Page 40 of Unwilling Wolf

After a few breaths of silence, she admitted, “I don’t know the rules. I’m on the outside and I don’t understand everything. I thought Lenny and I could talk about anything. I thought…”

“You thought what?”

“I thought she would be happy that we can talk about it.”

“You ever wondered why her and Cookie aren’t with their people?”

Eliza nodded. “I did wonder that, but I was selfishly happy that they ended up here because...”

“Because what?”

“Because I have a friend here.” She dared a glance up at him, and his eyes had softened minimally.

“Her people don’t take kindly to skinwalkers.”

“Skinwalkers,” she repeated softly.

“That ain’t what we are, but to her people, what she and Cookie are don’t matter. They’re abominations.”

“No they aren’t,” she gritted out.

“They are to her people. They can’t go back. Lost everything. Everyone they loved is still alive, and they can’t be a part of them.”

“How did it happen?” she asked, heart breaking for what Lenny must’ve gone through.

“That’s not my story to tell, nor would I. You talk too much.”

Eliza clenched her fists on her thighs. “I know how to keep secrets.”

“I hinted this morning, and you went straight to Lenny and upset her. No you don’t.”

“I just…I wanted to be a part of things here.”

“Lenny, and Cookie, and Burke…they won’t ever want to talk about it with you.”

“Why not?”

“Because you aren’t one of us.”

Eliza squeezed her eyes closed against the sting of his words.

“I’m not saying that to hurt you. It’s just how it is. It’s how it will always be.”

“Fine,” she said shortly. “I’ll just stay on the outside. Always been there anyway. Stepped out of one outside, straight into another one.” She crossed her arms over her chest and watched the cattle milling closer to them, prayed her stupid burning tears would stay put in her eyes.

“Well, how’d it turn out?”

“How did what turn out?” she asked, hating the stupid tremble in her voice.

“The pie you baked. How did it turn out?” he asked. And bless that man, she could tell he was trying to give her an out.

“It tastes good, but looks like a dead animal.”

Garret barked a surprised laugh. “And how would you know what a dead animal looks like?”

“Because Lenny made me skin a rabbit.” She couldn’t help the smile that took her lips, because his face fell into complete shock.

“So I guess that means you have learned Lenny can be as stubborn as a hair in a biscuit. Was that what you girls were going on about the other night?”

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