“It’s a possibility,” Nico murmured back. “Stay here.”
I didn’t love following orders, but this situation definitely called for someone with more wolfy experience than I had.
Lifting his hands to show he wasn’t dangerous, Nico took a few steps forward.
Stella’s wolf snarled in his direction.
He stopped immediately.
“No one here is going to hurt you or anyone else,” Nico told her, his voice low and steady. “Graham is fine to stay in his house while you decide whether or not you want to bite him. Right, Graham Cracker?”
I was pretty sure the use of his nickname was Nico’s attempt to snap the guy out of whatever had him looking so ill.
Considering it was probably the possibility of another rejection that led to the sickness, I doubted the nickname will work.
Graham cleared his throat. “Uh, yeah. My house would be good. It’s safe. No weird smells. No other people.”
Stella’s wolf looked back at Graham for a long moment before dipping her head in a nod.
Graham hesitated a moment, looking at Nico.
Nico nodded, and flicked his hand like he was shooing the other man toward his house.
When Graham scowled, I decided everything was probably going to be okay.
“Did you know she was a werewolf?” I whispered to Nico, after Graham’s door closed.
“No,” he admitted. “You didn’t?”
“I wouldn’t have taken my sleep deprived ass to your grocery store to find a werewolf if I did.”
He chuckled softly. “That’s fair. Are you good with going home? I need to text the rest of the pack to let them know what’s going on.”
My chest warmed when he called ithome. Not just his place. “Yeah.”
He scooped me up off my feet again, making me laugh as he carried me back through the forest.
“Iamcapable of walking, Cucumber” I teased him.
He winked. “I’ll protect you from the dirt anyway.”
“Good man.”
“Goodmate.”
I liked the sound of that.
“We’re stuck together permanently now, right?” I asked.
“Yup. There’s no way out anymore.” He tickled my side lightly, making me grin.
My grin faded when I thought back to Stella, shifting.
And hunting Graham.
If she’d been rejected, there was no way in hell she wanted another mate. And she must’ve realized what I’d gotten myself into the moment she saw Nico’s wolf.
I needed to talk to her… but she was trapped in her fur.
