Page 2 of Stealthy as a Wolf

“On other news, we just learned of a prison break.” She gave a delicate shudder. “What is this world coming to when dangerous convicts are allowed to prowl the streets?”

“Horrible,” Stevie muttered, his dark brown eyes soulful. But he didn’t get to say anything more before Candice switched topics to the SAAB protest about animal cruelty, and I tuned that out when the bell over the door dinged.

I automatically turned, then froze when I saw the man striding through the open doorway. The world around me slowed, the noise falling away until the café vanished.

Wolf.

I swore that my heart was actually having palpitations. As he scanned the café, I quickly ducked my head, the long black strands of my hair falling forward to cover the side of my face. I pivoted, trying my best to walk—and not scurry—toward the kitchen.

I kept my pace smooth and even, knowing better than to run from a predator, even if they were wearing their human form. Not only did it draw unwanted attention, it was also crazy dangerous. When the swinging door shut behind me, I slumped weakly against the counter and battled the urge to yank off my apron and just run.

* * *

GRADY

Idrove down main street, though calling it main street would be generous since there were less than a dozen stores in town. I watched while people bustled from one store to the other, but I just couldn’t work up any interest in them.

It’d been this way since my mate died more than ten years ago.

Now I’d been cut loose from my pack, passing the position of alpha off to my sons, I was finally free.

Of the pack.

Of responsibilities.

Free to do whatever I wanted—even if it was to hide from the rest of the world in this small town in the middle of Bumfuck, Nowhere.

Where no one knew me, and I was free to lose myself to my wolf and never come back.

To finally be free of the pain.

The light, sugary sweet scent of oranges wafted into the cab of my truck, and the uncontrollable rage that fed my wolf for nearly a decade just vanished. I felt hollow for a few moments, until my feral beast lifted his head in curiosity.

He was wild, practically savage…and very insistent that we must follow the intoxicating scent. When I tried to resist the urge, my arms and torso rippled in warning, and I gritted my teeth against the need to shift. If I didn’t do as my beast wanted, he was going to take control.

After a decade of resistance, I wasn’t sure that I was strong enough to hold him back any longer.

So I pulled the truck over, parked, and wandered down the sidewalk, tracking the enticing scent as it faded in and out of existence. And every second I couldn’t find the source of the smell, the more determined my wolf became…bordering on losing his shit completely.

I came to a stop in front of a café, ready to bail and get the hell out of town before my wolf finally shifted and took over the hunt.

That was when I saw her through the window of the diner.

A wolf, a little wisp of a girl with bright golden eyes, bustled around the café. My beast instantly went docile, like he was terrified he might frighten the poor thing. While he was distracted, I tried to pick up my feet and retreat.

I didn’t want the added complications of a woman in my life. I just didn’t have it in me to woo a potential mate. I was a shattered wreck of a man, done with that part of my life.

And yet my stubborn fucking wolf refused to budge.

I stood there for a damn hour before I heaved a sigh and gave into the inevitable, pushing open the door to the restaurant, half hoping the girl would reject me…and absolutely terrified that she wouldn’t.

The moment I stepped over the threshold, I stopped dead as her scent slammed into me. I lost my breath, and my cock hardened so fast that I thought I would pass out from the twist of pleasure and pain.

Can you actually get zipper burn on a dick?

I looked down at it in consternation. It’d been so long since it stood to attention that I believed that part of me had died. I was so stunned that I stood there for nearly a full minute, trying to adjust to this startling turn of events.

To give myself time to adjust to my sudden shift in perspective, I surveyed the room for any threats to the girl. The crowd fell silent at my entrance, ducking their heads to avoid drawing my notice. My wolf was both pleased by their submission and extremely pissed that the female was there without any protection.

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