Page 94 of Wolf

“I love you,” I said so casually, and so calmly, the words just slipped straight out of mymouth.

Anna’s blue eyes widened, her pale brows lifting slightly as her walls went up, soft, pink lips beginningtoopen.

“I’m not saying this because I’m trying to win you over right now,” I reassured her. “I just wanted youtoknow.”

Her lips closed and she nodded as her eyes dropped down to the white floor, looking far beyond the porcelaintiles.

We sat in there for a moment longer, and when I was sure she wasn’t going to throw up anymore, I reached for the bathroom rail and pulled myself tostand.

Anna’s eyes snapped to mine, our silence disturbed as I reached my full height, the bathroom shrinking around me as I felt the blood rush back into my legs, making them twinge with pins and needles, before I reached my hand down to a doe-eyed, uncertain Anna as she looked at the big palm in frontofher.

“Come with me,” I said, my voice calm and relaxed as her blue eyes studied me with caution, the corners of her eyes wrinkling back at the hand. “Itdoesn’tbite.”

“I do,” Anna quipped dryly, but nevertheless, she lifted her small hand, and her fingers wrapped around the length of my palm, allowing my rough, calloused hands to hold her small, softer ones. Her skin was cool to the touch as I pulled her to her feet, careful to keep her balanced as she righted herself in her thin sandals on the tilefloor.

She was quiet but watchful as she allowed me to lead her out of the bathroom and through the doorway. We passed through the hallway and entered the clubroom. Heads turned our way, but my mind was quiet as we walked through the room, paying no attention to any of them as their eyes followed us out ofthedoor.

I was careful to keep my pace slow as we walked across the parking lot, and I made sure not to pay any attention to Anna’s curious looks as we passed my bike and the cars and headed straight tothegate.

Pipe, who was wrapped up in a jacket, a smoke on his lips, gave us curious looks as we passed him, an eyebrow raised tohishat.

The sound of my heavy footsteps and Anna’s softer ones following behind me continued down the street as we walked five more minutes, down past the clubhouse to the emptier part of town a few blocks over, and the longer we walked, the closer Anna’s body drew towardmyheat.

When we were far enough, I slowed down to a stop and turned tofaceher.

Her cheeks were flushed red in the cold air, faint clouds of cold air coming from her lips as her blue eyes studied my face, picking apart mysilence.

She looked around us, the urban area surrounding us with the white picket fences, driveways, and porches with those bench swings and flower boxes. “Wolf?” Anna said, with a tone of caution. I let my gaze wander to my right, to the house with the faded blue door and rustic wooden panels covering the brick walls, shutters closed over the windows. Anna’s eyes jumped from the house to me, back and forth, quicker and quicker. “Whatisthis?”

“I value my position as president,” I said, causing Anna’s gaze to stop solely on me. Her pink lips pressed into a tight line, eyes narrowed. “I love being around the club, I love being the person to protect my brothers and to lead them when times get tough. I love that. I would do anything fortheclub.”

I took a step back onto the white pathway leading up to the door. Anna’s step was reluctant, but as I tugged, she followed me stiffly up the pathway and up the creaking porch steps until we stood squarely on the ragged welcome mat. The iron number 1 reflected our images in a bronze wash as we stood close enough to smell the rusted hinges next to the aged paint peeling fromthedoor.

I let go of one of her hands only for a moment as I reached into my back pocket. Her eyes followed every millimeter of movement as I pulled out the silver key and placed it intothelock.

The door clicked open, and due to the house being built on the slightest of hills, the door fell open in a slow, smooth gesture as it welcomedusin.

I stepped in, but Anna stopped, her body halting on the welcome mat as she looked down to the threshold of the doorway. “I can’t.” She shook her head. “Wolf, with everything you said in the hospital roombefore,I—”

“No,” I interrupted, Anna’s face stilling for a moment before her pale blonde eyebrows rose to herroots.

“No?” sherepeated.

“I didn’t say anything to you in the hospital room that day, Anna. You didn’t let me.” I saw Anna’s eyes narrow on me, and her lips begin to open as she no doubt was ready to argue with me, but I stopped her. “I hesitated. For a single moment, I couldn’t answer you. That’s what happened in that hospitalroom,Anna.”

“That’s because you couldn’t say it. You couldn’t say that you would put our babyfirst!”

“That wasn’t what you asked me, Anna,” I growled, stepping back out of the door and into her space. “You asked me whether I would ever choose the club overourbaby.”

“What’s the difference?” Anna yelled, her brows weighing on her eyes as she shook her head, her face hurt, victimized as she tried to pull out of my grasp. “Letgo.”

“No, Anna. I won’t let go because I’m going to clear this up right now, and you’re going to listen to me once andforall.”

She looked down at her hands, to where her slender wrists were held between my thumb and forefinger, and then to the steps and down the porch before giving one last pathetic tug on her wrists, knowing they wouldn’t come loose, knowing there was no running away fromthisone.

“You asked me whether I would choose the club over our child,” I repeated, keeping my voice steady and clear as I made sure to lower my head and look straight into her blue eyes. The slight ring of yellow around the center of her pupil was clear and on me as I said, “Iwouldn’t.”

“Butyousaid—”

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