Page 15 of Wolf Duty

“But you said?—”

“She’s joining my pack,” Bay interrupted. He waited anxiously for Karim’s reaction.

The boy studied him for several beats, emotions flitting through his dark eyes so quickly, Bay couldn’t decipher them. “You have a pack,” the kid finally said.

“Ibelongto a pack,” Bay corrected.

The boy turned his head, studying the frozen lake. When he faced Bay again, he wouldn’t meet his eyes. “When will she leave?”

Bay would prefer they left as soon as they’d completed the mating ceremony, but Sonya had insisted she needed time to organize things. They’d leave furniture and dishes behind, and someone in the pack had already asked to rent the house. “In a few days,” he told Karim.

Karim still wouldn’t look up, but Bay could see tears pouring down the boy’s cheeks.Shit.Karim didn’t want to leave the place he knew. That was understandable, but Bay had thought keeping his sister as guardian would be good news. The tiny dudesnorted and wiped a dirty arm under his nose. “Can she still visit me?”

Fuck. Bay had screwed up yet another conversation. He couldn’t even talk to kids properly. Crouching down in front of Karim, he looked into the boy’s midnight eyes. “Your sister will never leave you. She’s joining my pack because my brothers and sisters will take care of you and protect both of you with their lives.”

Karim peered at him. “For real?” The hope in his eyes seared Bay’s heart. He had to swallow hard and managed only a nod as an answer. “Well, let’s go.” The boy ran toward the trees.

“Maybe you should roll in the snow to get clean,” Bay shouted after him.

Karim kept going, waving a hand behind his skinny, naked butt. “Nah, my wolf will get dirty on the way, anyhow.” Before he reached the end of the meadow, he shifted and ran even faster on four paws.

Bay called forward his own wolf and chased after the pup.

Fun, the beast yipped in his mind.

Great. Now that it knew how to use words, his wolf wouldn’t shut up.

CHAPTER 9

Sonya studied her reflection in the mirror above her dresser. She’d never imagined her wedding day, but if she had, this would not have been it. Her groom was a man she barely knew.

Worse, she’d met him only twenty-four hours ago.

Double worse, she hadn’t even kissed him. Wait, was meeting him yesterday worse or better than not having kissed him?

Her mind was going every which way. She buried her face in her hands.

A quiet knock sounded on the door, and then it opened. A tall, muscular woman with flaming red hair stepped inside. From the corner of her right eyebrow, a scar cut diagonally across her face to the top of her lip. Instead of marring her beauty, the injury enhanced it, made her look fierce. “I’m Nora,” she said.

“I recognize your voice from the phone call.”

The woman smiled. “That’s good. Then you know I’m not an impostor.”

Sonya laughed, but then somehow burst into tears. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

Nora rushed to her side and enveloped her in a hard hug. “Oh, honey. There’s nothing wrong with you. You’re in emotional overload. Anyone marrying someone they’ve just met would feel the same.”

“Not only that. I haven’t even kissed him yet.”Why had she shared that stupid fact?The tall woman burst into laughter. The vibrations shook Sonya through the hug. She lingered in the embrace’s warmth a little longer, then freed herself. Reaching for a tissue, she asked, “Why are you here?”

Nora shrugged. “Figured you could use a lawyer in case the Sunbeam pack caused trouble. And if not, maybe you’d need a matron of honor.”

Sonya nodded. “I do. I need that.”

“Lawyer or matron?”

“My brother is walking me down the aisle, but nobody’s standing up with me during the ceremony.”

“Well, consider the position filled. No need to interview any other candidates.” Nora saluted with two fingers.

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