Page 26 of It All Started with a Bite

“Yes,” Bo said, tail thumping the floor. “High metabolic rate and all that.”

I brightened a little. The fact that I wouldn’t put weight on was the only silver lining to my day so far.

“Not to mention the constant humping,” Bo added.

“You’re ruining the moment.”

We said goodbye to Ellie and headed for the elevator.

“You ready?” I asked Bo as the doors creaked closed.

“Not really.” His tail drooped. “Do I really have to come?”

“Yes. Samuel said you need to adapt to the pack.”

He gave me puppy eyes. “My favorite show is on tonight.”

I grimaced. “The one about serial killers?”

“No, the one about wolves in Yellowstone.” Bo huffed at my expression. “Fine. But if he tries to make me do tricks, I’m filing a complaint with the ASPCA.”

We found Samuel leaning against his car, arms crossed and expression unreadable behind his glasses. The street lights caught the amber in his eyes, making them gleam like a predator’s.

My pulse quickened as the connection between us hummed to life.

“You’re late,” he said.

I checked my watch. “It’s 8:01.”

“It’s 8:02, actually.” His gaze swept over me. “At least you dressed appropriately.”

“If you only knew how many outfits she tried on—ow!”

I’d stepped on Bo’s tail.

Samuel’s lips twitched. “Get in. Both of you.”

Bo brightened. “I call shotgun.”

“You’re in the back,” Samuel and I said in unison.

We looked at each other, startled.

Bo huffed and climbed into the rear seat. “This is discrimination against canines. Also, the two of you had better not canoodle while I’m in the car.”

“No one is canoodling,” I said firmly, sliding into the passenger seat.

Samuel’s scent filled my nostrils as he got behind the wheel. It was something wild and masculine that made my inner wolf sit up and take notice.

“Where are we going?” I asked, desperate to focus on anything else.

“Somewhere private.”

“That’s not ominous at all,” Bo observed from the back.

Samuel’s mouth curved slightly. I could tell Bo was growing on him.

“There’s a preserve outside town where the pack trains. It’s protected by wards that keep humans away.”

---