Page 57 of Gone Hunting

I wrap my arm around her shoulders and lead her forward. It’s a natural response, but her tensing muscles make me think I shouldn’t touch her. Not now. I turn around as the gate swings closed with a long-winded creak and drop my hand.

Gemini and Koda exchange glances. I’m not sure if they’re upset that I touched her or that I let my arm fall away. And then there’s Liam, giving me a double thumbs up. At least Liam thinks I’m doing something right, unlike the rest of us.

“By the way, cool underwear, Celia,” Liam tells her.

“Excuse me?” she asks.

Liam beams. “Your underwear,” he repeats. “I saw it when you flipped, kicked, and did that split. A little distracting, but awesome all the same.”

“What?” he asks, when the wolves and I glare at him. “I like Wonder Woman.”

“Goodnight,Liam,” I say.

The sun had started its descent about a mile or two away. Like us, it seemed ready to end the day. On the mountain where I live, the best place to catch the sunset is on the terrace. As we walk up, bits of red and orange poke through the long branches, giving us a glimpse of what’s to come.

I want to urge Celia forward so we can watch the final traces of light fade into the coming night. But her steps are slow, and her heart is heavy. I think I should make her laugh. Except, I’m a guy and not a very mature one.

I give Celia what I think is a playful nudge. With my wolf on edge following the fight, that show of affection is a lot harder than I intend. Celia falls on her side. The look on her face is comical, but neither of us is laughing.

“Did you just push me?”

“Ah. No?” I offer.

She kicks her legs in an arc and flips up into a standing position.

“Wow,” I say.

She crosses her arms. “Is that all you have to say?”

I’m not wowed by her ability. What I am is blown away byher.

Celia is in a dress—a dress whose skirt raised up to give me another look at her lean legs—made strong by a beast she can barely control, who spent the day fighting alongside me and forus—and she just flips up—after I push her—and doesn’t even go for my throat. Another female would be gnawing on my esophagus right about now.

“Aric?” she presses.

“Sorry?” I offer.

“For pushing me? For knocking me to the ground? Or for embarrassing me? You kind of did all three there, wolf.”

Like an idiot, I smile. Seriously, that’s all I’ve got.

Celia stares at me, her parting lips reflecting her shock. “You really aren’t good with girls, are you?”

“Nope.”

She places her hands on her hips. “I see.”

She barely gets the last syllable out when she drops to the ground and sweeps her leg under mine. I don’t just fall. My legs kick out and up, turning my normally smooth movements clumsy and dropping me like a newborn fawn.

Celia laughs. I almost do, too. I catch myself, pretending to be hurt.

“Ow,” I moan, tightly clutching my ribs.

Celia hurries to my side. “I hurt you?”

I scrunch my face. “My beast is tired from battle and from everything he had to do to repair my crippled body.”

I’m exaggerating the truth. Sure, I had some damage, but I was nowhere near crippled. I slowly relax my face, enough to be able to see Celia and to keep up my appearance of pain.

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