Lynx Northern Shifters 3

I know it’s unwise.”
Yes .
“No matter how curious you are about my clothing, you’re not a pet.”
Goddamn right .
Besides if Jonah patted him, Trey was concerned he’d shift then and there. Under these circumstances, human touch would be a powerful inducement. He turned around and headed back to the fire.
“Have I offended you now? You’re one strange beast. Okay, why don’t I make amends by offering you breakfast?”
Trey licked his lips and Jonah eyed him.
“You know, I hope I’m not going stir-crazy here, because I swear you understand exactly what I’m saying, all the time.”
Be careful . Trey didn’t want to spook the lynx. Well, not yet. Shifting to human was going to shock Jonah. Trey decided he needed to withdraw a little and lay down quietly after breakfast, aiming for a lowkey presence for at least a few hours.
They spent the rest of the day together, with Trey trying not to react to everything Jonah said and give away the depth of his understanding. The young man chatted volubly, as if he’d been deprived of the ability to speak. But he didn’t mention his brother again, talked more about the weather and his concerns about how the deer might starve this winter, and about a semi-wild wolf named Eliza. His parents never came up, Trey noted, and he wondered what the story was there. In the afternoon, they briefly ventured out into the ongoing blizzard that was losing steam.
That evening, Jonah decided to read to “Enigma”. Trey thought his new nickname a little ironic, given that he found Jonah to be exactly that. Jonah chose a nonfiction book, the history of math or some such. Trey didn’t follow the words, apart from the fact that someone named Hilbert was apparently the last universal mathematician, but he enjoyed Jonah’s voice. Later still, the lanterns were turned off, but a low fire continued to heat the place, and Jonah spoke to the ceiling.
“I’m glad you’re here, Enigma. Getting snowed in, well, that’s when I sometimes have a bad time of it.”
Trey hadn’t yet lain down, and the quiet way Jonah shared his feelings pushed Trey to show some level of affection. He lifted a paw and patted the sleeping bag that covered Jonah’s legs. I’m here , he wanted to say. Not for long, but he was here, and he would keep in touch with this young man.
“My God, you have got to be the most empathetic creature I’ve ever known.” But there was a smile in Jonah’s voice. Trey had a terrible and wolf-like desire to lick Jonah’s face, but he didn’t think it fair when Jonah didn’t truly know what he was. It felt too deceptive.
Bunching his pillow, Jonah turned on his side to face Trey. “Well, since you’re such a good listener, maybe I should tell you.” He paused, a kind of grimace crossing his face. “I’ve been thinking about my future, and I’m not actually sure how much longer I can last out here by myself.”
Trey whined. Crap . He’d thought letting Jonah get used to Enigma first was a good idea, but maybe he needed Trey’s human to talk to now.
“It’s been three years since Craig died. I’ve run into some hikers in the summer and accosted them while they’ve stared at me like I’m a freak. But that’s about it. When I’m in town, I’m too nervous to strike up much of a conversation. Too many people.”
Fuck it. Trey nosed Jonah’s arm. It had escaped the sleeping bag and he licked, liked the taste of salt and musk on young skin. He proceeded to lick Jonah’s palm and fingers carefully and thoroughly while Jonah lay still, probably worried he’d scare Enigma away.
Then he rested his muzzle against Jonah’s thick wrist.
He let out a long sigh. “Not that you can know, but I am a freak, that’s the problem. I do manage to fetch supplies from town since they’re essential, but I don’t cope with crowds and strangers. It’s a challenge to even buy something. That said, I’m not unhappy in the summer. Things look up and life is okay, not great but okay. Then winter comes again”—his voice cracked—“and I think I might go crazy.”
There was silence for a while.
Jonah added, more softly, and he sounded more relaxed too, “So I’m glad you’re here. You’re helping. I can’t believe how tame you are. Someone must have treated you well.”
A strange, long-dormant ache pulsed in Trey’s chest as a memory of Quinn surfaced. Quinn had, after all, treated Trey very well.
Blinking the memory away, he focused on the here and now, on the young