca had told him at fifteen; Tim really did get hot for an alpha wolf. Too bad for Luca that he would never come close to the same level of power, no matter how many baby wolves he creeped out.

Tim released a tiny sigh and adjusted himself. He didn’t care about the witness if Nathaniel didn’t.

“I’d say you have no idea what you’re asking, but somehow I think you do,” Tim mumbled at last, his head swimming. He shook it off and tried to focus despite how aroused he was getting. “If you tell me it’s okay to feel my feelings and to be true to myself, I might go for your throat even though you can kill me with both hands behind your back,” he informed Nathaniel smartly, his cheeks stinging.

Nathaniel grinned again. “You should go,” he said with a nod, dismissing the tourist without looking at him. Maybe it was the glimpse of Nathaniel’s teeth, or maybe the tourist was grateful for the opportunity to leave, but the guy took off the way he hadn’t when Tim had told him to leave. He didn’t need directions after all.

“So…,” Tim said into the following silence. He put his hands to his face as if that would cool his cheeks. “I, uh, accidentally asked you out there. Ha!” He forced out a quick laugh.

Nathaniel tilted his head to one side. “Are you sure? I don’t recall any actual asking,” he pointed out while Tim was wondering how many badass decisions Nathaniel had quietly made as sheriff, and whom he told about them, if he ever told anyone. Tim’s uncle had the press to make his deeds known, and back in the day, Tim had been there to hear what had gone into each decision. Silas Dirus wasn’t one to talk about his emotions, but Tim had been able to see when he’d been agitated, or when he hadn’t slept, not that Tim had known what to do about it. Tim didn’t know what to do about a lot of things. Like Nathaniel teasing him about his dating skills. Like Nathaniel teasing him at all.

“Only someone who gets propositioned a thousand times a day would say something like that.” Tim did not think about asking Nathaniel out and how nicely Nathaniel would reject him again if he did. “Is Zoe really picking me up?” He could avoid awkwardness like a professional, really, he could. It was like pretending he didn’t have a partial chub going on right now at the thought of Nathaniel exercising his authority.

“She’s going to get a few pizzas tonight, on me, so she would have had to come into town anyway. You might have to call the house to remind her. If she’s playing her games, she’ll lose track of time.”

“Pizzas?” Tim sank back onto his heels and wondered how long he’d been on his toes. On his toes and a bit closer, he would have been able to kiss Nathaniel. That was more dangerous thinking. “Should I save you one or two?” It seemed like a reasonable question, but his lungs once again lost the ability to hold air when Nathaniel smiled. “I could eat at least two myself. Suddenly I am
starving
.” He was babbling again, but it was true; he wanted food,
meat
, and he wanted it now. “It’s weird how sometimes it’s like your body knows things before you do.”

“Instinct,” Nathaniel said, almost exactly at the same time that Tim thought it. Tim’s heart kicked into a faster beat. Nathaniel’s heartbeat was always a little fast, except when he was sleeping, as if something around kept him excited.

“Anyway, I don’t have your number.” Tim’s subconscious was determined to make him ask Nathaniel out today. “I mean the house number!” he added quickly. Nathaniel kept up his steady look for another moment, then stepped closer. He put his lunch in the crook of his arm and took a pen out of his pocket. It didn’t even occur to Tim to step back until Nathaniel took him by the hand, and by then it was too late; Nathaniel turned Tim’s hand so his palm was up, and then he wrote his phone number on Tim’s skin in shiny black ink.

Tim was breathing hard the whole time, letting his mind wander from topic to topic, anything rather than concentrate on the incredible sensation of Nathaniel writing on him. But when Nathaniel released him and Tim looked down at his hand and the two numbers written there, he thought about permanent markers, and permanent marks, and had to fight not to start full-on panting.

He’d been marked.

“That’s more than one.” He sounded like he’d swallowed coffee without letting it cool.

Nathaniel’s voice was equally husky. “For the station. In case you need to reach me in a hurry. They can usually get ahold of me. I meant to give you those earlier when I reminded you not to wander through town without letting someone know where you were heading.” He was explaining more than necessary, but Tim stared at his hand for a few more moments. “A reminder you seem to have already forgotten about.”

Tim didn’t know much about were things, but he knew a marking when he saw one. His partial hard-on was getting less partial by the second. The only thing stopping him from completely embarrassing himself was the fact that Nathaniel marking Tim as his territory wasn’t necessarily anything personal.

Nathaniel was saying something, something about keeping an eye out. Tim was startled to realize that for a few minutes he had forgotten Luca and his uncle were on his trail. He didn’t want to think of them, how Luca would sneer, how Silas would be disappointed in him, disappointed but unsurprised. Tim should have been the one doing the marking. The fact that he wasn’t, that he was aroused by it, would embarrass Silas.

