Page 15 of To Challenge a Wolf

“He looks good,” she said quietly. “Really good. He grew into himself.”

Quiet settled in the over-decorated room. Vivian lay back on the bed and stared up at the filmy canopy.

“He’s so attractive it’s annoying. And he didn’t even…I mean, he didn’t say a word about…me. Oh, other than pointing out my changed accent, and that of course was not a positive.”

On the other side of the call, Blaine probably still hadn’t taken a breath. He wouldn’t say a word until she asked him to.

“Maybe I’m the idiot,” she said. “Wondering what we might have missed out on, but—but I’ve done that for most of the last ten years. The thing that’s new is wondering if maybe it’s not too late for us.”

Surely Blaine would hiss at that, but…he didn’t.

“So I called his alpha. Long story how I got the number, but I have it, and when Rhett said he wouldn’t get permission for me to meet his pack, I called Malachi myself. And he said I’m welcome to meet them all tomorrow at their weekend cookout.”

He gave a low hum of interest.

“Blaine? If you have thoughts, I’d like to hear them.”

“Sure?”

“Of course. Always.”

“All right. None of this surprises me.”

“What? None of it?” She’d surprised herself at least twice in the last few minutes, getting everything outside her head.

“Ten years looking for a friend? You care. You never stopped. Maybe you’re going to stick to platonic with this guy. Maybe you’re not. But either way, I knew if this was it, you wouldn’t confirm he’s alive and head home.”

“Could’ve told me while I was packing. I didn’t bring enough clothes for a week.”

“Didn’t you though?” Blaine’s voice shook with laughter.

“Oh, shut up. I didn’t bring enough for a week of mood options.”

“Hard times mold character.”

When they’d both finished laughing at her, the quiet fell again. She said, “I don’t know if I want this.”

“And bythisyou mean…?”

“Giving it my all and finding out he’s never going to see me the way I see him. It’d be easier to pack up and start driving now.”

“Allow me to point out there are more than two options in front of you.”

“Oh…really?”

“You can meet his pack tomorrow, try talking to him again, and if it’s not what you want it to be, come home then. Attending the cookout doesn’t commit you to a week there. You can stay as long as you want, and you can leave whenever you want for any reason.”

“Hey, you’re right. Thanks, Blaine. That actually helps a lot.”

“Not sure what to do with your surprise.”

His deadpan was another kindness, offering her an off-ramp from the conversation if she were at her limit with vulnerable topics. Dang, she loved this guy, his quick mind and his good heart. Of course, as a vampire, Blaine was also magnetically beautiful and would be for centuries. To her though, he had never been an object of attraction. He was Blaine. Over the last six years, he had shown her what it was to have a brother.

She said, “Your wisdom is never a surprise, Blaine.”

“Using the termveryloosely, I can’t help being wise at least occasionally by now.”

“Strongly disagree. Plenty of people resist wisdom to their dying day.”

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