Page 3 of The Strongest Wolf

A meaty slap echoes sharply through the door. “For fuck’s sake, Nate, do you not possess an ounce of romance in your body?” Hallee snaps. “They’re having amoment. Shut up already.”

Even though I’m not looking forward to a conversation with Talis, who caught on pretty early on that I was doing everything in my power to avoid having to shift, a smile creeps across my face. “I’m going to miss him.”

Galen snorts as he lifts me out of the bath. “I won’t.”

But I take one look at the faint smile curving his lips and I know he doesn’t mean it. Being here has been good for Galen, who isn’t the sort of person who smiles easily or often. I guess that’s something we both have in common.

“You should go,” I remind him.

Sighing, he releases me before reluctantly handing me a towel. When he doesn’t let go, I tug it hard enough to draw a wider smile from him. “Go.”

He leans toward me and presses a soft kiss on my lips. “I like you.”

The brush of wings, soft, light but oh-so warm and perfect flutters in my belly as I kiss him back. “I like you too.”

“Don’t they mean—?” Nathan yelps. “Let go of my ear, Hallee.”

My body trembles with the force of laughter I’m holding in, and judging from the body shakes rocking Galen, I’m not the only one struggling to contain my mirth.

But after another kiss, he backs toward the bathroom door. “You sure you won’t come?”

When I’ve finished winding the towel around my body, I lift my head. “I’m good.”

His long stare warns me that one day soon, he’s going to push me to talk. An alpha being patient for two weeks is something I never believed was possible, but I doubt that patience is going to last much longer.

He’ll want to know why I’m hiding my wolf from him, and when he makes that demand, no amount of lies or avoidance will get him to back down. I’ve known my fair share of alphas. When they go after something, nothing will stop them.

“Sierra?”

I blink away the memories of the Stone pack to find Galen has halted at the doorway, a frown creasing his brow.

He knows I’m thinking about them, and whenever I do, it doesn’t take much for my thoughts to turn to a certain cold-eyed beta who tortured me in a cage. Bowen is dead now, but the memories of that night, the terror, and the agony lives on in my mind. Probably forever.

When it isn’t a stray thought reminding me of all the things he did to me, I only have to glance in a mirror and take in my dark, shoulder-length hair and I’m back in the cage, pinned beneath Bowen as he hacked my waist-length hair off.

I force a smile. The convincing one that works on everyone. “I’m good.”

Galen doesn’t move.

Well, it works onalmosteveryone. “I’m okay. Go.”

Still, he hesitates.

“Galen, are you coming?” Kier Savage, who a long time ago was one of the few people I could call a friend, yells. “Because I have a feeling my mate is a breath away from ripping Nathan’s ear off.” He pauses. “Or his face.”

Snorting, Galen turns to leave, but I can’t help but notice his lip twitching.

This pack isn’t one I’ve ever known before. It’s filled with laughter, teasing, and constant touch. From Galen’s responses, his pack aren’t like the Blackshaws either. But he’ll miss them when we leave. Just like I will.

* * *

Talis, Luna of the Blackshaw pack, flops on the couch in the living room. Before her butt has even hit the fabric, her eyes narrow on me. “Now, tell me why you’ve buried your wolf.”

I take in the petite, dark-haired woman in her early twenties with large chocolate brown eyes dressed in a pair of jean shorts, a baggy tee, and bare feet.

When Galen drove us up to the packhouse, the Blackshaws poured down the porch steps, no doubt eager to discover who we were and what we were doing on their land.

At a distance, I guessed she was the submissive in the pack with how protective a tall, heavily muscled blond man stood guard over her. Until we got closer and I peered into her eyes. That’s when I knew this was no submissive I was staring at, but an alpha. A strong one.

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