Page 101 of Unforgivable

Ezra

I pull into the farthest spot in the parking lot outside of Tim's Hardware and Supplies. It's the closest public lot to the ranch. I've always pulled right into the center of town before, parking outside the bank or the pack offices. Now, I want to be able to make a clean getaway. This place doesn't feel like pack anymore. My wolf is edgy. The hurt that our female went through here makes us uneasy.

I walk into Tim's, nodding my head at the male's greeting. His eyes follow me as I pick up some shit. Gardening tools fit for a female's hands, some pretty bulbs. We'll try to get Lyri to take up gardening instead of trying to kill us in the kitchen.

Tim eyes my purchases as I put them up on the counter. I just throw my easy grin at him, the one that says I'm just a mellow guy buying some ladies' crap. Nothing odd here. Nothing that would scream, 'I want to rip out your throat just because."

"Anything else?" he asks me with curiosity burning.

I see a pretty display of birdhouses by the register and grab three. My grin widens, "get me some birdseed? A fifty-pound bag."

"Birdfeed?" he chokes out. "Corn or pellets?"

"Birdseed," I emphasize, shaking one of the birdhouses at him before sliding it in front of him, "and this. My female likes pretty little things. Robins and bluejays and those little dumb ones."

"Chickadees," he informs me.

"Yeah, those. What do those eat?"

"I'll have Mark bring the bag up. They're in the back," Tim explains. His face is a little red. "It's not the right time for feeding birds. Usually, that's a winter thing."

I shrug, "just want to get Lyri something nice." In my head, I'm kicking myself. I forgot that Tim has a son. He must be about Lyri's age, a teenager. I rack my brain to try and remember if Mark was there that night, but I'm reasonably sure he wasn't.

When the lanky teen comes around the back with a bag of seed slung on his shoulder, I relax a little. No, Mark wasn't there. This kid looks like he has trouble finding his dick, much less being able to fuck a female.

"Hey, dad," he greets his father first before seeing me. When he does, he stumbles, tripping a little over his feet. "Hey," he mumbles to me.

I don't say a word, just eyeing the pup. Even if he wasn't there, he must know some males who were. I know a lot of the males were younger. That piece of shit, Liam, for example. Younger males have a harder time resisting the pull of the Moon.

"I'll carry it to your truck," Mark offers before I've even had the chance to pull out my wallet.

"Thanks," I try to stay casual, but my wolf is ramping up the agitation. His preferred way of handling things is to go a little loco, and Rhet isn't here to keep him in check. He wants to grab this pup and shake answers from him. Answers that I can just feel Mark wants to give me.

Sure enough, when I stroll out of the store, Mark is waiting next to the bed of the truck, pretending to lay the one bag of seed inside.

"Thanks, Mark." I walk up next to him, noting the difference in our sizes. Mark's shoulders are bent in submission to a superior male, but he still has the balls to talk to me.

"How is she?" he whispers. He eyes the bags I place next to the seed. "Is that for her? Is she better?"

"Why do you ask?" I try to keep my tone casual. Lyri was popular with the wolves her age before it all went to hell. This little pup had better watch himself.

Mark takes a deep breath, "Lyri was always nice to me. I... I was a runt, you know?" he chuckles a little, "still am, I guess. She was one of the only she-wolves who would talk to me nice and stuff."

"She's better," I offer to him.

He sags in relief. "I really thought she was gonna die. Some of the males who were there... they keep talkin', braggin'."

I have to close my eyes and count to keep my wolf at bay. "Any male that stands out to you as being tore up about what happened?"

He shrugs. "Naw. Liam, 'course, but hardly anyone talks to that asshole anymore after what he did."

I know her mate isn't Liam. "Mark, I have to ask, was there ever a male who Lyri seemed interested in?"

He looks at me, offended, "she's a good female," he starts hotly. "I don't even believe what they say she did," he adds, face paling at the obvious insult to his alpha.

I hold up a hand, placating him. "I know she is, Mark. I'm just asking."

He backs off, shaking his head, "no. Nobody that I saw at school, but I'm here all the time, working. I don't train or anything."

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