Page 56 of Pack Kasen: Part 2

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KAT

Delicious savory smells waft from the house by the time my ass is frozen and numb.

Steak. My wolf’s favorite after still kicking bunny.

Finally, I stop ignoring my wolf, who has been snarling at me to eat for the last several minutes. It was her whining that propelled me to move.

It’s really annoying, you know that, right?I tell her.

She sniffs, but there is satisfaction in the sound. She got what she wanted. Snorting, I get to my feet, brushing the grass and dirt off my ass.High maintenance wolf.

She bares her teeth at me, making me smile.

I bundle Aren’s coat under my arm so he won’t know I didn’t remove it from my shoulders the second he put it on me. And also, so he won’t know that it chased away the chilling bite in the air that he warned me about. A run would have been a good idea for another reason—I’d have thick fur to keep me warm.

In the city, tall buildings shielded me from the wind. Here, the wind slices through me. I’d have been fine as a wolf, with my thick fur to keep me warm, but as a human, my teeth are chattering as I make my way into the house to investigate those delicious smells.

I walk up the decking steps, slide open the door, and I’m instantly engulfed in so many yummy savory, delicious scents I’m not sure what is growling louder—my belly or my wolf when she smells steak on the menu.

I place Aren’s coat on a chair as I walk over to the dining room, avoiding Marisa’s eye as she finishes filling a serving dish with twice-baked potatoes dripping with butter and flecked with green onion. On my way to make a plate for myself, Aren turns from his conversation with Finan and motions me over.

“Over here, Kitty cat.”

My god, he is determined to make that nickname stick on landing.

My wolf has apparently come to accept it because she no longer makes that growling whine whenever I choose sushi over steak or chicken.

“I need to grab a plate,” I tell him as Marisa stalks past me with her empty dish. Either toward the kitchen to bring more food. Or, more likely, to get away fromme.

“Yours is over here,” he says, and returns to his conversation with Finan.

I’m too hungry to continue our conversation conducted over the heads of his listening pack mates, so I cross over to him and take a seat at the same place I sat before.

Aren has served himself a plate. There’s no plate for me, which is what I thought he meant when he said mine was with him.

But as I move to get up, he offers me a bite from his fork. Other than a cut-up steak, his meal is untouched. “Here.”

“I’ll get my own.” I nudge his arm aside.

“I have plenty.Eat.”

He does have plenty. The guy’s plate is near overflowing with steak, asparagus dripping with butter, and twice-baked potatoes with sour cream, chives and bacon.

Raising my eyebrow at him, I take the fork from him instead of eating from it like he seems to want me to.

Other than the slightest corners of his eyes creasing, he releases his hold on the fork and watches me eat.

I’m happily chewing my steak when it hits me how quiet the dining room is.

I look around.

Everyone is staring at me.

I look at Aren. “What’s with the staring?”

He shrugs and takes the fork from me to cut another piece of steak from his plate. “No clue. More?”

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