Page 31 of Wolf Desired
“It was a mutual decision, ultimately.” His alpha and he had argued; Liam wanted to send another, to keep Tiernan with the pack for when he went feral, but Tiernan had threatened to leave, regardless. He wanted to tell her this was his chance to get his damn beast under control. If he couldn’t, then it was the perfect place to go feral. Putting a shifter down was traumatic. Better that the shifters here did it, shifters who had no attachment to him.
“I didn’t come here to talk about me,” he said abruptly. He wanted to move closer to her. Touching her hand earlier had felt nice, really nice, beyond merely calming his wolf.
“Why are you here?” she asked, her eyebrows coming together. Quite adorable, actually. Gave her a vulnerable look, which she wouldn’t like at all. His Artemis had been working hard to make herself appear strong. If he told her he’d protect her, she might take it the wrong way.
“To make sure you’re okay.”
“I can handle myself,” she said with a sharp edge to her as she crossed her arms across lovely breasts. She’d removed the band from her hair, letting the long thick blonde mass tumble about her shoulders, framing a beautiful face. From her high cheekbones that weren’t overly prominent to the graceful arches of her eyebrows that perfectly followed the exotic shape of her eyes, the female held a rare beauty. And those lips. . . so full and soft looking. He wanted to taste her, to feel her lips against his, but he couldn’t afford to screw this up.
“I know you’re capable. But you’re up against shifters.”
“I know,” she conceded, releasing a deep breath as she slumped onto a boulder. “Short of shooting you shifters, I don’t know what to do. Kingsley and the others on my team terrify me, but if I backdown every time someone threatens me, I’ll look weak.”
He smiled.
Her brows pinched together, and she straightened her back, more tense than before. “You think this is funny?”
“That’s not why I’m smiling. I think you’re in a tough situation, but I’m pleased you’re comfortable enough to confide in me. We haven’t had the chance to get to know one another well.”
“If you don’t want to help me, just say so.” She began to rise.
He put a hand on her shoulder, coaxing her to sit back down. “Artemis, I’m not your enemy, and I apologize if I seem callous. I want to help. Ask me anything. I’ll tell you what I know. No secrets, okay?”
She bit her lip, hesitant as she considered his words. She needed a friend more than anything, but he sensed she wouldn’t admit that for fear of looking even weaker.
“I’m not even sure where to start.”
He dared to tap her nose, hoping to make her relax. “How about if I start and you jump in with any questions you have?”
She nodded and waited, intense eyes watching him.
The moment he sat down beside her on the boulder, his wolf practically purred. If Tiernan wasn’t sure before that Artemis was for him, he was now. His wolf would accept her, but would she accept him?
“Tiernan, areyouokay?” she asked, her voice filled with concern.
He cleared his throat. “Just thinking how best to say this.” Wasn’t that the truth? Except this wasn’t the time forthatconversation. First, he had to help her. Then he could figure out how to propose a blood-bond with her.
“We’re not that different from humans. And a bullet doesn’t always work. But if you’re going to rely on a gun, make it a head shot. Our wolves can heal a gun wound to most organs once the bullet is removed, but there’s no healing blowing someone’s brains out. The heart and major arteries are weak points as well. Better yet, multiple gunshots to vital areas will cause a shifter to bleed out before his wolf can heal the wounds.”
“I can’t believe you’re telling me that.”
“Why not? It’s easier to defeat the enemy when you know his weak points, right?”
“Yes, but doesn’t that break some sort of code, telling me all these secrets?”
“They’re not secrets. At least I don’t think they are. Each pack has its own laws. We form treaties between packs when it serves our interests, but we don’t have some committee or council making laws for all shifters.”
“That will change if the U.S. government gives you citizenship.”
“There’s good and bad that comes with citizenship, but survival is the goal. We do what’s necessary, including securing citizenship. But even if this program, if the treaty between the few dozen shifter packs and the DSA falls through, I still want you to be safe, Artemis.”
She stared past him at the water.
“Did I offend you, Artemis?”
“Just the opposite. You’ve been calling me by my name like I matter. Most of the shifters here call mefemale. I know you and the others don’t want to be here, that your alphas are essentially forcing you to work alongside a bunch of humans that you see as weak and inferior, especially a woman.”
For several heartbeats, Tiernan fell silent, stunned that she could think shedidn’tmatter. “Calling a womanfemaleis normal in a pack. Use of a name is more personal, between friends. And lovers.”
