Page 37 of Wolf Heart

"I'm fine. Why?" I swallow hard and look at him, trying to keep my eyes on his.

"Your pulse is racing." His hand moves up my arm before stopping, and my body aches for more. "What do you want from us?"

"Nothing. Really." I stand up, feeling like I might pass out.

"Where are you going?" Aspen asks, standing up, blocking my exit. He must see something in my face because he continues, "We didn't mean to rush you."

Dex clears his throat. "Hey, it's no big deal. It was just a game. All in fun."

I can't help but look into their eyes and think what it would be like if they both wanted me. How much I want to tell them to take me.

"I'm fine," I say, and squeeze between them, walking out seconds before I push them down on the couch and show them what I want.

The blood is pumping so loudly through my ears that I can barely hear my thoughts as I close the door to the back, empty bedroom Raven told me was mine, my hand pressed against the wood.

"What are you doing, Juniper?" I say in a hushed voice and fall on the bed, staring at the ceiling. "I don't think you can handle these two." Not without getting my heart broken.

Laughter rolls from the kitchen, and my eyes snap open. It’s not dawn yet as the sun isn’t even over the horizon.

I need to know what time it is and the eagerness to find my mom and unlock my wolf burns a hole in my chest.

I crawl out of the old bed, then tiptoe to the kitchen, expecting to find the guys in here, but it’s empty.

Was I dreaming then about the voices?

The back door in the kitchen squeaks open, and my heart does the same. I whip my head around to see Aspen peering at me and the image of us kissing floods me. My face burns and I clear my throat.

"What are you doing up?"

"I'm… I’m looking for something to eat." I spot a glimmering apple wedged in a corner and grab at it. But it feels odd in my hand. Like a candle.

"You can't eat that, they're for decoration."

“Why would people have fake food in their home?” I cock my head to the side. Decorations were supposed to be other things like sensible things like leaves or flowers, not tricking someone into thinking they’re food.

He laughs and the corners of my mouth twitch. “You really have never left the barrier before, have you?”

“Once.” I shrug. If sneaking out for a few hours counted for anything. Now being with these three, I see how lucky I was and why my dad was so angry and scared for me.

“If you’re that hungry, I found some wild chickens when I was scoping out the property.” He opens his hands revealing several, small brown eggs.

“What about the lost ones?” I ask, my stomach growling at the sight of the food.

“Do you mean to eat them?”

“No. Gross.” I shudder. “Who would do that? Wouldn’t that make them turn feral?”

“Never done it myself.” He places the eggs on the stove. “But some have gotten desperate. The poison is in their bite, not their blood.”

“How do you know for sure?” I shake my head and lean against the counter, watching him get out the pan with a broken handle.

“They’re like snakes. Only poisonous if they inject their venom into the bloodstream. Several other rogue packs were stranded and starved. They cut the heads off dead lost ones and ate their flesh. None of them turned.”

“That’s horrible and dangerous. They could’ve died or become feral themselves.” I look over my shoulder at the window.

“The lost ones outside are gone.” He cracks an egg open and lets the inside drop into the pan. “My guess is they went into wherever it is they hide during the daylight hours.”

I let out a shaky sigh. At least that is one thing in our favor.

---