Page 20 of Wolf Targeted
A warm wet tongue glides up my cheek, and I chuckle while ruffling her fur on her head. “You’re not supposed to be out here, pup.”
Libby whines and wiggles in my arms. I set her in the snow, and she races around me in a circle, nudging me with her nose.
“Libby, we need to go back now,” I say sternly, but she’s just too damn cute.
A throat clears, and I stare up at John. He’s glaring down at me with his arms crossed over his chest.
“Alpha, the woods are restricted. Pups aren’t supposed to be out here, especially not shifting.”
“I know. I was trying to get Libby back to town, but thank you, John.” I stand, dust myself off, and reach for the little brown ball of fur, but she dodges me like we are playing a game.
“Libby,” I say sternly.
She whines, stopping long enough for me to pick her up, then she barks and licks my face again. I can’t help the laugh that bubbles up.
No one in the pack can stay mad at this little girl.
John steps forward. “I’ll walk you back to the village.”
“That’s not necessary. Go back to your patrol.” I wave him off, but the stubborn shifter doesn’t listen.
“The alpha will skin me alive if something happens to either of you. What were you thinking coming out here in the danger we are in?”
“Excuse me?” I adjust Libby in my arms and raise my brows at the enforcer. He is not treating me like a child.
I tore Crystal apart with my bare hands and saved myself from Carter; I don’t need men thinking they have to protect me.
Archer is bad enough. Leaving people to watch over me like I can’t take care of myself is that man’s favorite pastime. Just so he doesn’t have to deal with me.
“There are humans in the woods, and we don’t know what they are after. Coming out here was reckless, especially with a pup.” John stomps ahead of me.
“I don’t explain myself to you, enforcer,” I growl.
Libby whimpers and rests her chin on my shoulder. I run my hand over the fur on her back soothingly as we step back into town.
“Go back to your post.” I storm away from John.
The nerve of him scolding his alpha female like a child. Who does he think he is?
Is this payback for me telling them all they need to take rations this morning? Stubborn men.
I’m fuming by the time I get to Patrick’s door. Libby barks and wiggles to get free, but I tighten my hold on her as I knock on the door.
“You’re not getting out of this, Libby. The forest is dangerous right now.”
Patrick answers, and his eyes widen when he sees his pup in my arms. “What happened?”
“We were playing hide-and-seek, and she decided to hide in the forest and shift.” I sigh.
I hate getting her in trouble. It’s not what friends do, but friends also don’t let friends put themselves in danger.
“Libby, I have told you repeatedly not to go into the forest without an adult.” Patrick frowns.
Libby’s gaze snaps to mine. I shake my head.
“I wasn’t with you in the forest until you pounced on me.”
I hand over the fluff ball to her father, and her puppy dog eyes nearly kill me when she stares back. She’s begging me to help her, but I can’t. She knew better and tricked me.
