As soon as I step back into the room, the first thing Nate says is, "You smell like sex."
I shoot him a glare, but he's already lounging on the bed, tearing into a piece of beef jerky with a cocky smirk. Of course, he'd notice.
"Whoa, and you look like sex too," he adds, eyeing me up and down like I just walked out of a battle—and, honestly, it kind of feels like I did.
"Shut up," I mutter, stripping out of my clothes as I head straight for the shower. I can hear him laughing behind me, enjoying my embarrassment far too much. I let the water run over me, hot and soothing, trying to ignore the dull ache in my back. It's already healing, but still, I know I'll have scratches to show for the little "adventure" Kellan and I just had.
"Did you run through a grinder?" Nate's voice floats through the door. "You should see your back. It looks like you got into a fight with a wild animal."
"Well, it is already healing, so it's fine," I call back, feeling a pang of regret as Kellan's scent starts washing off me with the water. Damn it. I wanted to keep that smell on me for a little longer.
Nate leans against the bathroom doorway, beef jerky still in hand, eyes twinkling with amusement. "What happened to 'no sex until the mating'?" he teases, biting into the jerky with an exaggerated crunch.
I roll my eyes, scrubbing shampoo into my hair. "We didn't—technically," I say, though I can still feel the ghost of Kellan's hands all over my body. "We just… got carried away."
Nate snorts. "Honestly, it's a miracle he didn't jump you sooner. You've been walking around him like a juicy steak in front of a starving wolf. I was waiting for it to happen."
A laugh escapes me before I can stop it. "I mean, you're not wrong," I admit. "But we didn't go all the way. I left before it got out of hand."
Nate lets out a low whistle, shaking his head in disbelief. "Self-control like that? Can't relate. If I were in your shoes, I would've lost it ages ago."
I shut off the water and step out, Nate being the helpful best friend that he is, tosses me a towel before I even ask. "Thanks," I mutter, wrapping it around myself as I try to hide the flush creeping up my neck.
"Just saying," he continues, drying my hair with another towel. "You two have been playing with fire for weeks now. No way I could've held out this long."
"Yeah, well," I huff, "it's not easy. The moon's getting closer, and he's... well, Kellan."
Nate laughs, tossing the towel over his shoulder. "Right? That man practically radiates 'rip your clothes off' energy. Honestly, you deserve a medal for not jumping him the second you met."
I chuckle, shaking my head as I pull on an oversized t-shirt and some shorts. Nate hops back onto the bed, still munching his jerky like nothing could be more relaxing than sitting there and watching me squirm.
"So, what now?" he asks with a mischievous grin, "Are we going to have a midnight chat about how hot Kellan is, or are you going to keep pretending you're not completely in love with the guy?"
I throw a pillow at him. "Shut up, Nate."
"Hey, hey! No need for violence, I'm just pointing out the obvious." He dodges the pillow effortlessly, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "We both know you've been moon-eyed over him since day one."
"Go to bed," I say, climbing in beside him, exasperated but still smiling.
He smirks and wiggles his eyebrows. "I'd say that's Kellan's job, not mine."
"Nate!"
"Okay, okay! I'm going to sleep." He laughs, settling under the covers, and I flick the light off, laying back with a sigh.
But of course, before the silence can settle in, Nate has to get one more word in. "Just for the record, though—next time you come back smelling like sex, maybe bring some snacks. You work up an appetite just hearing about it."
"Go to sleep, you pervert."
I nuzzle into him, closing my eyes, the warmth of his body lulling me into a sleepy haze. "You're lucky you're my best friend," I mumble, feeling sleep tugging at the edges of my consciousness.
"Lucky?" Nate hums, his voice low and soft in the dark. "I'd say you're the lucky one, getting all this prime snuggle real estate."
I laugh softly, feeling the vibration of his chest against my back. "Shut up, Nate."
"Shutting up," he says, but I can feel the grin pressed into my shoulder as he holds me close. And soon, between his warmth and the quiet comfort of the moment, I drift off to sleep.