Page 63 of Seduced By the Werewolves

He grabs my hand one more time before I can go. “Tiff.”

I’m angry, but I have to relent a little at the sullen look on his face. He pulls me into a tight hug.

“I’m sorry for not telling you sooner.”

I sigh and hug him back. I can’t resist how sweet he is, how good he smells, how comfortable he makes me feel.

“I think I love you,” he says at last, tucking my head under his chin. “Actually, no, I know I do.”

He’s confessing this to me now? As soon as he says it, though, I’m certain that I feel the same way. Maybe he made a mistake, but I can’t stay mad at him.

“I love you, too.” I bury my face deeper in his chest. “I know your heart is in the right place.”

“I understand that you’re furious at Eli, and you have every right to be—but the two of you are more alike than you think.” He lets me go and kisses me on the forehead. “And don’t let that stupid fuck of a boss of yours scare you. We have your back. Okay? You’re safe as long as you’re with us.”

I sigh and lean into him, hoping he’s right. But can my sweet, good-hearted werewolves really protect me from whoever is after Mr. Bosley and the hellfire he’s brought down on us?

Chapter Twenty-Three

When I pull into the parking lot at the state park, the picnic tables are full of families having lunch or taking breaks from swimming in the lake. Beyond the picnic area, though, are miles of untamed forest. I know the trails well, and even when the lake is busy, I’m usually alone when I go out hiking. Sometimes I’ll just take off into the woods with my compass, if only to enjoy the sense of pure wilderness all around me. It’s quiet, peaceful, and beautiful, and it’s often the only way I have to de-stress after a long week at work.

As I park, I spot Eli sitting on a bench, his shoulders curled and tense. When I get out of my car, his head jolts up, though he still has that flat expression I can’t read.

“Tiff,” he says. I stop a few feet away, and he doesn’t try to bridge the gap between us.

“Eli.” I sit down carefully on the other side of the picnic table. There’s such an intensity in his dark eyes that I have to look away. “What are you doing here, anyway?”

“Clearing my head.” He turns and gazes out into the trees. “I love it out here. Sometimes I like to just get lost in the woods until I come back to earth.”

I know what he means. It can be really centering to escape the city and simply breathe in the scent of the trees.

Maybe Leon’s right, and Eli and I are more alike than I thought.

“You’ve created a huge mess,” I say at last. Right now, the park doesn’t make me feel peaceful in the least, because all I can think about is what damage he’s done.

Eli shrugs like it’s the most inconsequential thing in the world. “The fucker deserved it.”

“You don’t get it,” I say, biting my lip. “Mr. Bosley—he’s caught up in something bad. Something that could come back and bite me, too.”

His hard expression falters. “What do you mean? Does this have to do with that car following you?”

I explain everything: the strange woman making frequent appearances at the office, and what I suspect Mr. Bosley has been doing for her. How my idiot boss is now probably putting his life at risk doing something stupid, like confronting whoever is in charge of this operation, because of Eli’s little escapade last night.

The longer I talk, the more drawn Eli’s face gets.

“That woman is dangerous,” I tell him. “I’m sure of it.”

“Jesus, Tiff,” he says, massaging his temples. “And you helped him with this?”

I frown. Why don’t any of these guys get it? “I didn’t have a choice. It was that or lose my job.”

“No job is worth this.” He reaches across the table to put his hand on mine, but I pull it away. My anger rises like a flame.

“You don’t get to tell me that,” I snap. “You have to come clean with Mr. Bosley, Eli. He’s going to get himself in trouble. They might even…” I don’t want to think about it.

“So what?” Eli stands up, furrowing his dark brows. “He’s the one who got himself into this mess! It’s not your responsibility to get him out of it again.”

I could just smack him right now. How does he not realize that he’s only made a big problem much worse?

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