Page 7 of Secret Wolf Baby

“Really?”

“Do you remember my friend Audrey? She was in our pack for a couple of years before she randomly left without a word?”

A jolt of remembrance and guilt pierced through me. Of course I remembered Audrey. How could I not? The last memory I have of her was her running out the door, anger radiating off her. Because of me.

“Yeah, I think I remember her,” I managed to say.

“I always wondered what happened to her,” Mira mused. “She just vanished. Didn’t tell me why. Sent me a text she was leaving, and that was it.”

As far as I knew, Mira knew nothing about that night. If she did, she’d never told me as much. But there was no sign of accusation on her face, just genuine loss and confusion.

Guilt continued to gnaw at me as I focused all my attention on Alex. “Sorry, but what does this have to do with Mira?” I asked, trying to keep my expression neutral.

She blinked, shaking her head to clear it. “Sorry. Anyway, Blood Moon was her original pack. The one she ran away from when she joined ours.”

I didn’t answer. Instead, I stared down at Alex, who was burbling happily as he bounced up and down on my knee. Audrey. A woman I still thought about daily. I’d had a chance with her, and I’d blown it.

“You never found out what happened to her?” I asked, trying to keep my voice casual.

She shook her head. “Tried reaching out to her over the years, but I never found her.”

I hadn’t tried. Not because I didn’t care, but because I assumed she wouldn’t bother speaking to me. Not after the way things had ended between us. That hadn’t stopped me from wondering about her, though.

I’d always wondered what her old pack had been like. She hadn’t spoken about it much beyond vague terms. It had to have been rough for her to leave her parents.

It was probably even harder for her to leave your pack, a voice chided me.

I tried to ignore the stab of guilt. If I did want to know what her home pack had been like, this was my chance. Why not take it?

The door opened. “I’m home,” Declan called through the house.

Dani straightened, her eyes sparkling as she scurried toward the door. “Daddy!” she cried.

Declan strolled into the house, holding Dani in one arm, eyes crinkling as he laughed at something Dani had said. Smiling, Mira picked up Alex and walked over. Declan bent down and gave her a tender kiss on the cheek.

Seeing the four of them, a whole family, sent a spasm of longing through me that I hadn’t anticipated. I had always wanted to settle down with someone eventually. Seeing Declan with his family like this now only intensified that desire.

That, plus the overwhelming urge to see what Audrey’s old pack was like, was probably what made me change my mind.

“I’ll lead the mission,” I announced, standing.

Declan blinked, raising his eyebrows. “Really?”

I nodded, ignoring the obvious question that lingered in the single word.

“I can take Will and Trent,” I continued.

He studied me, clearly trying to figure out what had made me decide. When he realized I wasn’t going to give any explanation (partially because I could barely explain the rationale myself), he nodded.

“Let them know. You can leave the day after tomorrow,” he said. “The sooner you get there, the sooner we can put this behind us.”

Chapter 2 - Audrey

I shuffled along the street, keeping my head down as I weaved back and forth through the crowd. My hands were filled with packages, and I was slightly off-balanced as I attempted to navigate the throng.

Finally, I managed to make it to town hall. I juggled the boxes, shifting them to my hip as I struggled to pull the door open. I squeezed inside and nearly lost the top two boxes before I managed to balance them again.

The woman behind the welcome desk glanced up, not bothering to move or help me as I staggered forward. Not that I had expected her to.

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