Page 45 of Stealthy as a Wolf

“And they’ve been hunting you ever since,” Burke surmised, rubbing a hand along his jaw, his blue eyes piercing as he gazed at me, and it was all I could do not to duck away from his perusal. He saw too much, leaving me feeling naked and raw.

“You guys are missing the point,” I said, annoyance making me sound waspish. “I’ve been avoiding wolves, large towns, and anything to do with the shifter communities. The last place I can be is anywhere near the Summit. The closer we get, the more dangerous it will be for me.”

“Maggie—”

“No.” I stopped Grady before he could use hislet’s be reasonablevoice. “Not even you can go up against a whole pack and win.”

“What if we can permanently stop the wolves from hunting you?” Boone interrupted before I could take out my frustrations on the guys.

My mind completely blanked at the possibility. Before the idea could really take hold, I deflated and shook my head. “I’ve gone through every possible scenario over the years, and I can’t figure out any way to escape that doesn’t end with me dying. I’m not ready for that option yet.”

A lethal stillness blanketed the room, the energy so thick that I was surprised none of the men shifted. My wolf hunkered down, not afraid, but more like bracing for an explosion, and I couldn’t help but eye the men warily.

Grady straightened from his deceptively lazy pose. Even seated, he practically loomed over me. He lifted a strand of my hair, letting it slide against his palm, before curling it around his finger and giving it a light tug. “Being constantly on the run is not a healthy way to live, especially for an alpha wolf. You need both pack and territory for stability. Without either, you’re a ticking time bomb. If the wolves don’t get you, the authorities will eventually pick you up for going feral.”

As much as I wanted to refute his statement, he was right. My bond with my wolf had always been unstable. These days, more often than not, I was barely hanging on by the tips of my claws. I’d fled more than one town in the middle of the night when the authorities took too much interest. If I were arrested, there was no doubt that I would be locked up in one of their tiny cells for the rest of my life.

“I know.” I tugged the strand of my hair away from him, suddenly feeling fragile.

“Then let us help you.” Grady caught my arm before I could pull away. “At least listen to the plan before you decide. You owe me that much for dragging me into this mess.”

Guilt immediately consumed me. It didn’t matter that I knew I was being manipulated. He was right—I did owe him. I glared at him for putting me in this situation and yanked out of his hold. The second I was free, I scooted down to the bottom of the bed, not trusting that any of them wouldn’t try to truss me up and toss me in the back of the truck if it suited them.

The sooner I left, the safer it would be for all of us. “Fine. Tell me this magical plan that will solve all my problems.”

Burke watched me with such intensity that I swore that I could practically smell his brain burning from across the room. Uncomfortable at the attention, I snarked at him, “Take a picture. It’ll last longer.”

Instead of being pissed, amusement crinkled the corners of his eyes, his cool blue eyes sparking with almost maniacal glee. “The plan is simple enough—we claim you for our own.”

I gave a sputtering laugh, already shaking my head. “Don’t be absurd. That will only put a bigger target on your back.”

Boone cast a sharp glance at Burke. A silent communication took place, then a slow smile split his face when he turned to face me. “Not if we each claim you publicly at the Summit.”

I could only gape at them when I realized that they were fucking serious.

And completely insane.

My stomach went wild at the thought of one of them claiming me, much less all of them. Struck mute by what they were offering me, I studied each of the men standing so protectively around the room, and the back of my throat ached.

A home.

Family.

Pack.

Tears burned my eyes. While none of the men were prime catches, each a little rough around the edges, I loved their darkness. It matched my own. They didn’t see me as something to obtain and possess. They didn’t see my damage. They saw me as one of them. When I looked at them, I saw a future I never dreamed possible, and I wanted that future so much that the hope was painful.

Giddiness quickly turned to nausea when I realized it was an impossible dream, and it felt like I’d been kicked in the chest by a horse.

To have them so close and know that I couldn’t have them was worse than the dark pit where Timothy and his father threw me into after each of my transgressions. My claws dug at the dirt walls, but I only succeeded in burying myself deeper and deeper into the nightmare.

Accepting them as mates would only drag them into my hellish existence.

I couldn’t do that to them.

Hand over my chest—as if I could actually stop my heart from breaking—I shook my head at the men. “It won’t work. They would challenge you—”

“Let them.” Burke cut me off, waving a hand like it was no big deal. “You get the ultimate decision. All you have to do is choose. It would be public, so their hands will be tied. If they try to take you, their pack status will be removed. They will be hunted down, no better than a mangy dog.”

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