Page 29 of Cursed Wolf

“It’s possible he might have picked up something in my scent that calmed him. I don’t know what else could set me apart though. I’m just another over-educated mid-twenties girl trying to find a job.” I cringed inwardly, not meaning to go the self-deprecating route.

“You will,” Tryn said easily, like it was a simple fact. “The wolf didn’t know your job struggles, but something about you, Emmaline, touched him where others couldn’t. That’s got nothing to do with your occupation and everything to do with who you are as a person.”

The sun was getting lower in the horizon, bringing a biting chill to the air. “You have a lot of confidence in someone you barely know,” I said, tucking my arms close to my body.

“I told you I have a good sense about people.” He set aside his food container and cup, scooting an inch closer to me on the blanket. “Cold?”

“Just a little.” I rubbed my palms together, then found both hands enveloped in his much larger ones.

It was all I could do to suppress a moan as he rubbed my fingers gently. He felt like I’d stuck my hands in a preheating oven.

“How are you so warm?” I found myself scooting closer to him until the sides of our hips touched.

“I always run hot.” He continued rubbing and massaging into my knuckles. “It’s a bear thing.”

I laughed. “Sadly, I am merely human.”

“Somehow I doubt that,” he murmured.

The light turned golden and then orange as we inched closer together. Tryn slid one arm behind me, rubbing warmth into my back as the sun became obscured by the distant trees. The temperature dropped even further, and I found myself nestled against his side, seeking his body heat while my head rested on his shoulder.

I got more of that fresh leather and moss in my nose and sighed with contentment, relaxing into the big, gentle man at my side. Tryn massaged my upper back, teasing the ends of my hair as he caressed the base of my neck. His head turned, and I felt the rasp of his stubble against my cheek and temple.

“Emmaline,” he whispered, lips moving against my eyebrow.

My pulse spiked as I felt his lips trail lower, tracing the length of my nose. All I had to do was look up and I’d be kissing him.

And I wanted to kiss him. What better way to end the best date I’d ever been on? My eyelids fell shut and my lips parted as I lifted my face.

But my mouth did not meet Tryn’s.

“Emmaline, look,” he whispered.

My eyes opened. He was looking straight ahead now, not at me.

I followed his gaze and the length of his arm pointing to the meadow and lake in the valley below. They were barely visible at this distance in the fading light, but I saw several shapes moving.

“Oh my God, are those wolves?” I whispered in awe.

Tryn nodded. “It’s a whole pack.”

One wolf threw its head back, letting out a long howl. Others quickly joined in, creating a chorus of voices in a single song. It was the most haunting, beautiful sound I’d ever heard. I’d heard wolves howl before but never a whole pack like this. This was an incredibly rare moment for humans to see, and I wondered if Tryn knew that.

“Did you know they would be here?” I asked him as the howls faded.

“Had a lucky guess.” He gave me a wry grin. “I’ve seen them wander through here before. Didn’t think they’d start howling, though.”

After singing their song and drinking from the lake, the pack moved on, disappearing through the trees, and the sun finally slipped below the horizon. For a brief moment, I wondered if my wolf from the clinic was part of that pack. If he’d been down there, wild and howling in the place he belonged.

“That was incredible.” My attention returned to Tryn’s lips and how close they were. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

“My pleasure.” His face turned toward mine again, his breath blowing gentle warmth over my lips and nose. “I owe them a round of beer.”

“Who?” I giggled. “The wolves?”

“Yeah. You know how hard it is to convince a pack of wild animals to do their thing while I’m trying to impress a girl?”

I laughed, the motion drawing me closer to him, practically nuzzling his neck. “Seriously, don’t give beer to wolves.”

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