LORI
Jason sat behind me, pulled me into his chest like he’d done this a hundred times before, like it didn’t scare the s**t out of him that I was this close to shifting into god-knows-what. He wrapped his arms around me, tight and solid, his chin resting on top of my head.
“Breathe, Lori,” he whispered. “In. Out. Don’t think. Just breathe.”
I didn’t want to, but I listened anyway. I followed the rise and fall of his chest, tried to sync with it, tried to remember what air was supposed to feel like. My skin itched like something was crawling under it. I dug my fingers into his arms. He held me tighter.
“If I change,” I rasped, “and I hurt you—”
“You won’t.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do. You won’t hurt me.” He pulled back, made me look at him. “I trust you. Even if you go full wolf
