“You intrigued her with the mention of murder.”

“So she’s a murderous little creature.”

“Apparently.”

“Well, I’m glad. I’d hate to have you terrified of me because of my insane wolf.”

“He can be as insane as he wants if he kills my enemies,”I said.

Clay chuckled.“I wouldn’t count on a repeat scenario. Earlier, you woke up in the hospital room and panicked, because…”

“My heart started to race. I had to get out.”My voice was quieter.“I don’t feel safe. The Lodge has never felt like home.”

“Why doesn’t the Lodge feel like home?”

I didn’t answer that.

He didn’t want the answer. Not really.

“Is it my fault? Because of your last heat?”he checked.

“Of course not. That was just sex.”

He let out a breath. “Is it Hunter? I thought you figured things out.”

“We’re in the process of figuring things out.”

“And you’re doing that by…”he waited for me to tell him.

Clay had been trying to casually get information about mine and Hunter’s agreement since he learned it existed. By some miracle, no one had spilled the truth to him yet.

Probably because everyone in the Lodge knew I spent heat with him. Which meant everyone I was going to meetings with knew I spent heat with him.

Awkward.

“It doesn’t matter,”I finally said.

“Are you screwing?”Clay’s voice still sounded the same, but there was a tiny change to his tone. I couldn’t tell what emotion he was concealing behind the words. Excitement? Irritation? Anger? I didn’t know.

I wasn’t sure if he was hoping that Hunter and I would end up together, or if he was hoping we’d finally end up free from each other.

“No. I’ve never been interested in him, and I’m not going to be the woman who’s slept with two Savages.”

“Then what’s the plan?”

“It’s complicated,”I said.

It was a lie.

It wasn’t complicated.

But he couldn’t sniff it out with the space between us, so I knew I could get away with it.

“I’m a pretty smart guy. I can figure it out.”

“Not smart enough to take a hint when I tried to get you to leave my studio a few weeks ago.”

He made a noise of disagreement.“Smart enough to know that you’re the only person I want inking my body, even when you’re trying to get rid of me.”