Page 11 of Wrestling With Werewolves

I soften a little. Big Daddy is silent.

Lola stares into my eyes as if willing me to give her a speech or chide her like Marco probably does. For a long moment, she searches my face. My alpha instincts ping. They’ve always been good, allowing me to read my packmates and sense their feelings. She’s remorseful and worried.

“Let’s go,” I say gently. “We’ve got a great little guest house for you to stay in while you’re here.”

Her lashes flutter against smooth skin.

Holy moons, she’s fucking beautiful.

Do you think princess pussy is better than regular pussy? Or about the same?

Goddess, shut the hells up please, I snap at Big Daddy.

After sliding my arm through the handles on three of Lola’s bags, I throw them over my shoulder and jerk my head toward the door. Connall grabs the other bags and follows as we cross the cavernous room toward the exit.

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER - LOLA

Iattempt to steal one of my bags from Richard’s Second, Connall, but the redhead shoos me away with a friendly smile. So, instead of carrying my own luggage, I find myself trailing my father’s oldest friend out of Ever’s portal station holding nothing but my guitar.

I haven’t seen Richard since I was a pup. I remember him being larger than life, but I didn’t remember him being so…alpha. He stalks across the floor, big strides eating up the distance between the portal and the exit. Thick, muscular legs are clearly outlined in jeans that leave nothing to the imagination. It’s not that the cut is meant to be tight; he’s just really damn muscular, bigger and broader than most males I know.

A trim waist flares into impossibly broad shoulders, his shoulder blades visible through a thin tee. He’s stacked with muscle, tattoos covering both forearms and the back of his neck. Salt-and-pepper hair is slicked back, curling against his nape.

Heat flushes through me. Moons, I’m ogling a man who’s basically family and knew me when I was young.

That was a long time ago, though. It’s fine as long as I keep my sexy thoughts in my brain and don’t say them out loud.

When he grabs the door and swings it open for me with a soft smile, I resist the urge to flirt. Tamp that down, girl, I tell myself, slipping through the door with a thankful nod.

Two centaurs stand in front of the station—a dark-coated male and female with black skin. The male, who I think I recognize, wears a shirt that says—oh my gods—it says, “Spread Cheeks. Not Hate.” I burst into laughter, covering my mouth with my hand.

He beams and nudges the female. “Told you she’d laugh.”

“Thought you’d flipped that inside out,” Richard grumbles.

The female gives me a grin as the male steps forward, leaning down to hold a hand out to me. “Princess, I’m Arkan. We’ve met at Hearth HQ a few times, but I’m now Ever’s Keeper. This is my mate, Hana. Let us know if we can do anything to make your stay comfy.”

I shake his hand and dip my head politely to them both.

Hana does the same, gesturing to a basket of food in her hands. “This is courtesy of the town of Ever, a gift basket from our wonderful General Store on Main Street, outside of Shifter Hollow. You can follow Sycamore Street all the way there, if you want to explore. There’s a grocery here, too, of course, but the General Store has a wide variety from across the haven system.”

“Thank you.” Goddess, they’ve done so much for me already, and while I’m primarily appreciative, regret rears her ugly head. I’ve put people out, all because I tried to do something for myself.

The guilt comes next, because I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to Leo or the Lobos or anyone other than the castle before we left. I can’t even comm him from my watch since the only one who can call between havens is my father. Hopefully whatever room they’re sticking me in has a comm disk, so I can message Leo and make sure he’s alright.

My fingers twitch with the need to do something, anything to get control over my life.

Richard joins us, pausing next to me. He glances between me and the centaurs. “Let’s get Lola to her tree house. She’s had a long journey.”

Arkan reaches for several of my bags, but Richard shoos him away with a smile.

The alpha places a hand on my shoulder and squeezes, and everything inside me tightens.

That smile.

It transforms him from simply handsome into something powerfully masculine and over-the-top in charge. Dark eyes flash with green and narrow. I can’t find a single appropriate word to say when his smile falls, his wolf’s emerald shade growing in intensity. For a long moment, he stares. But when goose bumps pepper my skin, he turns toward the street in front of the portal station.

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