Page 3 of Stealthy as a Wolf

Anything could happen to her!

A movement from the corner of my eye caught my attention, and I snapped back toward the girl, just in time to see her duck her head and scurry off toward the kitchen. She didn’t run. Her pace was measured, and my wolf whined like a pup who just had his toy taken away.

Her scent was so muted that if my wolf weren’t nearly feral, I would’ve driven right through town without even noticing her.

Though I didn’t know she existed an hour ago, the thought of abandoning her felt wrong.

When she stepped out of sight, my wolf became anxious, pacing in my head. I inhaled deeply, hoping to catch another taste of her scent, secretly praying that I was wrong.

Mate!

But underneath the enchanting scent of oranges, the sour note of her fear was bitter on my tongue, threatening to send my wolf into a frenzy. As much as I wanted to turn around and walk out the door, I couldn’t make myself leave without ensuring that she was safe.

I honestly think my wolf would have burst out of my skin if I’d tried it.

I watched the door to the kitchen for a beat longer, waiting for her to magically appear again. When that didn’t happen, I sighed, then forced myself to take a seat in the corner instead of running after her like a lost puppy.

Biting back the growl that wanted to escape at the potential threats to the girl, I distracted myself by grabbing the menu, not really seeing anything on it, until I noticed the little wolf peering out at me from the pass-through window.

Only then did my heartbeat resume its normal pace, and my idiot of a wolf preened at the attention like a fucking teenager.

I took my time studying her over the top of the menu. She was terribly young, her long black hair escaping from her ponytail. While she was tall, she barely came up to my shoulder. She might be lean, but she was incredibly fit, and her wolf was so alive that I could see her beast looking out through the girl’s eyes.

She was quiet.

Observant.

Skittish.

Wolves were pack animals. We weren’t meant to live isolated or alone. I would’ve said she’d gone feral, but the pool of calm in the golden depths of her eyes soothed the ragged edges of my soul.

She was special, something rare and precious, and my gut sank when I realized she was not only my prospective mate, she was also an alpha in her own right.

She should’ve been treated as a treasured mate by her men, yet she acted like a lone wolf. Only something horrible would’ve sent such a strong alpha like her on the run. She was scared, most likely in trouble. I couldn’t just abandon her, but I would have to tread carefully so I wouldn’t scare her off. As much as my wolf wanted to claim her, I would have to go slowly.

Iwouldgo slowly for both of us.

I came to town because I’d given up, but just seeing her breathed new life into me.

So I would try again.

For her.

No matter how painful.

Mind made up, I relaxed back into my seat and waited for her to approach, feeling excited—almost hopeful—for the first time in nearly a decade. No matter what came, I would keep her safe or die trying.

Chapter Two

MAGGIE

Arumble of annoyance vibrated in my chest, my wolf pissed at me for hiding when I should’ve faced down the threat, but I quickly cut off the sound. I swore I actually heard my wolf heave a sigh of disappointment before she settled down.

My beast understood why we needed to blend into our surroundings.

The need to remain hidden and not draw attention to ourselves.

That didn’t mean she liked it.

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