Sharon blew out a breath, and her shoulders slumped. “Dammit,” she repeated. When she lifted her face to meet his gaze again, she held up a hand, palm out. “Please. Can we get through this weekend without you fucking her?”
Griffen gasped. “Do I look like I’m an asshole?”
She lifted her face to the trees. “I don’t know. I’ve never been in your shoes, but I’ve heard stories. Can you keep it in your pants or not?”
“Of course.” He was uncomfortable having this conversation with his sister. “Can you keep your mouth shut?”
“Do the others know?”
“Yes.”
“Shit.” She lifted one hand to chew on a nail.
He turned away and hurried to catch up with Rebecca.
The woman could move. She had set a brisk pace. He wondered if she was as shook up as he was. Did she have an inkling about what was happening between them? He knew it was possible for a wolf to find a human mate, but he didn’t know many who had. It was rare in his part of the country for some reason.
A few of his cousins in Oregon had human mates. Hell, his cousins had also mated with more than one person, and that was almost unheard of. He hadn’t seen them in ages. Not since they were kids and life started getting in the way. That side of the Masters family ran a dairy farm near Corvallis. Griffen’s side of the family owned and operated a ski resort in northwest Montana.
Normally, during the summer months, Griffen and his brothers led tour groups through the mountains for hiking trips. He looked forward to this weekend trip with his siblings every year in late July. Forty-eight hours of intense steep terrain at higher elevations than most humans enjoyed. It was a luxury for them to get away together and not need to play tour guide, and this arduous hike was his favorite for many reasons. Most importantly, it was less popular. Very few people could trek to the summit and back in one day. Wolf shifters were the exception. Even in human form, they were able to cover farther distances.
There she was… Clipping along at a rapid pace. Was she trying to prove something or get away from him?
He smiled at her back. Escaping him was not a choice. Granted, meeting his mate this weekend, and a human one at that, hadn’t been on the top of his list, but there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it but get to know her and hope she didn’t make him wait too long to possess her.
Complicated was the best word he could think of to describe this situation. He would have to tell her about his family and their ability to shift. He was not looking forward to it.
“Where’s the fire?” he asked Rebecca’s back as he got closer.
She glanced over her shoulder and shook her head. “What do you mean? Just trying to catch up with your brothers.” She licked her lips as she finished speaking.
Griffen was relieved when she turned back around as he fought against a moan. Her sweet tongue swiping across her lower lip and then circling up to reach the top lip made his cock jump to attention.
It was going to be a long weekend.
Chapter Four
By the time they reached the campground, Griffen knew a lot about his mate. He had managed to act like a civil human for three hours.
After they caught up with the rest of the family, Griffen had let everyone else take over and fire questions at Rebecca.
There wasn’t much to learn about her current existence. She’d been a nurse for two years at the hospital in Cambridge, and she spent every hour of her free time training for Spartan Races. It sounded to him as though all she did was work and train.
The race made him nervous. For one thing, it was difficult, and he imagined, dangerous. For another thing, it ate up a lot of her day, and he intended to start filling her time with himself. ASAP.
“Where are you from originally?” Trace asked as they dropped their bags outside their tent to catch their breath.
“Arizona. My parents are still there. And my brother is in college at Arizona State.”
“What brought you to Montana?” Griffen asked, stepping closer.
She giggled. “I know it’s weird. Who comes north? But I have always wanted to live where there are seasons. My hometown only has one season—hot. So I went to Montana State University, got my nursing degree, and decided to stay.”
“Do you have a boyfriend?” Trace asked.
Griffen’s gaze shot in his brother’s direction.
“Nope. Haven’t had time. Why?” She gave Trace a coy look. “You offering?”
Trace stepped back, putting both hands in the air. “No. Just asking.” He glanced at Griffen.
Griffen wanted to choke his brother.
At least Logan and Zachary had the good sense to back away, although Griffen suspected they were laughing inside their heads.