Page 11 of Wulf's Pack
Rook and Charlie both snort. “He’s terrified of them,” Charlie says.
Rook laughs. “Runs from them like a scared little pussycat.”
I roll my eyes, even though it’s true. The teasing is a nice break in tension. “I’m part of a clan.”
Rook gestures to the men around the room. “We all are.” He shucks his thumb Terrance’s direction. “Even this big, grumpy troll here.”
Skylar blinks at us, her eyes bouncing between the six of us. “You’re all part of the same clan? But you’re different species.”
We all laugh. We’ve gotten this response before. “We’re unique,” Charlie says with a wide grin and a wink.
I rub the back of my neck, suddenly self-conscious of her reaction. My wolf is worried she doesn’t like it, or won’t accept it. I don’t want to care so much what this woman thinks, but I’m too connected to my wolf. His feelings are influencing me too much. “We’re a small group of misfit underworlders that have chosen to be family,” I say.
Everyone sobers, picking up on my distress. “Won’t find a happier, more loyal clan in the whole country,” Rook says.
“It’s actually quite beautiful,” Charlie adds. “You’re going to love it.”
Skylar’s face softens, and she murmurs “family,” as if testing the idea out. Her tiny smile says everything my wolf needs to know. He eases up, reverting to a state of contentment that has me both annoyed and envious. How can he be so calm? He’s the one who’s made us run from every she-wolf we’ve ever met.Now I know why.
“We’ll have a family meeting tomorrow,” Terrance says. “You can meet everyone else then. For now, go with Wulf and get settled. Do you have a place already? Do we need to move your things?”
Skylar’s face heats again, and she looks away when she shakes her head. “I don’t have anything. Just a knife and some cash I stole from my alpha when I escaped.”
Escaped.Notleft. My stomach drops at the thought of what Skylar must have been through, but at the same time, rage floods me. My wolf is incensed. He takes control while I’m distracted and scoots down to her end of the couch. Skylar yelps when I pull her into my lap and wrap her in my arms. My wolf holds her tight and nuzzles the top of her head. “Safe now,” he promises.
Yelling at my wolf to let her go does me no good. He’s too close to the surface. He’s wanted this since the moment she walked into the club, and he’s not giving her up. I’m worried that he might never let her go again. I’m also worried that my pushy wolf has frightened my tiny mate, wrapping her up as he did, with no warning. She’s stiff at first, but she slowly melts into the embrace.
She presses her face into my neck, nuzzling me back and marking me with her scent. The action is so small, so timid, but my wolf loves it. Loves her. The feelings slam into my chest with the force of a sledgehammer. Wrestling back control from my wolf, I lift her off me and scramble off the couch. I back into a corner and bend over, gripping my knees and trying to breathe. My head is swimming. I feel like the air has been knocked from my lungs. The anxiety is crippling. Having her in my arms felt too good. Too right. This is too real. It’s happening too fast.
A hand falls on my back, and Oliver calmly says, “Breathe, Wulf. In through your nose for a count of four.”
He takes a deep breath, and I mimic the action.
“Hold it for a count of seven, and then let it out through your mouth for a count of eight.”
I can barely make sense of his instructions, but I follow his example, and after a few rounds of breathing, my head clears. I look around at the pitying looks of my friends and grimace. I can’t get my shit together. How the hell am I supposed to take care of a mate?
Terrance sighs. “Get out of here,” he says to me. “I’ll cover the bar. Take your mate home and get acquainted. You’ll need the time to sort everything out and get her settled. Rook, go with them. Make sure Wulf has his animal under control before you leave.”
I wince again. I’m a grown-ass man who’s just been issued a babysitter. Some mate I am.
“You got it, boss.” Rook moves in front of Skylar and holds out his hand to her. “How ’bout it, baby sister-in-law, you feel like moving in with this goof?”
Skylar surprises me when she cracks a smile at Rook’s antics. She seems shy, but not nearly as afraid of this situation as I am. I can’t decide if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. It’s nice to see her relax a little, though. And if she can do it, then I can try. I force a smile at her that I hope hides my anxiety. Not that she doesn’t already know I’m totally freaking out after witnessing that panic attack.
She eyes me again and bites her lip. “I don’t have to move in with him. My room at the hotel is fine. I have enough cash to stay there until I can find my own place.”
My wolf growls at this, but it’s me he’s unhappy with. It’s my fault she wants to stay alone. She can’t. I know this. I grimace, and all of my clan brothers wince or shake their heads. Terrance crosses his arms and barks out a very stern “No.”
The force of it startles Skylar, and she hunches in on herself. My wolf doesn’t like that Terrance scared her. I growl at the troll. Terrance cocks an eyebrow at me and says nothing.
Rook crouches down in front of Skylar so that he’s not looming over her. “You shouldn’t stay alone. Detroit isn’t very safe right now, especially for lone wolves.”
Skylar frowns. “I don’t understand. The FUA is headquartered here. Shouldn’t it be safer than most cities?”
Rook sighs. “Yes and no. Most underworlders are avoiding Detroit right now. Especially those who are on the wrong side of the law. But we’re taking most of the heat from the humans, and we have a bit of a vampire issue.”
Skylar freezes, and the smell of fear explodes from her. Why is she so afraid of vampires? “What issue?” she asks, trying to mask the tremble in her voice.
