Page 122 of Piece You Saved

The wolf blinks.

I stretch my fingers toward the wolf’s thick white fur.

“Angel…” Kade rumbles warningly. “Don’t.”

I ignore his warning and bury my hands in his fur. It’s softer than I was expecting. Warmer too. “Rylan would tell me a lone wolf never does well on his own,” I say as I stroke the wolf’s fur.

He releases a breath and sinks. Almost, but not quite, crushing me.

“How long has Dariel’s wolf been alone?” I ask.

Silence.

“You said you didn’t think he was lunging at me to kill me, and I think you were right. Maybe it was because he wanted touch. What if he didn’t want to be alone anymore?” I ask.

The wolf lowers his head to my throat.

My heart stops.

Aden sucks in a sharp breath.

I meet Kade’s half-terrified, half-furious stare as he prepares to lunge.

But Dariel doesn’t rip my throat out. His rough tongue laps at my throat before he burrows closer to me.

I start breathing again and whisper, eyes still locked on Kade, “He’s nuzzling my throat.”

I’m still whispering as Dariel’s wolf rumbles. The vibration runs through me.

When I resume stroking his fur, he releases a purring breath. The only reason I know this is real and not a dream is because of the floor. The bathroom tile is both cold and hard, but I don’t think I’d get up even if I could.

“Dariel locked you away to protect everyone. I don’t think he knew the damage he was causing, did he?” I ask the wolf in a whisper as I continue to stroke his thick fur.

A little of Kade’s tension drains away, but not all.

Aden clears his throat. “His wolf was going out of control.”

“Why?” I ask.

He stares at me. “What?”

“I asked why? People don’t suddenly go out of control. When did it happen? Did something change? Did something specific happen?” I prompt.

Slowly, Kade straightens. “He lunged at Nica.”

My brow furrows in a frown. “Nica?”

“Monica,” Aden says, understanding flashing across his face. “He thought he was losing control of his wolf, and then he lunged at her, and she was so terrified she wouldn’t go near him for days. That was when he started locking himself away in his office, and we got reinforced doors at the house.”

“He stopped running with me at the park,” Kade continues. “I went alone.”

I stare at Kade. “Maybe he didn’t want to hurt her. Dariel had you and Aden. And he had Monica. Who did his wolf have?”

Kade’s eyes widen with slow realization. “You think he wanted—”

“Aden told me he fell in love. Suddenly Dariel had everything: connection, touch, a pack. But what about the wolf? Maybe he wanted that too? Maybe that’s what all of this has been about?” I ask.

“Lonely,” Kade says slowly. “You think his wolf was trying to tell us—tell Dariel—that he was lonely?”

---