Page 50 of Where There's Smoke
I’d slapped the alpha.
Was it the smartest thing to do? No, but I was so infuriatingly angry that I wanted to do much worse in that moment.
“Absolutelynot. You have no ground to stand on, and I won’t hear another hurtful word leave your lips. Don’t you dare come anywhere near me. I did not set that fire, you stubborn dick. When you figure that out, you can work on apologizing to me.”
Not waiting a moment longer, I stormed out of the room and went straight to my bed. I think the nest needed a little rearranging.
“What is his issue?” I thundered as I paced around my room, Dotty in my arms. She was being undeniably adorable, chewing on strands of my hair, but I was too angry to pay attention to that.
“He was in the wrong for asking you that, but it is his job to investigate,” Samson said. “He has all the tact of a bull in a china shop, and he needs a smack on the back of the head.”
“You can say that again,” I agreed. “I did kind of shove him.”
Fitz smirked. “Good, someone needs to put him in his place! Occasionally we can bring him back to reality, but considering he's technically our boss, we aren't always the best option for a reality check.”
“He made me feel like a criminal,” I admitted in a small voice. The puppy started to wiggle in my arms, desperate to get free, so I popped her on the floor and she bounded around the guys’ feet. At one point, she launched herself at Samson's shoelaces and started chewing enthusiastically. “Also, I really shouldn’t have smacked him. I don’t know what came over me.”
“Like I said, he was wrong. He picked the worst possible moment. You’re already feeling vulnerable, you just got your sense of smell back. Honestly, he deserved it and he'll get over it. He's a big boy.”
Tears gathered in the corners of my eyes. I quickly wiped them away, not wanting to look even more distraught in front of these alphas.
“Look.” Samson’s voice was calm and firm as he grabbed my upper arms. “He is in the wrong, but hewillfigure out who set fire to your place, okay?”
“How is he going to do that if he's too busy accusing me?” I asked, raising a brow at him.
“Let him chase that theory for a day or two, and when it comes up fruitless, he will apologize and move on to the next suspect.”
“Is there another suspect?”
Samson winced. “Not yet, but he will find one. It takes a special kind of lowlife to burn down an animal rescue.”
I sighed, leaning into his embrace. “I hate this. My stomach hurts, and even though Elliot is a giant ass, I still like him. What is wrong with me?”
Fitz cackled. “That's Elliot’s superpower. Even though he's a big old butthead, we love him anyway. It's clearly a form of Stockholm syndrome.”
“Maybe I should get away while I can,” I murmured into Samson’s chest.
“Sorry, I think you're stuck with us now,” Fitz declared, flopping down on the bed. “Don't worry, I make up for my pack mate’s shortcomings with my dazzlingly handsome looks.”
“Really?” Samson asked, turning to his pack mate, me still in his arms.
Fitz simply beamed at us. “Well, the trust fund doesn't hurt, either.”
“That doesn't change the fact that you’re a gigantic pain in my ass.”
“Yes, but I'm a pain in the ass like a puppy. Cute and adorable. Elliot, you just want to throw through a window.” As he spoke, he picked up Dotty and held her to his face so they were eye to eye. “Elliot's a big meanie, but we love him, anyway, don't we?”
It was obvious that the members of Pack Wilder loved one another, despite their ribbing and teasing. They were a family through and through, each balancing the others out in various ways.
I could understand them being attached to Elliot in spite of his brutish nature at times.
But why was I starting to feel more for him?
Chapter 24
Samson
Sweet melon coated every surface in the room.
