Page 28 of Wolf's Midlife Baby

Easy, Rex’s voice echoed in his head, making Pierce realize he’d been thinking about it harder than he’d realized. We can’t go that far with this.

He was right, but what else were they going to do?

Kyle moved faster than Pierce had imagined. He sprinted to his car and jumped inside, firing up the engine. Pierce reached the back of the vehicle as the brake lights went off, slamming his paws into it. His claws carved deep marks through the paint, making the metal underneath shine in the park lights as the sedan screeched out of the parking lot.

What do you think? Brody asked as he trotted up beside Rex and Pierce. Despite what he said, did we scare him enough to make him quit?

Pierce wished that was the case, but he was starting to get a good idea of just how adamant Kyle was about this. No. I think he’s more dangerous than ever now.

As the other Glenwood wolves began discussing their next step, a sphere of concern began taking up space in Pierce’s chest. They had to stop Kyle, yes. That was obviously important, but the man didn’t have anything ready to take to the public. He could shout from the rooftops about the wolves who’d threatened him in the park, but he didn’t have any real proof to back him up.

His more immediate concern was Holly. I’ve got to go.

Hayden angled up next to him, standing so that Pierce would have to go around him before he could leave. Where?

Holly’s.

Rex turned to him. Do you think she’s in danger?

His instincts were practically screaming at him. The way Holly had talked, she hadn’t found any reason to be scared of Kyle. She felt she’d been able to put him in his place when he’d gone too far. But now he was a man with nothing left to lose, who felt with all certainty that the shifters were his enemies. She’s probably the person he knows best in town and the only one he’s told about shifters. He thinks she’s in danger from us, and I don’t know what he’s capable of.

Then let’s go, Rex urged.

They charged to the edge of the park before returning to their human forms so they could navigate through town by car. Though it would take too long and be too risky to try to get there in wolf form, it felt frustratingly slow to get around this way.

His wolf worried for her as they passed Selene’s. She was trying to protect his secret, but had she protected her own well enough?

13

Holly balled up a shirt and slammed it into her suitcase. She couldn’t just sit at her Airbnb and wait for Pierce to tell her he’d taken care of the Kyle situation. If she were honest with herself, she worried about how he and his pack planned to handle it in the first place. They wouldn’t do anything too extreme, would they? Not that Kyle was her favorite person, and he’d certainly be risking the life of every shifter in the world by outing them, but she still didn’t want anything bad to happen to him in return.

She yanked another shirt out of the closet, sending the hanger flinging upward in its wake. This whole thing was so frustrating! She’d thought she’d finally had a decent annual meeting—outside of almost drowning, of course. She’d met a fantastic guy who spoke to her very soul and seemed to be the embodiment of a modern-day hero. He was handsome, courteous, and everything else she’d want in a man.

“But then I had to go and fuck it up, didn’t I?” she berated herself as she tossed the next garment into her suitcase, paying little attention to folding or organizing. It was just going to get shaken around in the belly of the plane, anyway. “I lied to him. I lied right to his face when I said I’d be packing up the next morning and leaving. I knew it was wrong, and it made me sick to do it. It was only because I wanted to protect him, but that obviously didn’t work.”

No, it sure hadn’t. Now, he was out there taking care of the problem, putting himself right in the line of danger she’d tried so hard to keep him from. He had family there. He had backup and resources. Who was she to think she could stop this just because she knew Kyle and understood the process of creating an article?

“Hmph. Fucking Kyle.” The jacket Holly had brought in case the nights were cool hit the open top of the suitcase and threatened to topple it backward. She’d only made herself look worse by spending her secret time in Eugene with her coworker. Again, she’d screwed things up beyond repair. Was she attempting to sabotage herself?

When she reached back into the closet, she grabbed the navy skirt she’d worn on her night out with Pierce. Tears welled up in her eyes as she ran her hands over the fabric, soft and flowy. It’d made her feel so sexy as it moved around her, but it was Pierce who’d truly made her come alive. She’d never felt so wanted as she had in his arms, and she’d never get to experience that again.

Holly brought the skirt over to her suitcase and laid it in gently. It was just a piece of clothing. It made no real difference in her life, but she knew it would always make her think of that night. It was a fateful night, with Rick’s house burning down and all.

She pressed her lips together, wondering if it was even more fateful than that. Was there more to tell Pierce? She still had to figure that out.

Her phone chirped. It was too late for anyone to be calling or texting. Holly picked it up off the nightstand and saw the symbol for low battery. “I guess I really let myself get distracted today.” She reached down for the charger, but it wasn’t there.

After she checked the kitchen counter and the end table in the living room, Holly realized she must’ve left it in her car. Grabbing her keys, she stepped out into the night. She crossed the small patch of yard, realizing the grass was far brighter than it should be at this time. Turning, she looked up at the moon, full and bright as it shone down on her. Pierce had told her about the moon goddess Selene, whom Rex had named his club after. It was a new concept to her but one she’d grown to appreciate. The moon was always there, looking over them. Who was looking over her?

The screeching of tires had her turning again, this time toward the street as a car careened down it. The headlights bobbed and the brakes squealed as the vehicle curled into the driveway and nearly hit her rental.

“Hey!” she shouted, knowing what she’d have to pay for damages.

Kyle jumped out of the driver’s seat. “Get in the house, Holly! Get inside right now and lock the doors!”

This guy just didn’t give up. “What are you doing here?”

“Just get in the house. We can’t talk out here.” He grabbed her by the elbow and practically dragged her.

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