He tried telling himself Nathaniel hadn’t meant it that way, but Nathaniel was way too careful to do something like this on accident. He had probably done it thinking Tim wouldn’t understand the gesture.

Tim wouldn’t have been as subtle. If he had a pen, and the chance, and the
right
to do it, he wouldn’t have stopped at a few numbers on Nathaniel’s hand. He hadn’t been joking earlier, not entirely. It might be ridiculous for a tiny wolf, but Tim came from a line of conquerors. He would have put his mark on Nathaniel somewhere the entire town would see it. A Dirus was meant to rule, not to pussyfoot around. He would have written,
Back the fuck off, bitches
, in big block letters anywhere he could reach.

“You don’t—” Tim had to focus to speak. “You don’t get to just mark me, Neri.” He hadn’t meant to acknowledge it. He’d meant to say that a marking would actually anger Luca more than protect Tim if Luca saw it. But Nathaniel had evidently removed Tim’s higher thinking.

“That doesn’t sound like a threat.” Nathaniel was looking right in Tim’s eyes, but Tim couldn’t read his expression or his scent. Maybe being perfect
was
his flaw. Or maybe it was the dry humor that others didn’t seem to pick up on because they weren’t expecting it. “That sounds more like an opening for a negotiation.”

That was
exactly
what it had sounded like. Tim swallowed. He’d thought other weres would be more focused on action and reaction. This debate—he refused to think about negotiation again—was a surprise.

“What?” Tim said stupidly and felt the earth rock again when Nathaniel gave him a pitying, no, a
disappointed
look, as though he had been hoping for more. Tim straightened. “You get to mark me when I get to mark you,” he huffed and crossed his arms, acknowledging the zero likelihood of that ever happening though still making sure not to smear the ink on his palm. That was for later, in his bedroom.

“Promise?” Nathaniel continued talking as if Tim hadn’t said anything unusual, as if Tim could have marked someone like him and he wouldn’t have minded. He gestured at Tim’s tucked away hand. “Keep those numbers. Use them if you ever feel even the slightest hint of a threat. They’re the fastest way to reach me unless you howl. I should hear that for miles.”

“Howl?” Tim finally concentrated on what was currently under discussion. “Howling would require me to be a wolf. I don’t think I can do that.” He had the feeling something had happened. As if in just talking, he had made some agreement according to the weird rules of this town.

Nathaniel’s nod was slow, like he felt the change too. “Know that if you do, I’ll come running.”

“My hero.” Tim had to swallow to say it, and it wasn’t nearly as sarcastic as he meant it to be. Nathaniel nodded seriously one more time, and Tim did not know how to handle that except with humor. “I am getting you
all
the pizzas.”

“If you want. Might be hard to carry, though.” Nathaniel abruptly lifted his head and looked around. Oh yeah, the world had continued to spin while Tim had been daydreaming about writing his name on the king of this town. It seemed like every person on the street had an eye on them. It couldn’t look good, not for Tim, who was blushing and unsteady. Luca would have laughed.

“Oh ha-ha,” Tim responded weakly to Nathaniel’s joke. He kept his hands away from his jeans so he wouldn’t accidentally scrub away the numbers, and tried not to feel pathetic when he wanted to know how late Nathaniel would be home. He settled for clearing his throat and being his usual rude self. “Just don’t leave me alone with Zoe too long. I might kick her ass.” He was the definition of nonchalance, not a guy who might have trouble walking right now because his dick was hard.

Nathaniel’s smile returned full force, taking Tim’s breath away. He had made Nathaniel smile for real. Carl should be happy with that when Tim told him. It might even give him the warm feeling low in his belly that Tim had right now. Tim smiled back and put his hands out. Nathaniel’s gaze went from his hand to Tim’s crotch before returning swiftly to Tim’s face. Tim sucked in a breath and tore his gaze away before he could convince himself that Nathaniel was hot for him.

“I should get to work.” He gestured in the direction of the gift shop.

Nathaniel jerked his head toward the station. “Me too.”

People were walking around them, greeting the sheriff, studying Tim.

“Two pizzas, got it. I’ll ask Zoe what you like, though I am guessing a meat lover’s.” Tim had made enough of a fool of himself today. “Houseful of carnivores. Better not like anchovies, little salty bitches. I will, um….” He was moving back, calling out to Nathaniel in a louder and louder voice, but volume control seemed beyond him, and anyway, he had to speak over his pounding heart. “I’ll see you tonight, okay?”

Nathaniel watched Tim cross the street and nearly stumble over the curb, then glance down at his palm before he put his hand behind his back. He came forward, stopping cars without any apparent concern, so he could keep Tim in sight as Tim tripped his way to the café. Tim already knew he was going to write the numbers down and then rub that hand all over himself the second he was alone. Nathaniel might know it too.