Page 18 of Rogue Wolf

“You’re doing great uncovering all this information. You’ll find what we need to help us change Tamaska and defeat the vampires,” Kodiak said.

But he wasn’t sure if he was convincing her or himself.

“And what should I tell her?” asked Ash.

“Nothing. Maybe try and find something that could help reassure her, something to give her hope that the change will be successful.”

“I’ll try.”

He took a breath. “Tonight, at the hut in the Blue Mountains, we’ll have the ceremony.”

A smile broke out, the first genuine one from Ash he’d seen since this started the other night. “You’ll make a good alpha.”

“Only with pack members like you supporting me. I’ll let everyone know.”

“Where’s Tamaska, by the way?” asked Ash, looking about like she just realized the woman in question wasn’t there.

He rolled his eyes. “Getting industrial carpet cleaner supplies.”

“By herself?” Ash’s panic didn’t sit well with him. After all, it had raced through him earlier.

“It’s daytime.” He’d let Tamaska go off alone. He’d regretted the decision since the minute he made it. “Daytime, Ash.”

“I know.” She didn’t need to explain, he got it. She looks at the floor. “We should really replace all the carpets,” said Ash, rubbing her boot into a stain.

“We don’t have the time or money for that,” Kodiak said. “We need to make this look normal.”

“If someone comes knocking there’s no reason to get into it?”

“Something like that.”

It was too risky to leave the carpets and too risky to rip them all out. There would be stains on the floor beneath. And he wouldn’t put it past the vampires to tip off the police and encourage them to snoop around.

Hopefully Tamaska’s idea would remove evidence of bloodshed and they could focus on sorting out their vampire problem.

Kodiak glanced out the front window, looking down the driveway. There was no sign of the van. Tamaska’s absence weighed on him, she should have been back by now.

Where the fuck was she?

CHAPTER 5

Tamaska

Tamaska squeezed the oversized carpet cleaner onto the backseat of Onai’s car, then angled it so she could get the door closed. She stepped back, admiring her work. The chemicals were packed and the three carpet cleaners she’d crammed in meant cleaning up the clubhouse could be done within hours.

Hopefully her idea would win brownie points—not with Kodiak, but with the other pack members. Being seen as a useful team player could bring her even closer to getting accepted into the pack.

Sweaty from rushing through the physical work, Tamaska wiped her forehead as she slipped into the driver’s seat. What she wouldn’t do for a shower and clean clothes.

Tamaska didn’t care about the odd looks she got from people while collecting the carpet cleaners. Kodiak’s clothes didn’t suit her at all. They were baggy in all the wrong places, but at least they smelled like him. The scent of his musky testosterone had kept her motivated to get back to the clubhouse.

And even if she didn’t want to admit it, smelling like him gave her a feel of safety, like he somehow protected her, even though he wasn’t here.

There was also something sexy about the scent of her man on her.

The sweat, on the other hand, that wasn’t nice at all. The clamminess was uncomfortable. Kodiak’s shirt clung to her damp back, and she felt like she’d just finished a high-intensity workout at the gym. She needed a shower.

Tamaska started up the car, ready to drive back to the pack. She’d promised Kodiak she wouldn’t return to her apartment, but it was the middle of the day, when vampires slumbered or whatever they did…hung upside down like bats? She was safe in any case and the chance to shower, to wash away the past few days and grab some clean clothes was too tempting.

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