Page 10 of Wrestling With Werewolves

“Richard!” she exclaims, her tone excited. “It’s been too long!”

Something deep aches and breaks free inside me. Shock, I think. Even Big Daddy is silent.

I wrap my arms carefully around Lola and squeeze. “Good to see you too, kiddo.”

The word hangs awkwardly between us as she eyes me with a curious, careful expression.

Kiddo. Ugh. This woman isn’t a child. She hasn’t been a child for a long time, almost two decades by shifter standards. And it’s been longer than that since I’ve seen her.

She slips out of my arms with a wry look, placing both elegant, black-nailed hands on her muscular hips. “You haven’t aged a day.” Her smile falls. “Thank you for agreeing to host me. Papá is swamped with things; I’m sure he told you.”

Alaya blessed this omega, Big Daddy croons. Look at those tits.

I swallow hard, shaking my head to clear my thoughts—and his—forcing my eyes firmly above her neck. “So he said. Where is Marco, Lola?”

Her smile falls, dark lips turning downward. She shoves both hands into the pockets of her jeans. “He didn’t come. He said he has all the confidence in you being able to protect me.” Her lips twitch like she’ll say something more, but she doesn’t.

I look at the three males who arrived with her. Lola’s bodyguard, Nuñez, frowns. “His Majesty is preparing for a challenge. He wanted Lola safe quickly.”

I give Nuñez a harsh look. “So the king isn’t coming?”

He purses his lips and shakes his head no.

I’m shocked Marco isn’t here, but I don’t want to make it awkward for Lola, so I gesture to her things as I look back at her. “Let’s get you settled, alright?”

Nuñez clears his throat, pulling my attention back to him. “As you might imagine, we’ve got to return to aid his majesty with the preparations. We’re leaving now.”

Lola purses her lips and shifts from one foot to the other.

I look between her and the guard. “I’m missing something. You’re not staying? You’re dropping her off and leaving?”

Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Hana and Arkan back away to give us privacy.

Lola gives me a look that’s somewhere between imploring and desperate.

“We’re leaving immediately,” Nuñez says on a growl. “Marco needs us. She’ll be fine here with you as long as she doesn’t leave.”

Lola winces and shoots him a look. “I promised I wouldn’t.”

I bet Marco kicked Nuñez’s ass for allowing her to slip out to put on a concert, given what’s going on with Eliel.

He gives her a shitty look that pulls a growl from my throat. Now that she’s here under my protection, she’s my packmate, and I don’t like the way he’s fucking looking at her.

Connall reaches for one of Lola’s bags with a big smile. “We’ve got it handled, man, thanks. Hey, Lola, I’m Connall, Richard’s Second.” He reaches for her hand with a big, friendly smile.

Good boy, Big Daddy purrs in my brain. Second protects. Second welcomes. He’s pretty good.

Thankfully, Big Daddy seems to approve of Connall despite the regular chest beating to remind him we’re the Alpha.

Nuñez gives Lola another rough look, then makes the “round ’em up” gesture over his head. “Let’s go, team.”

I resist the urge to snap about them leaving Lola like they are. She stands beside Connall and me, watching her lifetime protector leave her behind, seemingly without a care. I could never dump a packmate like he’s doing, even if I thought I was leaving her somewhere safe.

This is one of the million reasons I left Santa Alaya. Innate shifter instincts like protection and harmony get lost as you go up the pack food chain. I don’t miss it at all.

As the four shifters disappear into the portal, I give Lola an assessing look. “You must really have pissed Nuñez off with that concert trick, huh?”

Her cheeks darken, but she lifts her chin. “Yeah, and the consequences were far worse than I thought they’d be, or I wouldn’t have done it. I didn’t realize things had changed for Papá. It’s never been that big of a deal before.”

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