Page 10 of The Strongest Wolf

But what would the man do?

Sierra or the pack?

Whatever the man chose would gut me. Utterly and completely.

Dayne remains a silent presence beside me as the wolves continue to circle the lake. Eventually, the inevitable happens, and a reddish-brown wolf tumbles into the water. I shake my head in amusement. There’s no doubt in my mind who it is. Nathan.

“You weren’t wrong about them being children, were you?” I mutter as I observe Nathan dragging himself out and shaking his wet fur off, all the while glaring at a large brown wolf chuffing in amusement.

“Nope.” Dayne slaps my arm. “Come on. Time to play.”

Without waiting for a response, he takes off, shifting on the run. The way only an alpha can.

I join him. Between one step and the next, I’m a wolf hurtling across the clearing.

Eden breaks a little away from the others, who are still wrestling and snapping at each other as I approach. It’s her I go to.

She’s still wary of me. And I don’t blame her for it.

When the last memory she has is of me breaking her best friend Melody’s heart by sleeping with another woman, two weeks doesn’t come close to healing the wounds our parents inflicted on both of us.

If Sierra hadn’t been by my side when I explained how our parents had set me up so they could mate me to the woman that would benefit them the most, Eden wouldn’t have believed me. No fucking chance. The doubt narrowing her eyes made it clear she’d have gotten up and walked away without a second look back.

“It’s the truth, Eden.”

Sierra’s quiet words changed that. Four words, and I didn’t lose my sister all over again.

As I approach Eden, she separates from the lean brown wolf who has yet to take his eyes off her. Luka. The shifter who held her hand as I explained what our parents had done, and who refused to leave her side no matter how much I snarled.

Years later, she still smells the same. Cinnamon and oak. The scent of home and family.

That she isn’t pretending I don’t exist the way she has during the pack runs we’ve had before is a good sign. When she steps closer, I hold still, doing nothing that might make her back off.

She presses her nose to mine in a wolfy welcome.

I do the same.

The wariness that crept into her eyes when she first saw me still lingers, and it hurts when I remember how happy she was to see Sierra. They threw themselves into each other’s arms. But me? Nothing but suspicion.

So for now, it’s up to her to decide how much she wants me in her life. I tried forcing myself into someone’s life before, and Sierra nearly died because I was determined to do things my way.

I won’t make the same mistake again.

Eden pulls back before deliberately turning from me to glance into the forest, and then back to me again.

A thread of hope ripples through me.

Is she saying what I think she’s saying?

A wolf crashes into her, sending her stumbling. Before I can even think of snarling, Luka, her soon-to-be mate, issues a low growl that has the wolf scrambling back.

She has someone looking out for her when I leave. Someone who loves her.

The relief is unbelievable.

With the chastised wolf slinking off to join the others still wrestling, but at a safer distance from the lake, I meet Luka’s amber gaze and nod. He nods back.

A gentle shoulder bump draws my gaze back to Eden. I cling to my hope as she takes a few steps away from me. Toward the forest. Not to leave. I know that when she peers over my shoulder as if to say,well, are you coming or what?

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