Page 49 of Wolf Forsaken

Cole rolled his eyes, which I noticed he did a lot around Silas. It was odd seeing a grown man roll his eyes in such an annoyed way at another man. "Between chasing her down the few times she tried to run, getting her situated and making sure she wasn't going to go feral, and Dante, I haven't exactly had the time."

"I'm sure it will be fine." Xander sighed. "They are all talk."

Silas turned to Eli. "The last thing we need is them catching wind of everything on their own. To them, all they'll see is a wolf that is different from the rest of us magically appearing out of nowhere and a coup against one of the stronger alphas in the Western states."

"What did I tell you about telling my omega what to do?" Cole was back to being grumpy. Maybe that would be my nickname for him.

"I wasn't telling him. I was suggesting he do the right thing. Besides. He's a free-floating omega now, isn't he? He has no pack and neither do you."

Cole stepped right into Silas's chest, his head tilted in a confrontational angle. "Fuck. You."

I wasn't sure who shoved who first, but before any of us could intervene, they were throwing punches. Xander attempted to pull Cole away but got elbowed in the jaw. Some of the others in the gym came outside and began egging them on.

A shrill whistle pierced our ears and made me want to cover them. "Enough!" Silas's grandfather, Pops, as he called him, stood at the open door, looking as mean as ever.

Silas gave Cole one last shove, and Cole elbowed Silas in the ribs as they stood next to each other. They reminded me of two bickering brothers. Maybe one day they would get over themselves and get along, otherwise, we were going to have words.

"Just the man I wanted to see." Workout forgotten, I headed toward him, his eyes narrowing on me in the same way they had at breakfast the day before. "We need to talk."

Grumbling to himself, he turned and headed off down the side of the barn and across the yard, staying well away from the helicopter parked in the center. I followed like a dog after a bone, the guys close behind me.

Not even turning around, he raised his hand in astop right theregesture. "The woman only."

"If you think I'm going to let her go into the forest alone with you-" Cole started and then grunted as Silas put his arm out and clotheslined him to a stop.

"Pops might be scary as fuck, but he won’t hurt her." Silas sped up and walked backward in front of me. "Do you want one of us to come with you? I don't want you to feel uncomfortable."

I waved him off. Pops was just a disgruntled old man, nothing I couldn't handle. "I'll scream if I need help."

Whatever he was going to tell me had to be serious if he was leading me into the woods away from everyone... or was that just a way to get me alone so he could murder me?

"Girl, I'm not going to hurt you." He looked over his shoulder. "You don't want anyone to hear your business, do you?"

I caught up with him. "No, but where are we going?"

"To where my son found you."

Chapter Sixteen

Ivy

We walked much longer than I thought we would. I heard running water and my heart jumped into my throat. I slowed and looked at Pops, who had been silent since telling me where we were headed.

"What is it, pup?" He slowed to match my step. "Does this place feel familiar to you?"

"Just reminds me of almost dying a few days ago." I sighed. "We're headed to the river?"

"Near it, yes." He tilted his head back a little and sniffed before changing his trajectory to the right. "We're almost there."

It was peaceful walking through the forest with him. I'd been quick to judge him as a grumpy old man, but maybe he was just lonely and needed company.

"Why would someone abandon me in the woods? Do you think it's because I'm different?" When he didn't answer me, I stopped and grabbed his arm. "Why do you think I'm different? Am I something other than a wolf?"

He looked down at my hand on his flannel shirt and then up at me with narrowed eyes. "I think you need to get your hand off me, child."

I dropped my hand like he was a lump of hot coal and stepped away from him. "Should I call for my mates?"

"It's only a little farther." He started walking again, not sparing me another glare. "I don't like being touched."

---