Page 31 of The Wolf's Plus-Size Bride

“Name one,” he prompts.

“There was that girl, uh…” I trail off.

“You can’t remember her name, can you?” Gael says.

“Okay, so I’ve had a lot of flings,” I amend. “It’s not a crime.”

Queenie starts to chuckle as she shakes her head. “Well, this has been a blast and all, but I’ve gotta get to the school. I’ve got a bunch of kids waiting for me.”

“Thanks for the help,” I say.

“Anytime,” she replies. “And, Reiner, I’m rooting for you. I think it’s great you found someone.”

I’m not sure what to say to that, so I just nod and wave as she starts walking towards town.

The three of us go back to our patrol. We’re silent for a few minutes, scanning the area, and I’m grateful for the reprieve. I’m getting pretty tired of the interrogation, the constant reminders of the mistakes I’ve made, and the fact that I’m not good enough for Jane. I don’t need Rafe or anyone else to tell me as much. I already know.

A snapping twig in the distance draws my attention, and I cock my head to the side. “Did you hear that?”

“Hear what?” Gael asks.

“That noise,” I say. “It sounded like a branch.”

Rafe is frowning, and he’s got his head tilted to the side, too. “I heard it. Something is out there.”

“It could be an animal,” Gael suggests.

“No,” I argue, drawing in a long sniff to catch the scent. “It’s not an animal. Well, not entirely. It’s a shifter. A rogue.”

“Are you sure?” Gael asks.

“Of course I’m sure,” I snap. “I can smell him.”

Rafe is stock-still, and his eyes are closed. I know he’s concentrating, listening for steps and movements, and I watch him take a deep breath.

“You’re right,” he says. “I can smell him, too.”

I take a step toward the tree line, and just as my boots move from asphalt to dirt, a large brown wolf bursts from the trees and lunges at me. I’m knocked off my feet, and I hit the ground hard. I can feel the air leave my lungs, and I’m momentarily dazed as I struggle to catch my breath.

“Reiner!” I hear Rafe’s voice, but it sounds like it’s coming from a mile away.

I can feel the wolf’s hot, rancid breath on my neck, hovering just over my throat. All he has to do is bite down, and I’m done for.

“Hold!” a man shouts. “Don’t move.”

I can’t see him. He’s behind me, but I can hear his footsteps approaching.

“You’re on the wrong side of the line, wolf,” the same man declares. “Your territory is three feet that way.”

“Do you really want to start something here?” Rafe asks. “The alpha isn’t going to much care where the property line is. If you kill one of our wolves, you’re as good as dead yourself.”

I crane my neck to look up, and I see a man standing over me. He’s wearing an expensive suit, and his hair is slicked back.The guy looks like a fucking mobster. A rich, arrogant mobster. I have to take a second sniff to convince myself he’s a shifter and not just some corporate douchebag.

“You’re trespassing,” the man states with a brief shrug.

Gael shakes his head and inches a bit closer to the stranger. “This area is unclaimed between Green Lake and Stardust Hollow. No pack has a claim to it.”

“Perhaps that used to be the case,” the man sneers, “but things change, don’t they? And money can buy a lot of things, including property.”

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