Page 38 of Predator

I miss a step, and because four legs aren’t my default, that one step has me tumbling into a pile of bent limbs and fur as I fall flat on my poor snout.

Can you blame me? So focused on getting this wolf shifter thing down, I kind of forgot that the rest of the world around me existed.

Damn it.

Pushing off of the grass, I shake out my fur. I don’t see anyone in the clearing behind the pack house, but when I hear the slight groan from the iron fence out front, I know where it’s coming from.

I just don’t have any idea why.

If Lucas was home, he’d never let me do what I’m about to do. I’d argue because—as much as I appreciate he’s trying to keep me safe—it’s always rubbed me the wrong way whenever someone tries to control me and what I do, and he’d try to shut me down with his dominance before I either gave in—or distracted him to get what I wanted.

He’s not even here, and I know exactly how it would go… and that’s because, despite only knowing him in this lifetime for barely two months, I know him.

I’ll have to give him a little leeway as we maneuver this life together. Not only is he from another time, but he’s not human. He’s a shifter… an Alpha… and his overprotective instincts are hardwired into him. He can’t help it anymore than I can keep myself from being reckless and impulsive.

It’s who we are, after all, and we both knew that when we decided to make this thing official.

When it comes to love, Fate isn’t enough. I know that. I like to think Lucas does, too. A shifter’s ardent belief that the Luna would never lead him wrong had him accepting I was meant to be his mate all because she whispered my full name to him. I have to admit I felt something drawing me to him from the beginning. But now that we’ve mated… the easy part is over.

We fell in love. Now we have to make happily-ever-after last…

Since I’ve lived at the pack house, I’ve never seen any outsiders. This is wolf territory. I’m not worried about who could be out there, but just in case, I decide to stay in my fur. I won’t have to struggle with shifting back and pulling on my clothes before Eleanor can come outside and deal with the unexpected guest, and if they came here with bad intentions, a big blonde wolf is probably a lot more intimidating than Fallon Witt in short shorts.

As soon as I come walking around the corner, I see him. A man in his early forties or so, with short dark-hair, friendly brown eyes, and wearing a casual suit that belongs to a whole other generation, I’ve never seen him before.

He’s obviously a human, though—and isn’t that something? I’ve only known I was a supe for a couple of weeks, but as much as I believed I was a human for twenty-five years, it was easier than I thought it would be to accept I wasn’t. Now, one glance and I just know. Something about the way he holds himself, plus the muted sweaty smell barely covered up by the strong cologne he has on… oh, yeah. Not a shifter. Definitely not a witch.

A human guy.

Interesting.

Even more interesting is how he smiles when he sees me padding toward him. Considering he found his way to the pack house and didn’t seem freaked out by the three-story-high stone castle, I kind of figure he’s one of the non-supes in on Winter Creek’s secret.

Even in a supe-run sanctuary like this hidden town, the witches and the wolf shifters need to rely on humans. Well, maybe not the coven so much; as insular as the pack is, my impression on the coven is that it’s worse. Lucas mentioned how the humans who run the restaurants, the grocery store, the clothing stores not affiliated with the coven… that’s how the pack survives. The non-supes provide goods and services for the shifters, while the wolves protect the humans.

This whole time, I thought it was from the witches. After learning more about how the supernatural world worked, I’m not so sure anymore. Ferals—not cursed ones like Lucas, but insane wolves who lose control—seem to be a threat I never thought of, and rogue vampires, too. I’ve gotten lucky that no other supe followed me into Winter Creek when I arrived, but that doesn’t mean that they haven’t—or they won’t.

Something about that peppery scent pings in the back of my head as I approach the gate. Now that I’ve gotten a little better at deciphering scents, I’m pretty sure there was a woodsy note mixed in that reminds me of the other wolves in Winter Creek.

Could it have been a visiting shifter that dipped before the curse could snag them, too? Possibly. It’s not like any of the other wolves have caught on that we have a lone wolf trespassing on pack land so it’s not likely that they stuck around. I wouldn’t be surprised if they heard the sounds of Lucas and me mating, got worried—or curious—and started to approach us before thinking better of it after I lost control.

Or they could’ve pulled a Jade and freaking vanished in the woods somehow…

Forget it, Fallon. It doesn’t matter. I only caught the strange peppery scent once, Lucas never did, and I’m only obsessing over something that doesn’t matter.

Nope. The only thing that matters is the dark-haired human in front of me—and the manila envelope he’s holding in one hand.

CHAPTER 12

UNEXPECTED VISITOR

I’ve seen an envelope like that before.

Hundreds of times, really, if you consider how I worked in an office since I graduated from Rutgers. But even here in Winter Creek… I’ve even seen that same style of envelope here in Winter Creek… and, suddenly, I’m very curious about what this man is doing here.

That’s not all he has. At his feet, there are two large brown bags. Over his cologne-sweat scent, I pick up food. Meat. Fresh-baked bread. The sweetness of fruit, and something earthy. Mushrooms, maybe, or potatoes.

Ah. This must be one of the townspeople who brings the pack’s groceries. Since he has that manila envelope and friendly smile, I put him down as some kind of happy-go-lucky delivery boy.

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