Page 49 of The Wolf's Plus-Size Bride

“A few miles west of here,” Rafe replies. “Right on the property line, just like last time. These assholes are really pressing their luck.”

“I’m starting to think they want us to find them,” I grumble.

“Maybe,” Rafe agrees. “Either way, we need to deal with them. If they’re dumb enough to let themselves get caught, then so be it.”

“No Gael this time?” I question.

“I think Gael has had enough excitement for a while,” Jack says. “The poor guy was shaken up pretty bad when you guys got back last time. He’s just not built for this kind of stuff.”

“He’s a lover, not a fighter,” Rafe teases. “I can’t believe I ever thought that guy was a threat.”

“What?” Jack and I say in unison.

“Oh, yeah. When Piper and I first got together and she went to work for him at the bookstore, I was convinced he was going to steal her away from me. I was jealous as hell.”

“You?” I scoff. “Jealous? No way.”

“Believe it,” Rafe chuckles. “I was ready to fight the guy. Love will do funny shit like that to a man’s head. From what I hear, Reiner, you know a thing or two about that. Heard you dragged poor Jane away from the party the other night and mauled her right there on the front lawn.”

“It was a bit more romantic than that,” I protest, but I can’t help but grin.

“You’ve got it bad, bro,” Jack laughs.

“Yeah, I do,” I admit. “I’m crazy about her.”

“I’m happy for you,” Rafe comments. “Seriously, man, I’m glad things are working out.”

“Me too,” I agree.

“Right here.” Rafe points to the side of the road, where it looks like a dog has been pawing at the grass.

I pull the car over, and we get out, looking around. There’s a definite scent of wolf, and it’s recent.

“Let’s shift,” Rafe suggests. “We’ll cover more ground that way.”

We strip down and shift, our wolves taking over. I can smell the rogues’ scent clearly now, and it’s coming from the forest.

The three of us take off, following the scent. We run for a few miles, our senses on high alert. Finally, we spot a small campsite, and the smell of wolf is overwhelming.

The rogues are here.

“Stay close,” Rafe growls through our connection. “Don’t engage unless you have to.”

We creep closer, staying low to the ground. We can see the rogues now, four of them. They’re gathered around a fire, talking and laughing.

“You think it’s the same ones?” I ask.

“Hard to say,” Rafe replies. “They’re definitely not from around here, though. I’ve never seen them before.”

“What do we do?” I press.

“We watch,” Rafe says. “We see what they’re up to. If they’re just passing through, we leave them be. But if they’re causing trouble, we’ll deal with them.”

“Roger that,” Jack grunts.

The three of us settle down to keep an eye on the rogues. It’s a long, boring afternoon, but we manage to stay hidden. The rogues don’t seem to be doing anything other than cooking and talking, and I’m starting to think Rafe’s right that they’re just passing through.

After a couple of hours, I’m starting to get antsy. I don’t know about these guys, but I have a woman I’d like to get back to.

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